What The Broken Jug Holds

If The Broken Jug were to be viewed as a film representative of Nazi cinema, one of the most prominent features would be Adam, not as a figure representing the strong, model individual that the Nazis promoted, but of a personality that the people of Nazi Germany should avoid emulating at all costs. He is cowardly and does not righteously uphold his role in his society. He betrays the overall system through his lack of honor and honesty - him, a figure of justice! - and consequently weakens it through the mistrust that he creates.

Additionally, the names Adam and Eve are of obvious significance. In this case, Adam is largely guilty of The Fall instead of the woman. This plays into the Nazi promotion of mothers and the female's role in supporting and building a stronger German society. Eve may have her own faults, but she is brought down through Adam's failed and unacceptable behavior. The fact that most of the problems are still attributed to the feiger Adam and his weaknesses only emphasizes the shame of his character, an exemplary model of what not to be.

Mann, Frau, Junge, Mädchen

In Hitlerjunge Quex, gender is used simply as another image to reinforce support of the Nazi party and animosity towards the Communists. It is particularly effective because gender roles are present and salient in everyday society, whether they may consciously occur to people or not. Thus gender is easily recognizable and is something that does not require extra explanation for people to relate to it.

As was typical of Nazi propaganda, much of the messages conveyed by the film, especially regarding gender, are directed towards the image of the younger generation. Shown in noticeable comparison are the young female characters of Gerda and Ulla. Gerda is shown in a licentious and immoral light, her negative and morally unappealing characteristics representing, in a sense, the despised, inferior Communist party from which she comes. She and her people are slovenly and unrefined in comparison to the neatly dressed, morally noble Ulla of the Nazi party. The positive and negative messages here are obvious.

In comparison, the older generation is not so much ignored as replaced in the greater image. They likewise have their own gender roles, but Hitlerjunge Quex portrays these roles in an old manner that is meant to be soon to be outdated. While the stay at home, obedient mother and the strong, commanding father have merit in their tradition, the values of their roles are now being turned along with the tide of old tradition coming under the reform of the new. The most significant sign of this in the film is when Heini's father disappears and his mother dies, rendering the presence of the older generation invisible by the latter half of the film. In order to ease in this idea of phasing out, the movie brings out the collapsing, nearly despairing behaviors of Heini's parents up until their disappearance, as if to emphasize that what is old and outdated has come to its time. To cycle it out is now the next natural step towards strengthening the future.