The backdrop is of post - war Germany and all of its peoples ' homecoming tales , and later , the nation 's divided self reuniting . The book touches on evil , justice , ethics and morals and the place of each in both the psyche and the modern world . I related to the protagonist quite strongly ; his ultimate decision reflects my own approach to dealing with my father 's behaviour , and for many of the same reasons . My only criticism is that the female characters , with the exception of the protagonist 's mother , while believable and real , seemed a little two - dimensional , a little too straightforward in their complex world .

Question: Why was the nation 's divided self reuniting ?
Answer: None of the above choices .That is the way forward .The book touches on evil .The book touches on justice .