The Tin Drum - post VII

Oskar seems to become a living version of the figurehead Niode touching those he comes across with bad luck and with Danzig in flames and his father dead. It is hard not to start believing that when he sent his gang of troublemakers to find the figurehead and they came back empty handed that Oskar in some way had replaced her.

Bullet points between pages 344 – 417

* Maria becomes obsessed with Catholicism and while waiting for her in church he is spoken to by Jesus and told that he will become someone that people follow and although he initially doesn’t believe it the notion starts to grow on Oskar

* He gets his chance to lead when he stumbles across a gang wreaking havoc across the city called the Dusters who Oskar tells them are to follow him after referring to himself as Jesus

* Their campaign of theft and intimidation is finally stopped when they are captured by the police but Oskar is acquitted exploiting his height and sympathy to the full when the police and then the trial starts

* Anyway there are enough things going on as the Russians capture the city and in a rush to hide his party badge as the Russians storm the cellar they are all hiding in Oskar hands his father the pin, which he chokes on before being put out of his misery by the Russians

* At his funeral Oskar decides that enough is enough and it is time to start growing and the next chapter in the mental hospital sees him getting measured and he has grown to four foot and even manages to grow an inch over the weeks he recalls these events

* The final episode in part two of the book is the departure of Maria, Kurt and Oskar from Danzig to head West with Oskar now growing and in pain he heads straight for hospital once they arrive and once he is discharged he decides to head out and discover an adult life

* Because of some notes made by Bruno his watcher in the mental hospital you know that Oskar becomes a famous performer who becomes rich because of the records he makes but that is all to come in the final part of the book

More tomorrow...