Differences in Gender seen in Hitler Youth Quex

Throughout the movie gender roles, definitions of femininity and masculinity, and illustrations of the family, are concretely defined by comparing the Nazis and the Communists. Inside the Communist regime, which the movie used to display negative characteristics of family and gender, it was evident that women were seen as loose and promiscuous, as sen through the character Gerda. Gerda wore flowy clothing that showed off her body and she had no problem flirting with the boys. This description illustrated that the Nazi regime did not condone this promiscuous behavior, and it furthered their emphasis on moral cleanliness. I also thought it was interesting that Gerda played the character who enticed one of the Nazi boys to go against the group and throw away all the Nazi flyers. This was another way of demonstrating an ideal of the Nazi regime, which was to obey authority and to stick with the masses.

Ulla was a great contrast to Gerda, as she wore the Nazi clothing which made her resemble a male figure and illustrated the emphasis on a conservative look and attitude for the regime. She also followed her brother's authority, demonstrating that respect for one's self and for the authority of the group was a large component to the Nazis.

Masculinity was defined in the Nazi regime through strength, self respect and discipline sharp clothing, and a loyal connection to the other members of the regime. They also illustrated a family - when Heini was in the hospital Fritz, Ulla, and other members of the youth came to visit Heini, showing him that they wanted him to be part of the group and valued his loyalty. The communist regime illustrated the negative side of masculinity. Many of the men were heavy drinkers and seemed to be struggling to provide for their family. They looked as if they were losing hope in each other, even though they wanted to support their party. The men were not sharply dressed and their "immoral" acts (drinking, smoking, partaking in promiscuous acts) all led to chaos, which was not supported nor displayed by the Nazi regime.

The family aspect was another interesting piece of the puzzle in the comparison between the two parties. Although the Nazi regime did not depict a typical family (except when you see Ulla and Fritz's mother for a few moments) the emphasis of the family was centered around the regime. Family was created through the members of the party this is what helped strengthen their power. The Communists demonstrated a family with a lack of respect for the other members - the men showed authority but only through degrading power to the wives and children, and the women were illustrated and weak. Heini's mother's death was an interesting part of the story - she understood Heini's unhappiness but could not do anything to help him and the only way she thought she could save him and herself was by committing suicide. Josh made an interesting comment in class that Heini's mother resembled the dying Germany at the time that Hitler was trying to save - I think this is a great comparison to illustrate the crossroads that Germany faced as Hitler came to power.