Once We Were Brothers

Should Elliot’s long history of charitable works affect the decision to prosecute him for Nazi war crimes? Can decades of good works and generosity make up for five years of monstrous behavior? If so, does the societal value of prosecuting war criminals outweigh the desire to forgive a criminal after years of atonement?

In hindsight it can feel maddening to consider all the families who, faced with imminent annihilation, chose to stay in Europe amid the Nazi scourge. Based on Ben’s conversations with Catherine, are these feelings fair or shortsighted?

The theological opinions of Jews in the wake of the Holocaust vary widely. Some reject God while others persist in their faith, believing that the Holocaust was not God’s work but the work of man or even the devil. Do you find any of these arguments more persuasive than others? How does one square the idea of God as omniscient and all-powerful with the abject destruction of the Holocaust?

How did Nazi Germany convince a nation made up largely of sane and normal individuals to commit and condone mass slaughter and genocide? With Otto’s character in mind, how does a person who is neither a psychopath nor a sadist become complicit in such atrocities?

In Chapter 20, Ben says, “Find a reason to turn your nose up at a culture, to denigrate a people because they’re different, and it’s not such a great leap from ethnic subjugation to ethnic slaughter” (133). In what ways is this quote relevant to the modern era? Are civilized countries today in danger of repeating the sins of the Holocaust?

Immigration is mentioned in both modern and historical contexts throughout the novel, from Ben’s struggles to enter America after the war to Stefan Dubrovnik’s precarious immigration status. In what ways does the United States’ reluctance to accept Jewish immigrants before and after World War II relate to current debates in America and Europe over accepting refugees fleeing violence in places like Central America and Syria?

Ben takes pains to distinguish between concentration camps and death camps in Nazi-occupied Europe. What are some other examples of camps, either in history or today, where people are held based on their ethnic or immigration status? How do these camps differ from Nazi camps? How are they similar?

Elliot remains arrogant and defiant up until the moment he learns Jeffers has abandoned him as a client. Why does this affect Elliot so dramatically? And how does it relate to Elliot’s need to belong to an in-crowd?