Unexpected, sudden change in status
This story features a couple of wealthy friends who live happily in upper class life in Germany who are suddenly removed of their wealth in an unexpected, sudden way. All of a sudden, Germany is entering a war with Europe again and the money cannot save them whatsoever from the threat of death. They have to escape for their lives, and they realize that astonishingly, their security was false. They imagined that their money insulated them from a bad fate, but they were wrong.
Escape and desperation
One should expect that they might be desperate to stay, since their lives are defined by luxury and privilege, but ironically, their journey makes them desperation for escape. They want away from Germany, though Germany is their beloved home. The war that preceded WWII was trouble enough, surely, and these two understand that they are in serious jeopardy. Their escape to a life in poverty as refugees is an ironic desire for them.
Rejection from Cuba
Although they believed they would find solace in Cuba, they realize upon arrival that their voyage to a new home might be thwarted by the World War. They see too late that America has already predicted such attempts; suddenly, they are confronted by Allied Forces who turn their boat around. They don't know whether they will have resources to survive a return trip, and they are almost certainly returning to die.
The Nazi refugees
Although life in Nazi Germany was thrilling and pleasant for these two, they realize too late that the Nazi government is more than meets the eye. They see that the Germans are now viewed in a heinous light abroad, and although they seek escape from Germany, they are already marked as German Nazis. Their alignment turned to be a bad thing once the Nazis began their horrific practices. The Nazi branding has turned into a horrifying condemnation against them.
Separation from family
The love between family members defines these characters. They aren't heinous people, although they benefit from tacit agreement with Nazi Germany. They are simply privileged, but not actively participating in the evil that Nazi Germany was known for. They were actually characters defined by their close family love, but ironically, war makes them isolated from one another, unaware of the fates of the others. This irony can be seen as a central theme in the novel.
