When mother learns that jews are being exterminated at the camp, she questions her husband. "how can you?" he reponds: "because I'm a soldier." cantrast two perspectives

The mother is able to feel compassion for those being exterminated, she has kept her humanity in the face of what is happening around her. The father, on the other hand, places the blame of his complacence on the fact that he is a soldier and has vowed to follow orders. He has been given his orders by his superiors, to go against them would mean his own death..... and quite possibly the deaths of his family. You have to remember that the families of the SS were often completely ignorant as to what was happening, as were many of the Jews. People heard endless rumors, but unless they were experiencing what was happening themselves didn't believe them.