Women in Hitlerjugend Quex

The gender roles within both the Communist and the Nazi Party were strong and provided commentary from the Nazi point of view on both parties. Women within the Communist Party, specifically Gerda, were what some would call a “loose” woman. She used her feminine charms and her body to lure unsuspecting German youths from the Nazi Party and turned them into traitors. She also intermingled freely with the boys. She did not follow the role of the “traditional” German woman. Nazi women, on the other hand, maintained a separate sphere from the men. Ulla, who did spend time with the boys, did not engage in much flirtatious or alluring behavior, and most certainly did not attempt to use her femininity to do harm. In contrast, Heini’s mother, who is not described as Communist or Nazi, serves to depict the everyday German woman of the era; she is troubled by the economic times and is trying to provide for her family. She is the cornerstone of the household and perhaps even symbolizes a Germany torn between Communism and National Socialism.