Act of Betrayal
...w between Max and Martin, so did hatred. Max still loved his friend even when he was receiving letters that said, “We can no longer be friends,” We can no longer write to each other,” and the worst of all, one that stated, “I am dead to you.” During these years, Martin turned a complete 180 degrees in his feelings toward his friend. Even though Max received these hateful and hurtful letters, he would deny them and the feelings they contained. Max kept writing, and pleading with Martin to tell him that these things could not be true, but as Martin’s hatred for Jews and all things Jewish grew, the friendship between Martin and Max dwindled. Max’s sister Griselle went to visit Germany during the time when Max and Martin’s friendship was slowly fading away. Max still wanted Martin to look after Griselle being that she was a Jew, and that Germany was no place for Jews at this time. Betrayal should have been evident to Max, but it wasn’t or either he chose to ignore it. Max still trusted Martin enough to look after his sister, but that would prove to be a costly and deadly mistake. When Griselle arrived in Germany, she had no one to turn to except Martin. Even though Martin had come to hate the Jews, as many of the Germans did at that time, surely he wouldn’t turn his back on his best friend’s sister; but that is just what he did. When Griselle arrived on Martin’s doorstep, German soldiers were pursuing her. She had no place to hide, and Martin knew she would be killed if the Germans found her, but at this point he obviously didn’t care. He told Griselle that he had no place for her to hide and that she had to go and leave him alone. She ran away, but not far. Soon the German troops caught her and killed her. Martin’s excuse to Max was that there was nothing he could do on her behalf. In reality, Martin never attempted to do anything to help his friend’s sister and as a result of that betrayal she lost her life. Two people who were best of friends became enemies because of public opinion, anti-Semitism, and betrayal. Martin believed, as everyone else seemed to believe, that it was right to hate the...