The Forgotten Soldier

Sajer frequently points out, and has it pointed out to him, that he is a Frenchman in a German uniform. How does his background shape his identity within the army? How does that sense of himself change over time as he gains more experience as a soldier fighting for Germany?

What purpose does the character of Hals serve throughout the book? Why does Sajer feel a particular kinship with him, and how does their relationship affect Sajer’s own development as a protagonist?

This book was published in 1967, as public knowledge and education about the Holocaust was beginning to take root. Should Sajer spend more time on the atrocities of the German army, especially against Jews? Does he do enough to establish the regularity of cruelty and wanton violence on the front?

Analyze how Sajer’s attitude toward death changes over the course of the book. Is it comparable to the standard “stages of grief” where he first denies and then accepts the possibility of his own death, or is it a more complex shift in attitudes?

Sajer often returns to the theme of Coming of Age in Wartime. What are the most pivotal turning points in that journey? At what point do you think he becomes a man, and what does that mean in the context of this narrative?

What are Sajer’s attitudes toward the Soviet enemy? To what extent do they reflect the official German position versus a sense of shared humanity under brutal circumstances? How do those views change over time?

What are the key differences in the way Sajer describes combat with the Red Army versus combat with partisans? Is one ultimately better or worse, and why?

How does the Nazi war effort justify itself, especially when things are going badly? How does Sajer respond to these justifications?