What is Trudel's Baby?

Trudel's baby represents the promise of new life, and its sudden, premature death represents how the Nazi regime chokes out all life and beauty within the world. When Otto tells Trudel of Ottochen's death, he encourages her to move on and find someone else to marry and begin a family. But Trudel does not want to bring children into the cruel world in which they presently live. She stubbornly declares, "I'm not going to bring children into this world to be cannon fodder. Not while some general can say 'March till you drop!' Papa" (32).