comment on structure

The novel is divided into four sections with each one focusing on a particular segment of the story or character grouping. Part 1 introduces the main characters and focuses particularly on the Quangels and those associated with them in some way. It highlights the German people, their own sufffering under Nazi control and their thoughts about how to change things for the better. Part 2 focuses on the Gestapo as well as some of the characters that become entangled in Gestapo affairs. This section is darker and more disturbing as the outright cruelty of the men in power is clearly depicted. Parts 3 and 4 move through the story's plot as the Quangels are hunted, caught, interrogated, imprisoned, tried and sentenced to death. The final chapters conclude with their respective deaths and a final commentary on what it is to die. Within each section, chapter titles inform the reader as to the content and progress of each character's story line.