People are rubbish; they are just nothing (allegory)
All the German hostages, who are captured by the Soviet soldiers, are just “a community of discards”. They are treated as trash that neither the front nor the militia needs. Only women, who are raped by soldiers continually, have some perverse "value." They are the dolls that the soldiers play with as they want. This allegory shows how ordinary people can be nothing because of someone’s obsession to rule the world.
Marta’s diary (symbol)
This book, which is a memoir of Marta Hillers, has a great symbolic meaning. It symbolizes a part of Marta’s soul, because here she describes her emotions and sufferings that she experiences during the Second World War. This diary (book) also symbolizes her best friend, because only with it Marta shares her innermost secrets.
Humanity (motif)
Every person reading this book will reason it differently. For someone, this is the story of a war between German and Soviet soldiers. For someone, this is a story about fear, horror, and the lost generation. However, the main motive for writing this book is such a human factor as humanity. Marta Hillers does not declare violence against women or sexism in the first place. Throughout her story, she patiently begs all her readers to remain fair and not lose humanity.
