Anna Seghers’s novel Transit explores the relationships between refugees during WWII.
Uprooted and disoriented with no hope of repatriating, these refugees did all they could to escape
fascism in Europe and flee to safety. The encounters between the refugees are examined under
the lens of loyalty and betrayal. Seghers believed that this theme was important because of
France’s betrayal of its people and principles to cooperate with Nazi Germany. In the novel, the
loyal characters, such as Marie and Heinz, are portrayed favorably. Marie especially is a loyal
character, as she does not give up on her husband. The untrustworthy characters, such as
Achselroth, are portrayed as self-serving. Loyalty leads to good outcomes, and faithfulness to
one’s beliefs was very important to Seghers.
To begin, Germany invaded France under Case Yellow early in the war. France had been
part of the Allies. However, French leaders surrendered to the Nazis and betrayed their
allegiance to the Allies and the sovereignty of their people. France was split between occupied
northern France and the nominally-free Vichy France, which in reality was a puppet state. The
division of France is reflected in the narrator Seidler’s divided conscience. Sometimes he
admires loyalty, but at other times he mocks it, thinking it is foolish and impractical. Indeed,
cooperation with Germany was a “practical” choice for France because it saved lives and
infrastructure. However, there was a darker element; the anti-Semitic leader Marshal Petain
betrayed the French-Jewish population and treated them violently.
Moreover, in the novel Transit, Seghers examines a microcosm of Free France in
Marseilles to present themes of fidelity and infidelity. The character Achselroth is a selfish,
money-loving man. He left his friends in the lurch when they were escaping from a concentration
camp. He is the most disloyal character in the novel. Seidler resents how Achselroth gets away
with his malevolent actions.
However, there are two prominent examples of loyalty in Transit. One is Heinz, an
amputee. Heinz is a faithful friend who helps others and adheres strongly to his principles.
Seidler admires Heinz and longs to have his determination and virtues. The other loyal character
is Marie. Her husband Weidel is dead, but throughout the novel, Marie continually searches for
him. Literary critics have compared Marie to the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, both of
whom were faithful to Jesus. Marie is also similar to Andromache from Greek myth.
Andromache, wife of Hector, never stopped loving her dead husband, even when two men were
pursuing her. Similarly, Marie is pursued by Seidler and the Doctor, but she still waits for her
husband to come to her. However, her loyalty is incomplete. Marie married Weidel on a whim
and does not fully love him. She shows interest in the Doctor. Therefore, Seghers complicates
Marie’s symbolism of loyal women.
Furthermore, Seghers includes the consequences of loyalty and betrayal in her novel.
Seidler realizes that Marie will never love him because she will always be searching for her
husband. Marie’s loyalty to Weidel forces Seidler to grow. He decides to stop chasing her and
focuses on developing his own purpose by joining French resistance fighters. Seidler is also
inspired by Heinz’s strong morals, which also aids him in improving himself. Therefore, loyalty
encourages others to become better people. In contrast, Achselroth ends up drowning at sea.
Seidler gives him his ticket for a boat to Mexico, which ultimately sinks. Achselroth’s sly
manipulation of other people is punished with death. Marie also dies at sea, believing her
husband is on board with her. Perhaps this implies that she is finally reuniting with him in death.
To continue, the Binnet boy is a symbol of innocence and purity. He develops an
attachment to Seidler and the Doctor. He is in despair when he learns that they will leave him.
His emotions make other characters guilty and force them to confront the infidelity of their
departure. Seidler ultimately keeps his promise to the boy. He does not leave. Seidler chooses
loyalty over self-interest.
In conclusion, the themes of loyalty and betrayal are important in Transit. They are
relevant to the political situation at the time because France had cooperated with the Nazis.
Seghers negatively portrays unfaithful characters like Aschelroth, while loyal characters like
Heinz are admirable. Seghers personally considered loyalty to be essential. Later in her life, she
devoted herself totally to communism, even going so far as to tacitly condone Stalin’s gruesome
violation of human rights. She put greater value on loyalty to the party. Therefore, in her novel,
Marie is a loyal wife to Weidel because, even if he might be a “dead” cause, it is more important
to stay faithful than to give up one one’s beliefs, for Marie believes that Weidel can save her. In
the same way, Seghers believed that communism could, in the long run, save humanity. From
Seghers’s personal opinion combined with the historical context, it is clear that loyalty and
betrayal are the linchpins of the novel Transit.