The German Girl

Hannah says, “In our family, we don’t kill ourselves; we let ourselves die” (248). What is the difference between letting oneself die and killing oneself, and why do you think it is important for Hannah to make this distinction?

When Catalina, Hannah, Anna, and Anna’s mother visit the cemetery in Havana, Anna’s mother brings stones to place on a family grave. When Catalina seems offended at the gesture, Anna says, “Flowers wither […] Stones last. They will be there forever, unless somebody dares to move them. Stones protect” (232). Who is right in this argument? Do you think stones or flowers are a more appropriate ornament for a grave? Why or why not? Use examples from The German Girl to support your answer.

Armando Lucas Correa wrote The German Girl by weaving together two different points of view—that of Hannah and that of Anna. Why do you think he chose to tell the story this way? What can be learned from combining two points of view that cannot be learned from one single point of view?

Questions involving immigration and the status of refugees are still very much a concern in the United States, Europe, and many other parts of the world today. Are there any lessons to be learned from The German Girl that could be applied to today’s challenges? What might those lessons be, and who might they help?

When Rafael is captured and put in a forced labor camp in Cuba, Hannah reflects about her mother that “this time she wasn’t facing racial cleansing that aimed to create physical perfection, size, and color to achieve purity. Now it was a cleansing of ideas. It was people’s minds they were afraid of, not their physical traits” (303). How are these two types of persecution similar, and how are they different? Is one kind more common than the other? Do either of these kinds of “cleansing” still exist today?

Hannah reflects, “I didn’t want Mama to be sad. On board the St. Louis, she had become her old self again, while Papa sought refuge in music—the only true escape route that kept him sane” (144). Many characters in The German Girl consider suicide their only escape from an unbearable situation, while many others like Hannah’s father find other ways out of pain, such as through music. In what ways can listening to music, reading books, or watching films provide an “escape route” from pain? Are there such things as “better” and “healthier” escape routes or “worse” and “unhealthier” one? What are some examples of healthy escape routes?

After Julian leaves Cuba a second time and leaves Hannah behind, she vows to “let nobody else into my life” (288). Why does she make this vow to herself? Do you think this is a good decision or a bad one? Why?

Correa never directly refers to the 9/11 attacks, to World War II, to Jews or Nazis, to Hitler, to Castro, or to any other names or events directly associated with the histories he is discussing. Why do you think he does this? Do you find this an effective tool in processing Anna or Hannah’s stories? How might have their stories been different had he referred to these things by name instead of indirectly?