34 pages • 1 hour read
Address Unknown
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Literary Devices
Epistolary Novel
An epistolary novel is the name given to a novel or story that is presented as a series of letters. Address Unknown is an epistolary story, formed from a correspondence between two German men named Martin and Max. The correspondence begins at the moment of their departure, when Martin leaves the United States to return to Germany. This is a moment of divergence for their friendship, and, through the epistolary format, the audience is able to grasp the depth of friendship and when it shifts.
The letters contain references to events and circumstances that both men understand but do not need to explain in detail. For example, Max mentions his sister in his first letter, alluding to a potential relationship between Martin and Griselle as being like “quick storms.” The letter does not need to provide specifics; both the writer and the intended reader are keenly aware of what happened, so the events are relegated to subtext by the story’s format.
The unspoken nature of events and characters add a sense of reality to the friendship. Max and Martin are conducting a private conversation; that they have been such good friends for so long means that they can leave so much unsaid. As such, the reality of the friendship creates a point of contrast for later events. The men know each other, and their letters are full of shared knowledge; then, they take such different paths in life that they become unrecognizable. By the end of the series of letters, Martin is begging Max not to refer to information that they both know to be untrue.
At the end of the story, Max and Martin understand the implication of writing letters in a paranoid totalitarian state. At the beginning of their correspondence, both men seem to tacitly accept that they are communicating privately. They are frank and open with one another. As time passes, however, this can no longer be assured. Just as Martin is being radicalized, so is the entire German state. The fear and paranoia that the Nazis incite infect every level of government. For example, Martin begins writing on bank stationery to try to ensure that his mail will not be read. He cannot be certain, however, and begins to fear that he is being spied upon. These fears prove to be well-founded. Max weaponizes the paranoia of the state so that the epistolary novel ends with an undelivered letter, suggesting that Martin has been executed.
Exposition
Address Unknown is a work of historical fiction. Written in the late 1930s, the novel portrays the rise of the Nazi party in Germany at a precise moment in time. The novel uses the experiences of the characters—two German men—to chart the way in which the Nazi party rose to power. Since the story is written in the style of an epistolary novel, the exposition comes directly from the characters. The increasing importance of the German political situation is illustrated by the increased amount of time that each man dedicates to it during their communications.
The first letters between Max and Martin are friendly and warm. However, within less than a dozen letters, Max is desperately calling on his former friend to denounce fascism and Martin is coldly telling Max about the role he played in the execution of Max’s sister. What begins as a passing reference to Hitler becomes praise of Germany’s “Glorious Leader,” which then becomes a paranoid depiction of a “despair you cannot imagine” (25). The direness of the political situation is insinuated through the way the subject dominates the letters. The political moment is revealed through the letters themselves, rather than directly stated.
The two men’s history is also a key part of the story’s exposition. Max and Martin have a shared past. In his first letter, Max mentions the “time since the war” (6), hinting at the amount of time in which they have been friends. World War I was a pivotal moment in their shared history, one worth mentioning when they reminisce. The past, Max also suggests, is a place of “bitterness.” Though they do not mention their experiences of the war, nor explicitly state how they fared in America, the implication is that Max and Martin are hopeful for the future, particularly in contrast to the past. Their growing business, their shared history, and their optimism are part of the exposition provided by the opening letters. It creates a reference point against which the breakdown of their friendship, growing paranoia, and pessimism about the imminent war are juxtaposed. The story’s exposition not only illustrates the men’s past but also informs the reader of the tragedy of their futures.
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude is a literary device that strives to add a sense of realism and credibility in fiction. Address Unknown is a fictional work but one that aims to document a particular moment in history; as such, flourishes of verisimilitude aim to make the exchange of letters feel more authentic for the audience. Key to this is the presentation of the text.
Over the course of the exchange, Max and Martin use several different forms of communication. They write letters and telegrams. Occasionally, Martin and Max write on specific letterheaded paper to preserve their privacy. The letters may even need to be smuggled into or out of the country to avoid censors, making the letters shorter and more direct. On each occasion, the presentation of their communication is different. The address at the top of the letter changes, while the format of the words changes in the case of the telegram. The aim is to convince the reader that these are real communications, right down to the minor details that may seem unimportant but can mean life or death for the people writing.
By reiterating the reality of the exchange, Address Unknown conveys the lived reality of Jewish people and other Germans during the Nazi era: The fear, paranoia, and antisemitic prejudice were real.
The novel’s verisimilitude is also used to deliver the final twist. After an exchange of letters, the final entry in the series is a returned piece of mail. Rather than simply stating that Martin has been dragged away by the Nazi authorities, the inclusion of a final, returned letter adds a hint of verisimilitude. For many people trying to contact friends, loved ones, and associates in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, the return of an undelivered letter was all the confirmation that they received regarding the addressee’s fate. The undelivered letter is a historical reality, presented as part of a fictional exchange. It is a death sentence, similar to the tragic news received by many people during the period.
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