The Dutch Wife is a novel that touches on the harsh reality of the Dutch and other religions during World War II as they fight for survival against Hitler and his Nazi army . The novel focuses on the story of Marijke de Graaf as she faces the challenge of slowly dying in a concentration camp or joining the camp's brothel as her only way of survival. Analyzed through feminist, postcolonial, and cultural literary theories, Ellen Keith's novel The Dutch Wife demonstrates that those seen as inferior by society will inevitably become victims of oppression. This is represented through the mistreatment of women, the tyrannical government of Germany, and the alienation of Jews and homosexuals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Analyzing through feminist conflict theory, the protagonist, Marijke de Graaf, immediately becomes a victim of oppression because of her gender. As the Nazis continue to colonize German territory, women become targets of sex trafficking. In Buchenwald prison, women are locked up in brothels where they are subjected to sexual, mental, verbal and physical abuse by men. Males objectify females, thus creating a cycle of oppression that thrives on the patriarchal mindset. When Marijke is placed in the brothel, the brothel supervisor states: “'each man is allowed fifteen minutes, no more than twenty. No fancy positions, just man on top. [The women] will receive up to eight clients each night…, [and] regular injections against pregnancy and venereal disease'” (Keith 46). Women are a marginalized group in society as they are portrayed as low-class individuals who cannot express their feelings. The women are tasked with following the strict rules imposed on them in the brothel: they are the reward given to privileged men. Stereotypically, females are hidden in the shadows of males where the latter are in control of all situations. Women must follow their commands due to fear of being punished for disobeying. If women violate privileged prisoners or Schutzstaffel guards, they are brutally hit with sticks or raped. Marijke is displayed as an object owned by Karl Muller, a Schutzhaftlagerfuhrer, who tends to oppress the former. In the text, Karl states that he "got rid of the haughty SS supervisor... hoping this would keep his men away from Marijke... [he wants] her [himself]'" (186). Marijke is described as fragile and weak as she is constantly identified as belonging to Karl who has no right to freedom. Karl is a dominant individual as he continually beats men who dare to touch or have sexual intercourse with Marijke, further indicating that she is no longer seen as a human being, but rather as a possession. In society, women are characterized by a lack of self-defense as a man's role is to offer protection considering that their bodies are built to be strong. The protagonist is not the only victim of feminist oppression; Luciano's mother is also illustrated as a submissive character. Luciano's father, Arturo Wagner, controls his wife by ordering her to constantly follow his orders. Luciano states that “[she] wore nursing shoes under her skirt while setting the table, taking care to arrange the cutlery perpendicular to the edge of the table, as [her father] liked. Her hair was done up the way he liked it, everything the way he liked it… he forbade her to invite guests without [his] permission'” (124). ANDIt is stereotyped that women care a lot about their appearance as they are expected to dress in appropriate clothes and perform certain tasks for their husbands. Luciano's mother is oppressed by the father of the family as he controls his life by stating that he cannot make simple choices regarding the family, such as who he can invite. Luciano's mother constantly tries to please her husband; thus reinforcing the common stereotype that women place upon men. Through the critical theory of feminism, the women of Buchenwald, Marijke, and Luciano's mother, are all portrayed as weak female figures forced to follow men's orders because their gender makes them inferior. In theory, residents of Germany are immediately oppressed by the Nazis when they begin to control their lives and colonize their land. In Germany, “silence spread over Amsterdam with each passing week, [and] it seemed as if the city was holding its breath along with [Marijke and Theo]… [the Nazis] broke into [Marijke's] house and separated her. from [her] husband” (6). As Germany continues to conquer more and more land, residents are forced to leave their homes and separate from their spouses to help Hitler raise a larger army and create an entirely new colony. The action of holding your breath symbolizes when you expect something to happen but have no hope of it happening. Amsterdam and Marijke all hope that Germany will stop imposing its economy, culture and government on them; however, colonization will eventually occur because adversary countries will not act against Hitler. This leaves the residents of Germany oppressed. Germany becomes a totalitarian state as Germans, Communists, Jews, and others are forced to complete the work for Hitler's benefit. In Buchenwald prison, Karl Muller states that every prisoner will help "[the Nazis] rebuild and rearm, and every single prisoner in Buchenwald will help Germany win the war" (222). Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany was seen as a more superior and stronger country than others as Hitler took control of eleven countries. He begins to eliminate all political opposition and amalgamate their power. The dictatorship was in place when Charles and the Nazis took advantage of the residents by enslaving them: they were forced to “build barracks, railways, roads” to achieve a higher power status in society that will be “indestructible” if attacked from above. allied countries. The prisoners were turned into personal slaves to rebuild Buchenwald and were not given the opportunity to disobey. Whether residents were imprisoned in Buchenwald or Buenos Aires, all individuals had a task at hand that would benefit the dictator. In Buenos Aires prison, Luciano, a journalism student, was taken from his family where “'[he was] forced to do manual labor: translating documents”' (121). Luciano had to obey orders and create “commercial documents” for entry into the United States of America, as well as “translate propaganda”. As a journalism student in Argentina who spoke English, if he disobeyed orders, he would be tortured or killed. Through postcolonial theory, residents of Germany and Argentina are seen as weak human beings who will not fight against the superior army: Hitler and the Nazis; as a result, they continue to be oppressed and follow orders that only benefit the colonizers. Furthermore, when examined through cultural critical theory, German inhabitants are forced to strip away their abstract values ​​and cultural beliefs, instantly becoming victims of oppression. Hitler despises communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, homosexuals and others..