The characters in Friedrich constitute a cross section of the German nonJewish and Jewish populations, and through them the reader learns how various people in both groups responded to the increasing persecution of Jews by the Third Reich. Richter draws his characters to represent larger groups within German society. Thus he sacrifices well-rounded characterizations for broader social perspectives.

In a straightforward and unemotional manner, the adult Fritz reports his experiences as a young person from the age of four to the age of eighteen. Although the child matures, the narrative style remains consistent. Fritz reports that when his mother bathes the two little boys in the same tub, she jokes that Fritz looks like a "little Jew." His visiting grandfather demands that Fritz not play with a Jew. Fritz explains that his family is poor because his father earns far less money than Friedrich's father earns...