THE IMAGE OF GERMAN YOUTH IN THE NOVEL DIETER NOLL “ADVENTURES OF WERNER HOLT”

Abstract

The article considers the young people in the novel by the German writer Dieter Noll “The Adventures of Werner Holt”. Dieter Noll is a writer who as a young man took part in the World War II. His impressions of this time are reflected in this novel. The main character of the novel is Werner Holt, a young German soldier who becomes disillusioned with the Nazis during the last days of World War II. Dieter Noll wrote this autobiographical novel in 1960, when he was in his early 30s, and clearly his impressions of the final years of World War II had not faded a bit. The story follows 16-year-old Werner Holt from his last days of school in 1943 to the end of the war. Werner is not a classic hero and rebel, he is an average guy who feels love, passion, anger, fear and hatred as anybody else. He’s just a kid; he’s not a fanatic. He sees active duty as one big, grand adventure. Then, and over the course of almost the entire book, reality gradually sets in: the reality of the brutality and horror of combat; and the reality of the true, demonic nature and heinous actions of the Nazi regime. The youth in the novel is influenced by the historical events and by the propaganda in Germany during World War II. The author of the article underlines the romantic attitude of the young people towards the life. This situation is reflected in some stylistic features of the novel. The author considers the situation, that not only official ideology and propaganda influence the young people in the novel. The young people are influenced by some other people. But the influence of this people is insignificant in Germany at this time. The young people have to find the solution of many problems by themselves. The author of article shows that the great historical events of this time help to find the solution of problem for young people.