Chapter 71: Prisoner - Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
One February morning, the cadets of Schulpforta are woken at 2 a.m. and marched into the quadrangle, where torches burn. Commandant Bastian, bare-legged beneath his coat, watches as Frank Volkheimer drags in a skeletal, tattered prisoner—a man who escaped from a work camp and allegedly tried to steal milk. Volkheimer ties the prisoner to a stake driven into the snow.
Bastian addresses the cadets, calling the prisoner an Untermensch and warning that he would kill them if unrestrained. Werner, still haunted by his visit to Berlin and by nightmares of Frederick’s mother, feels a deep dread growing inside him. He writes evasive letters to Jutta, unable to tell the truth.
The punishment begins: one by one, instructors and then cadets file past and throw buckets of ice water at the prisoner. Each dousing revives him at first, then gradually leaves him limp. Dr. Hauptmann participates without lingering. After the upperclassmen finish, the younger cadets take their turns. Werner, three from the end, fights images of the mines and of the trapped roles everyone seems forced into. When his turn comes, he throws the water like the others, and a cheer goes up.
Then it is Frederick’s turn. Without his glasses, Frederick squints at the prisoner with recognition. He is handed a bucket and pours it on the ground. Bastian orders another; Frederick again empties it at his feet, saying, “He is already finished, sir.” A third bucket is offered; Bastian commands him to throw it. Frederick pours the water onto the ice and declares, “I will not.”
Key Events
- The cadets are roused at 2 a.m. and assembled in the quad to witness the punishment of an escaped prisoner.
- Volkheimer ties the prisoner to a stake; Bastian denounces him as a subhuman beast.
- Werner’s internal dread is evident—he writes deceptive letters to Jutta and dreams of Frederick’s mother as a demon.
- Instructors and cadets take turns throwing buckets of ice water on the prisoner, who slowly loses consciousness.
- Dr. Hauptmann participates but does not linger.
- Werner throws his bucket, feeling numbed and complicit.
- Frederick refuses three times to throw the water, pouring it on the ground instead, and states his refusal aloud.
Character Development
Werner Pfennig: Werner’s dread has been building since the Berlin visit. He feels trapped in his role—orphan, cadet, technician—and sees no way out. His participation, though reluctant, deepens his moral conflict and foreshadows later choices.
Frederick: Frederick’s poor eyesight and his inability to cheer during the dousing mark him as an outsider. His quiet defiance—pouring water on the ground and declaring “I will not”—shows a clear moral stand against cruelty, even at great personal risk.
Volkheimer and Bastian: Volkheimer enforces the punishment without emotion; Bastian orchestrates the spectacle, using dehumanizing language to justify the torment.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Dehumanization: The prisoner is labeled an Untermensch, reduced to an object for the cadets’ “training.” The water-dousing ritual strips away his humanity, and the cadets’ cheers normalize violence.
- Complicity and Resistance: Werner goes along with the crowd, feeling powerless. Frederick’s refusal—pouring water on the ground—is a small but powerful act of resistance that breaks the chain of compliance.
- Trapped Roles: Werner reflects on how everyone is trapped—orphans, cadets, Frederick, Volkheimer, even Jutta. The prisoner’s fate mirrors the inevitability they all feel.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a critical moral turning point for Frederick. His refusal sets him apart from the other cadets and foreshadows the severe consequences he will face. For Werner, the event deepens his internal struggle between duty and conscience. It also illustrates how totalitarian systems use public rituals to enforce conformity and destroy empathy.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Frederick refuse to throw the water? What does his action reveal about his character?
Frederick sees that the prisoner is already broken—"finished"—and finds no purpose in further torment. His refusal shows that he values compassion over obedience, even when facing the commandant’s authority. It reveals his moral clarity and physical courage, despite his frail appearance.
2. In what ways does Werner’s internal state change during this chapter?
Werner experiences a growing dread that he cannot articulate. His letters to Jutta become evasive, and his dreams turn nightmarish. During the dousing, he feels a longing to flee but cannot act, trapped by conformity. This chapter hardens his self-awareness of his own complicity.
3. How does the weather (the frozen night, the stars) contribute to the chapter’s mood?
The extreme cold, the glittering stars, and the mingling breaths create a surreal, nightmarish atmosphere. The frozen setting magnifies the prisoner’s suffering and the cadets’ helplessness. The stars, described as "a thousand frozen" and "presiding," suggest an indifferent universe witnessing the cruelty.