Summer of My German Soldier

by Bette Greene

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Harry Bergen

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Harry is Patty's abusive and short-tempered father. Consumed by repressed anger and self-loathing, he vents his frustrations on Patty. As the sole Jewish merchant in a predominantly Protestant town, Harry feels constant pressure to downplay his ethnicity and conform to his neighbors' expectations.

Harry is a multifaceted character who urges his family to remain silent and conform to the majority's views. He loathes his own heritage and reacts with fury when his brother reminisces about their impoverished childhood. This difficult past has led Harry to become fixated on the importance of money. He harbors resentment toward his father-in-law because he had to borrow money from him to start his store. Harry's violent tendencies trace back to his early childhood, when his father would restrain him on his bed, repeatedly saying, "you will not be violent."

Patricia Ann Bergen

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Patricia, also referred to as Patty and Honey Babe, is the young heroine of Summer of My German Soldier. Feeling lonely and frustrated, she decides to hide an escaped German POW, which eventually leads to her being tried for treason. She is marginalized for several reasons: her Jewish heritage, her family's wealth, and her parents' view of her as a failure. By the novel's conclusion, Patty is also estranged from her country, as her act of harboring a POW is deemed treasonous.

Patty deeply feels this sense of isolation. To cope with her boredom, frustration, and loneliness, she retreats into a world of imagination, embellishment, and deceit. These behaviors only bring her more trouble, further isolation, and disapproval from her parents.

By the story's end, Patty has come to understand the ramifications of her actions, the complexities of family dynamics, and the racial biases present in her society. Nonetheless, she still has much to learn. Summer of My German Soldier explores Patty's evolving consciousness, concluding before she has fully matured.

Other Characters

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Honey Babe
See Patty Bergen, Patricia Ann Bergen

Max Bergen
Max is Harry's brother and is known for his good humor. He recounts a significant story about their father attempting to curb Harry's violent tendencies. Despite his lighthearted delivery, the story only infuriates Harry. Max is unashamed of his impoverished upbringing and is the sibling who retains the family's history.

Patty Bergen
See Patricia Ann Bergen, Honey Babe

Pearl Bergen
Pearl is Patty's selfish and indifferent mother. A natural saleswoman, she excels at convincing poor women to overspend. Spoiled by her family, she refuses to mature and still demands constant gifts and special treatment from her parents, Grandma and Grandpa Fried.

Patty feels unattractive in comparison to her mother, who does nothing to change this perception. Pearl frequently compares Patty to other girls her age and to her younger sister, criticizing her for lacking femininity. She often discusses Patty's shortcomings in front of her, as if she were invisible.

Sharon Bergen
Sharon is Patty's younger sister. Though too young to play a significant role in the story, she is often highlighted as everything Patty is not. Quiet, beautiful, and well-mannered, Sharon spends much of the narrative playing in her sandbox with friends her age. Unlike their mother, Sharon is very affectionate and adores Patty and Ruth.

Sheriff Cauldwell
Sheriff Cauldwell is one of the few compassionate adults in Patty's life. Initially believing Patty's account of how she acquired the ring, Cauldwell prevents her father from taking it away. It is clear that he is aware of Patty's troubled home life and wants to do what he can to improve her situation.

Freddy Dowd
Freddy is considered "poor white trash" but makes genuine efforts to befriend Patty. Her father forbids her from interacting with Freddy, deeming him too poor to be a suitable friend.

Grandma Fried
Grandma Fried is Patty's maternal grandmother, primarily focused on nurturing and feeding her family. She shows her love for Patty through secret gifts of money and day trips, as Patty's parents live too far for regular visits. Patty briefly hopes that Grandma Fried will become the caring mother figure she longs for but feels hurt and rejected when this does not happen.

Grandpa Fried
Grandpa Fried is a retired and successful businessman who loves his family and enjoys hosting visitors. His family acknowledges that he has become much "nicer" since retiring. His demeanor has softened from "resolute to gentle," and he "still has his hair." Although he does not particularly trust or like Patty's father, he lends him money to start his business.

Ruth Hughes
Ruth serves as the housekeeper and nurse for the Bergen family, acting as a surrogate mother to both Patty and Sharon. She is a dignified woman who strives to instill a sense of self-respect in Patty. As an African-American in the old South, Ruth's pride is, in her own words, "all she's got." She is very protective of Patty and sees a reflection of her own societal position in the way Patty is treated by her parents. Ruth empathizes with Anton's situation, both because he is Patty's friend and because he reminds her of her son who is fighting overseas.

