Another way the novel expresses the theme that fear can be a highly motivating force is through the anti-Semitism that Karl faces. Karl, a 17-year-old Jewish teenager who has been battling tremendous amounts of anti-semitism from Nazi supporters. The result of this is Karl’s family’s Jewish blood, about got his Dad stabbed from Nazi soldiers, also being kicked out of the German Youth Boxing Tournament. The book states “I hesitated for a moment, dreading joining the line of Jews at the front of the room. None of them had been my friends. I didn’t belong there. Some of the boys sitting behind me, grabbed my collar, lifted me out of my seat, and pushed me down the aisle. Kurt and Hans looked down at their feet as I went by. As I made my
