Address Unknown Novel by Kressemann Taylor

Address Unknown is an epistolary novel by Kressemann Taylor set in 1933. It starts off with two friends, Max Eisenstein, an American Jew and Martin Schulse, a German writing to each other. At this point the way they talk to one another is very friendly and you can see how close they are. They are business partners in America, owning a gallery, but Martin has recently moved back to Germany. Taylor uses the voice of Martin to show how powerful the Nazi movement was that even the best of friendships, if caught up in it, would turn to dust.

In letter 6, dated July 9, 1933 we start to see a drastic change in Martin, he is now in full support of Hitler and he no longer wants anything to do with a Jew. “It is impossible for me to be in correspondence with a Jew even if it were not that I have an official position to maintain.” He tells Max that he can no longer have anything to do with him and that this would have still been the case even if he weren’t an official of the Hitler movement. From ending his last letter “Yours in affectionate regard” to this, demonstrates to us how Martin has now completely changed his point of view in the whole Jew-Hitler business. “The Jewish race is a sore spot to any nation that harbors it.” Here Martin demonstrates just how deep his beliefs are by giving his opinion on the Jewish race. He show just how badly he thinks of them and he believes that whatever the country, if it has Jews, it will never be successful.

Increasing support for Hitler on Martin’s side can be further proved by the way Martin talks about him. For example, Martin refers to him as a “Gentle Leader”. Surely we all know that Hitler was far from ‘gentle’ but Martin is as though hypnotized by Hitler and his promises. He also says “now we are free men” which shows the trust that he has in his leader, he really believes that Hitler is Germany’s savior.

“As for me, I am part of the movement. Heinrich is an officer in the boy’s corps”. Martin’s whole family is now involved, his son is an officer, and even his wife has a place among that society. “Elsa concerns herself little with politics except to adore our Gentle Leader.” There is no going back, they are now so high up in the ranks that it is a normal thing for them, they see it as the way things are meant to be and this is the only way forward. Martin no longer doubts this new leadership but instead he admires it.

Examine how Martin’s perspective of Hitler changes and how this is reflected in the voice employed in his letters as the novella progresses.

Address unknown is a novella based on the racist policies of the Nazi’s in the early 1930’s, a time when Germany was run by the Nuremberg Laws which were hugely based on the American anti-Semitic laws. The book is written as a series of letters between two friends which allows the reader to see both sides of the story without