Charlene Madlee
Charlene, a journalist from Memphis, enters Patty's life after Anton's escape. She seems eager to befriend Patty and comments on her advanced intelligence. Charlene gifts Patty a subscription to her newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, and reports on Patty's trial. She later maintains contact by writing to Patty in prison.

Phil McFee
McFee is one of the FBI agents who interrogates Patty.

John Pierce
John Pierce is another FBI agent involved in investigating Anton's escape. He intimidates Patty and later shows her both the shirt she gave Anton and a newspaper article about his death.

Anton Reiker
See Frederick Anton Reiker.

Frederick Anton Reiker
Frederick Anton Reiker, also known as Anton Reiker, is a German POW who escapes from the prison camp and hides in Patty's garage apartment. He is eventually found and shot while resisting arrest. Anton first meets Patty in her parents' store and impresses her by speaking flawless English. His politeness and charm lead Patty to see him as a person rather than just a German soldier.

Anton is well-educated and opposed to the Nazi ideology. He was on track to become a doctor before the war disrupted his plans. He is described as attractive and articulate. Patty does not view him as a typical German, and the novel emphasizes that he is not entirely German, as one of his parents is English. His character challenges stereotypes about German citizens.

Initially, it appears that Anton might be exploiting Patty. However, he redeems himself by risking his own life to protect Patty from her father's abuse.

Mary Wren
Mary Wren, also referred to as Sister Wren, is a middle-aged woman who works at the Bergens' store. She is known for being "the gossip."

Sister Wren
See Mary Wren.

Themes and Characters

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The characters in Summer of My German Soldier are diverse and vividly portrayed. Patty Bergen, the protagonist, is a twelve-year-old who views herself as ordinary and frank, feeling that she is "living with a disadvantage." Despite her attempts to show love to her parents often being rebuffed, she persistently creates stories and scenarios to earn their lasting affection. Her father beats her brutally, and her mother mocks her looks and behavior. Patty frequently blames herself for their mistreatment, believing that if she were prettier or more talented, her parents would love her as much as they love her younger sister, Sharon, whom her father sees as a cute, pampered girl and the next Shirley Temple.

Patty's first-person narration showcases her wit, imagination, and intelligence. She loves reading the dictionary and is dedicated to studying language. Patty demands precision in meaning: "When I read a book," she says, "I want to understand precisely what it is the writer is saying, not just almost but precisely." After meeting Charlene Madlee, a newspaper reporter who encourages her writing, Patty dreams of becoming a journalist.

Harry Bergen, Patty's father, prioritizes running his dry goods store over caring for his children. He is depicted as a monstrously cruel man, but Greene suggests that his violent behavior stems from deep insecurities and psychological instability. Pearl, Patty's mother, is portrayed as cold, controlled, and consistently unsympathetic.

Anton Reiker, a prisoner and the son of a German professor, contrasts sharply with Patty's father. While Mr. Bergen is brutal and sadistic, Anton is sensitive and understanding. Anton, a former medical student before the war, accepts "plain" Patty as "a person of value." Ironically, Patty finds comfort and a sense of importance with Anton, a former soldier from an army that kills Jews. Anton even risks his life to protect Patty during a particularly savage beating by her father. During World War II, many Americans harbored intense hatred for Germans and refused to see them as individuals. Anton, who disapproves of Hitler and is a kind, caring person, becomes a victim of social prejudice in Jenkinsville.

Ruth, the Bergens' maid, is affectionate, devoted, and steadfast, much like Anton. When Patty forms a friendship with Anton, Ruth supports her, and when Patty is sent to the Arkansas Reformatory for Girls, Ruth is her sole visitor. Ruth teaches Patty to appreciate and respect herself. However, due to her love and loyalty, Ruth loses her job, highlighting another of Greene's critiques on injustice.

Ruth resides in Nigger Bottom, the African American neighborhood in the segregated town of Jenkinsville. In addition to enduring the repercussions of generations of racial discrimination, Ruth also faces the worry of knowing that her only son, Robert, whom she has diligently prepared for college, is now a drafted soldier fighting overseas. Her unwavering faith in God and her empathy for others help her withstand these challenges.

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