Disney in the Classroom
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Peter and Thomas viewing a Nazi
propaganda film
(c) Disney
Soon, however, escaping with swing music and dancing no longer works for Peter, Thomas, and Arvid. Peter is caught stealing a short-wave radio (so Arvid can listen to swing music from America) and is forced to join the Hitler Youth. (or Hitler Jugend) Thomas joins the HJ to keep Peter company. Thomas believes that joining the HJ changes nothing, that they can be "HJ's by day and swing kids by night..." However, the reality is that their commitment to the HJ will change everything.
Thomas receives an Hitler Youth
award
(c) Disney
This is because both boys become attracted to Nazi philosophy. Swing Kids does an excellent job depicting how attractive becoming a Nazi was for a young German man. A German youth who felt alienated and weak because of the Depression or because of his own poor choices could become part of something strong and powerful. The Nazis made young German men feel that they were exceptional and that they could do anything.
It is Arvid that exposes the hatred behind this attractive deception. He is beaten by HJ’s because he is a cripple and a swing kid. Thomas at first fights a HJ leader because of the attack, but then begins to believe the attack was justified. At the same time the attack begins to convince Peter that he is part of something monstrous. It also forces him to re-examine his belief that his father betrayed him by resisting the Nazis. (Peter’s father tried to help Jewish friends early in the Nazis’ regime and was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo. The torture resulted in his early death, which left his family penniless and under suspicion.) The split between Peter and Thomas comes to a head when Arvid accuses the Nazis publicly of killing Jews and other "undesirables". Thomas tries to physically attack Arvid and when Peter stops him Thomas tells Arvid "the Nazis are coming for you next." This incident, and Arvid’s suicide after it, ends Peter and Thomas’ friendship.
Peter has to make a decision
(c) Disney
The rest of the movie focuses on what Peter will do now that he realizes what the Nazis represent. At first he does nothing and so he is duped by HJ leaders into performing a terrible mission. His realization of what he has done causes Peter to take direct action against the Nazis. He carefully dresses for a night of swing dancing at a club where he knows there will be a raid. When the club is raided he doesn’t run but physically resists the police and the HJ's who are carrying out the raid. This leads to a confrontation with Thomas in which Thomas nearly kills Peter. His decision not to do so symbolizes that there is hope for him, and hope for Germany. The movie ends with Peter being taken to a concentration camp.
Thomas tries to get Peter to run
away
(c) Disney
As I have related above I believe that Swing Kids does an excellent job dramatizing how the Nazis seduced and twisted Germany's youth. The movie also teaches that we have a personal responsibility when we encounter evil. Pete’s response to Nazism was not the most intelligent or the most effective way to resist Hitler’s evil transformation of Germany. However, at least he tried to do something instead of becoming part of Hitler's evil or living in fear of it. Peter’s actions symbolize that there is always hope, even in the worst of times; and, because Germany is now a free and democratic nation, where you can swing dance to your heart’s content, that good will always eventually triumph over evil.
SWING HEIL!!!
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-- Lee "MouseBear" Suggs
Lee Suggs is a history teacher in Northern California.
The opinions expressed by Lee Suggs, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted March 11, 2003