The Littlest Hitler
The Littlest Hitler
This short story is written by Ryan Boudinot. First published in Mississippi review in 2002.
The narrator of the story is a little boy called Davy, he is a 1. Person narrator. We dont hear how old he is but you get the impression that he is not that old, maybe around 9-10 year, because he still goes trick and treating, and we hear that he is attending fourth grade .
We dont get to know where the story takes place, but because the narrator dresses up for Halloween I assume it takes place in USA. The narrator of the story is a little boy called Davy. He lives with his father, and I presume that his mother isnt living there because she is not mentioned once. His father seems to be a very good and loving father who wants to help his son the best way possible.
His father helps Davy make the Hitler costume and compliments its scary effects. Therefore its a shock for Davy and his father when he gets bullied in school because of it. This really shows how naive his father is. Because even though its a costume for Halloween it makes a complete different statement. And every parent would know that it wouldnt be a good idea to dress a child in a Hitler costume, and they would have thought of the consequences. Davys father is blinded by the fact that the wants to do the best for his son. That may have something to do with the missing mom. Maybe he is acting like a child because Davys mother left him or maybe died. Therefore he thinks that Davy needs all his attention, and he is in a way being a bit to overprotective. He is Davys best friend and that hinders him in stepping up and acting like a dad. It also hinders Davy socializing with other kids.
But davys father is not the only who handles the situation wrong. Davys teacher makes him and Lisette who is dressed up as Anne Frank tell about their characters, but in a way that puts Davy in a bad light. And its clear that after they presented their characters, they get completely different reactions. When Davys is done with his presentation everyone is silent , but when Lisette has finished her presentation everyone claps . The teacher should have known that she shouldnt have displayed