The Grasshopper Ban and the Reich

The struggle over a banned book tests the limits of Nazi control and becomes a symbol of underground freedom.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Forbidden in the East

Forbidden in the East Context Juliana asks Joe Cinnadella how he can read a book banned in the Reich. He answers that the rules depend on racial rank and that he reads in secret toilets. Turning Point The book is not merely disfavored but radically dangerous. It makes the concept of an Allied victory thinkable. Significance The ban gives the book its underground glamour. The more the Reich suppresses it, the more it attracts readers like Joe.

Reiss's Fury

Reiss's Fury Context Hugo Reiss reads The Grasshopper Lies Heavy and is disturbed by its power. He wonders if the author should be eliminated by the SD. Turning Point He imagines the author dangling from a ceiling, then scratches out the note. He knows such a murder would be dangerous in Japanese territory, but the desire remains. Significance The conflict is inside even a loyal consul: the book frightens him, and he wants it destroyed. The Reich cannot tolerate even the imagination of its own defeat.

An Assassin Sent

An Assassin Sent Context Joe Cinnadella is revealed to be an SD assassin sent to kill Hawthorne Abendsen. His cover as a truck driver and his sexual seduction of Juliana are all part of the operation. Turning Point Juliana discovers the truth and kills him before he reaches the High Castle. The ban is about to become an assassination. Significance The Reich's response to a novel is murder. The book is so powerful that its author must be destroyed, no matter the diplomatic consequences.

The High Castle Evacuated

The High Castle Evacuated Context Juliana expects a fortress, but the Abendsens live in an ordinary house in Cheyenne. The High Castle is an empty legend used to scare the SD. Turning Point Hawthorne and Caroline are exposed, but they no longer care to hide. They have accepted the risk of their book. Significance The conflict over the book has reached the author's doorstep. The most effective shield is no longer barbed wire but the protective shadow of Japanese power.

The Book Proves True

The Book Proves True Context Juliana tells Abendsen that his book is true, and the I Ching confirms it with Inner Truth. The conflict between the ban and the book resolves in a sudden inversion: the book is reality. Turning Point Abendsen cannot face it, but his own wife has witnessed the hexagram. The Reich, which punishes the book as a lie, has punished the truth itself. Significance The ban on The Grasshopper is the ban on reality. The Reich has built its power on suppressing the very thought that another world, an Allied world, exists and is true.

when Juliana learns the book is banned

after reading the book at the consulate

when Joe Cinnadella begins his journey to Cheyenne

when Juliana learns that Abendsen has moved into town

after the oracle of Inner Truth