The book, “Sophie Scholl and the White Rose” by Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn, is built around the struggle for freedom and call for moral uprightness. Therefore, the main theme hinges on humanity consciousness where Sophie Scholl and her brother, Hans Scholl, wrote pamphlets to enlighten the Germans of the cruel regime that Hitler propagated in Germany.
Sophie Scholl was a young college girl while her brother was private German personnel (Dumbach, and Newborn 114). They, together with two other students and their professor, understood that the Nazis brought a number of evils; therefore, the five people formed the ‘White Rose’ group to create awareness to all the people. In their second leaflet, The White Rose wrote that, since Poland was conquered, three hundred thousand Jews were killed by Hitler’s regime in the most brutish manner (Dumbach, and Newborn 119). However, the people had remained just quiet on the issues hence encouraging the killings. With every person wanting to be exonerated from the guilt caused by witnessing the killings, Scholl tells the people that, without fighting back, they would remain guilty and haunted.
The book shows that five University of Munich students and their professors in Germany pushed beyond fears and threats of Nazi leadership. Hitler thought that he had utterly killed opposition to his rule. The means that Hitler used to enforce his rule were indeed cruel, inhuman, and Scholl could not just remain silent and watch more people suffer under Hitler’s totalitarian regime. Many people, however, did not identify with the stance taken by Hitler. In the first leaflet, The White Rose, authors wonder “…is it not true that each honest German was ashamed of the government?” (Dumbach and Newborn 216). He further questions the people whether they comprehended the dimensions of shame and implication on future generation once the veil falls off.
The book highlights the struggle to change the regime into one that respects humanity. Despite this role, the main players were executed by the regime they were fighting. Sophie was executed at age 21 years when the people’s court pronounced her guilt. During the infamous holocaust, more leaflets were written secretly and distributed. The pamphlets carried messages that called for denunciation of the regime.
The bravery that young people in the White Rose showed was particularly heartening. However, besides the story showing appreciable inspiration and gripping account, the work was decidedly suspenseful. This element is a substantial weakness since the book is supposed to encourage fighting for freedom (Dumbach, and Newborn 216).
When Scholl was lobbying for support to fight against the totalitarian regime, she branded her campaign a “bad conscience”, which would haunt the brutal regime. Therefore, she, together with the rest of the White Rose group, made the leaders know that people will not be silent rather they will trouble the regime even when they are executed (Dumbach, and Newborn 236). Scholl exhorted the Germans to raise and fight even for the Jews.
These young people exuded bravery, which had never been seen before as they risked all they had to enlighten people around Germany. Moreover, they sought to send a message to the world exposing the most brutal and horrifying regime in history. The White Rose leaflets communicated the message even as the members were arrested. As Hans was being executed, he made his last call to the people…”Long Live Freedom”, a call that best sums up the book.
Works Cited
Dumbach, Annette, and Newborn, Jud. Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. London: Oneworld Publications, 2007. Print