The Fat One

The Fat One is the derisive nickname for Hermann Göring, the Nazi leader whose gluttonous, self-indulgent reputation masks a shrewd and ruthless political operator. In the alternate history of The Man in the High Castle, Göring is a leading contender to succeed the dying Reich Chancellor Martin Bormann, embodying the corrupt, power-hungry spirit of the Nazi elite. His nickname, used by both Japanese officials and ordinary Americans, encapsulates the mixture of contempt and fear that the Nazi leadership inspires, and serves as a lens through which the novel explores the nature of evil, power, and historical memory.

Origins and Character

The nickname "The Fat One" derives from Göring's corpulent physique, which became a symbol of his excessive lifestyle. The Japanese Foreign Office's briefing on the Nazi succession describes him as "The Fat One, so-called, due to body," and notes that his "sybaritic excesses gave rise to misguiding picture of amiable wine-tippling disposition." This official assessment, however, warns against underestimating him: he is "one of the most ruthless early Nazis," a man whose "power grew rather than abated as age progressed." The briefing paints a lurid picture of Göring as a modern Roman Caesar, "owning immense castle filled with trophies and art objects," with "freight trains of stolen valuables" making their way to his private estates during wartime. This image of the Fat One as a self-gratifying emperor, hoarding wealth and pleasure, stands in stark contrast to the ascetic Himmler, who "lived in personal want at low salary." Göring's nickname thus captures the essence of his character: a man who uses power for personal gain, yet whose intelligence and cunning make him a formidable player in the Nazi power game.

Political Ambitions and the Succession Crisis

Following the death of Martin Bormann, the Fat One emerges as a leading candidate to become the new Reich Chancellor. The Japanese Foreign Office's evaluation places him among the "foremost" contenders, alongside Goebbels, Heydrich, and von Schirach. His political maneuvering is depicted in the novel through the reactions of various characters. When Juliana Frink hears the news of Bormann's death, she speculates, "Maybe Goring will be the new Fuhrer when that Bormann dies. He seems sort of different from the others." She recalls that Göring's Luftwaffe "knocked out those English radar stations and then finished off the RAF," and that he should have become Führer after Hitler, but was "off in his mountain palace" when Bormann "weaseled in." This sense of Göring as a man who missed his moment, yet remains a powerful force, is echoed by Joe Cinnadella, who predicts, "This'll be Fat Hermann" when the radio reports that Göring has been reached at his retreat in the Alps. The nickname "The Fat One" thus becomes a shorthand for the bloated, decadent, yet still dangerous old guard of the Nazi Party, whose ambitions threaten to plunge the world into further chaos.

The Fat One in the American Imagination

For ordinary Americans living under Japanese and German domination, the Fat One represents the grotesque excess of the Nazi regime. Juliana Frink, reflecting on the Nazi leaders, thinks of Göring's "mountain palace" and his "pet lions," imagining him as a figure of absurd, almost comic evil. She even recalls a Bob Hope joke about Göring buying Rome and having it shipped to his mountain retreat, a joke that underscores the public's perception of the Fat One as a symbol of Nazi greed and folly. This popular image, however, is complicated by the novel's deeper exploration of evil. The Japanese Foreign Office's briefing, while acknowledging Göring's "primitive mentality, even vulgar," also notes that he is "possibly most intelligent of all Nazi chiefs." This duality—the Fat One as both a figure of ridicule and a cunning strategist—reflects the novel's broader theme that evil is not always obvious, but can hide behind a mask of buffoonery.

The Fat One and the Moral Crisis of the Nazi Regime

The Fat One's role in the succession crisis forces characters to confront the moral ambiguity of the Nazi world. Mr. Tagomi, the Japanese Trade Mission official, is horrified by the Foreign Office's recitation of the Nazi leaders' crimes, and he experiences a profound moral crisis. The description of Göring as a "self-gratifying ancient Roman Caesar" who uses power for personal wealth is part of the litany of evil that overwhelms Tagomi, leading him to think, "I think I am going mad." The Fat One, in this context, becomes a symbol of the corrupting nature of absolute power, a figure whose gluttony is a metaphor for the Nazi regime's insatiable appetite for conquest and destruction. The novel suggests that the Fat One, despite his apparent joviality, is as dangerous as any of the more ideologically fanatical Nazis, because his self-indulgence is a form of moral decay that infects the entire system.

The Fat One as a Historical Echo

In the novel's alternate history, the Fat One is a reminder of the real historical Göring, whose obesity and drug addiction were well known. The novel uses this historical figure to explore the nature of evil in a world where the Nazis have won. The nickname "The Fat One" serves as a kind of shorthand for the moral bankruptcy of the Nazi elite, a way of reducing the horror of their crimes to a single, almost comic image. Yet the novel also complicates this image, showing that the Fat One is not merely a buffoon, but a man of considerable intelligence and ambition. This tension between the comic and the sinister is central to the novel's exploration of how evil operates in the world. The Fat One, like the other Nazi leaders, is a figure of both contempt and fear, a reminder that the greatest dangers often come from those who seem most ridiculous. In this way, the nickname becomes a powerful tool for the novel's critique of totalitarianism, revealing the banality and the horror of evil in equal measure.