Fatherland

The alternative world of the novel explores an extreme example of fascism and authoritarian government. Although this version of Germany never existed, it lends insight into the dangers that exist within a nation that values xenophobia and demands unquestioning allegiance.

In the novel’s world, crime is rampant in Berlin and throughout Germany. March remarks on how common it is to find a body in Lake Havel, while noting how solving murder has become a central part of his job. As he stands before the map of Berlin, he notes how it “glows crimson” (16) from all the police stations littered throughout the country. Thus, the novel presents Nazi Germany as a police state. Either its people are filled with discord and discontent, or the SS feels the need to control every aspect of their lives; some combination of the two is likely.

The corruption within the police force confirms how violence, lies, and deceit can dominate a fascist state. Every person March encounters is, to some degree, corrupt in their own right. Although he’s trying to solve the murder of three men, he acknowledges that these men stole valuable art and sold it to gain wealth throughout World War II. The men he seeks help from (Koth in the crime lab, Halder in the Reichsarchiv, Friedman in airport security) use their positions for personal gain, breaking the rules for March because of a former friendship or past debt.