Nuremberg Law

The Nuremberg Law, formally the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, is a foundational piece of Nazi legislation that, in the world of the novel, has been transplanted into the United States following the Axis victory in World War II. It defines Jewish identity by blood, stripping Jews of citizenship and legal protection, and enabling their systematic persecution, deportation, and extermination. The law's reach extends into the Pacific States of America, where it shapes the lives of characters like Frank Frink, a Jew living under Japanese rule, and fuels the racism and complicity of figures like Robert Childan. Its presence underscores the novel's exploration of how legal and social structures enforce racial hierarchy and the moral compromises of those who live within them.

Legal and Social Framework

The Nuremberg Law operates as a comprehensive system of racial classification and exclusion. It defines who is a Jew based on ancestry, not religion or self-identification, and imposes a rigid hierarchy of rights based on this classification. In the novel, the law is enforced through a complex apparatus of state and party institutions, including the Gestapo, the SD, and the German consulates, which maintain records and issue orders for the arrest and deportation of Jews. The law also extends to the United States, where it has been adopted as the "Nazi Nuremberg Law" and is used to justify the expulsion of Jews from New York and other cities, as well as their confinement in camps and their eventual extermination. The law's reach is not limited to German territory; it operates extraterritorially, as seen when the German consul in San Francisco requests the remand of Frank Frink, a Jew, for "protective custody" under Reichs law, retroactive to June 1960.

Impact on Characters

The Nuremberg Law directly shapes the lives of several characters. Frank Frink, a Jew born in New York, lives in constant fear of being identified and deported to Germany for extermination. His original name, Frank Fink, marks him as Jewish, and he has changed it to avoid detection. When he is arrested on a bunco charge, the police immediately recognize him as a Jew and hold him for the German consul, intending to try him under German law. Frink's release is a fluke, a result of Mr. Tagomi's intervention, but the threat remains. Robert Childan, a white American dealer in historic artifacts, internalizes the law's racial hierarchy. When he is visited by a man he later identifies as Jewish, he signs a statement for the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police, without hesitation, reflecting his acceptance of the law's legitimacy. Childan's thoughts reveal his belief that Jews are inherently deceptive and that the law protects "innocent" whites from their machinations.

The Law and the Pacific States

In the Pacific States of America, the Nuremberg Law operates in a complex legal landscape. The Japanese occupation authorities have their own legal system, which is harsh but just, and they do not enforce the Nuremberg Law directly. However, the law's influence is felt through the German presence and the cooperation of the puppet government in Sacramento. The novel shows how the law creates a category of "bare life"—people who are stripped of legal protection and subject to arbitrary violence. This is evident in the treatment of Jews like Frink, who can be arrested, detained, and deported without due process. The law also affects other groups, such as the "pinocs" (white Americans) who are second-class citizens under Japanese rule, and the black slaves who are brought to the Pacific Coast by German ships. The law's logic of racial exclusion is thus replicated in various forms throughout the novel's world.

The Law and Moral Complicity

The Nuremberg Law is not just a legal code; it is a moral test for the characters. Robert Childan's complicity with the law is a key example. He is a victim of Japanese racism, yet he readily accepts the Nazi racial hierarchy and even expresses admiration for the Germans. His encounter with the fake admiral's gentleman, who he later identifies as Jewish, leads him to sign a statement that contributes to Frink's arrest. Childan's actions reveal how ordinary people can become instruments of oppression by accepting the law's premises. In contrast, Mr. Tagomi, a Japanese official, rejects the law's logic. When he is asked to sign the remand order for Frink, he refuses and instead writes "Release" on the form, citing Military Protocol 1947. This act of defiance is a rare moment of moral clarity in the novel, suggesting that the law can be resisted even within the system.

The Law and the Novel's Themes

The Nuremberg Law is central to the novel's exploration of historicity, place, and the nature of evil. The law is a product of history, but it is also a tool for rewriting history, as it determines who is allowed to exist and who is erased. The novel's alternate history, in which the Axis won the war, is itself a commentary on the contingency of history and the role of law in shaping it. The law also embodies the novel's critique of totalitarianism, which reduces individuals to categories and subjects them to the will of the state. The character of Frank Frink, who is defined by the law as a Jew, struggles to assert his identity as an American, but the law denies him that identity. His eventual release is a small victory, but the law remains in force, a constant threat to his existence. The novel thus suggests that the Nuremberg Law is not an aberration but a logical outcome of a world governed by racial ideology and the pursuit of power.