Swing Kids guided viewing Qs

1.) How did manipulation effect the friendship of the four boys?

Because of the growing trend of fascism in Germany and the fact most boys their age were in the Hitler youth group, they were all pressured to join the beliefs of the majority, and each handled it differently. Thomas and Emil gave in and turned against his friends by joining the youth group, Peter was torn between both and becomes morally confused, and Arvid remains true to his beliefs. The new beliefs of fascism manipulated the four boys by putting so much pressure on them to conform that they were stripped of their old identities to the point where friendship didn't matter anymore.

2.) How did the new government in Germany push Arvid to commit suicide?

It hurt Arvid that his friends were giving into a new government that disgusted him, and he was dissapointed that his friends didn't stay true to their beliefs like he did,like when he refused to play a song for the Nazi's at the swing club.

3)How did Peter's father's opinion of the Nazi government influence his? is Peter more of a leader or a follower?

When Peter discovers that the Nazi's killed his father while he was working for the anti-Nazis, he gets rid of his HJ uniform and goes back to the swing club. Peter is more of a follwer because he can't choose if Nazism is right or wrong for himself, like the way he joined the youth group only because Thomas pressured him to. He than abandoned it after he found out his dad's beliefs.

4) Why did  Thomas start to question the Nazis when he already joined the Hitler youth group?

When Thomas accuses his father of insulting Hitler because they do not have a good relationship, the Nazis actually come and take his father away, proving to Thomas how much power the Nazi's have, making him fear that they have too much.

5) How did Arvid influence his friends political beliefs?

Arvid was very outspoken and often preeched about swing music and how Nazism was wrong, keeping those ideas in the heads of his friends. When Arvid broke his fingers and was in the hospital, Emil, Thomas and Peter joined the Hitler youth group, proving that Arvid's absence was holding them back from giving into the majority.