The Man I Married

The Hoffmans travel to pre-war Nazi Germany to visit Eric Hoffman's father, whom he hasn't seen in ten years. They are warned that entering Nazi Germany at this moment is ill-advised. At the Berlin train station they are met not by the father but by Frieda, his former wife, signaling trouble ahead.

Eric's elderly father explains he wants to sell everything and depart Berlin because the climate has grown intolerable. Frieda lingers around Eric and starts drawing him toward the Nazi social circle. Eric begins attending Nazi Party gatherings, while Carol worries about staying.

Frieda actively invites Eric to Nazi gatherings, and he succumbs to the pressure, distancing himself from America. Carol feels increasingly isolated as the regime's pull grows stronger around them. She struggles to reconcile her desires with the reality of staying in Germany.

American foreign correspondent Kenneth Delane enters the picture as an ally who sees the regime's danger. He helps them search for Ernst Gerhardt's fate and explains the peril facing intellectuals under the Nazis. They begin piecing together what happened to Gerhardt and plan to aid his family.

Carol and Delane learn that Ernst Gerhardt has been arrested and imprisoned in Dachau, highlighting the regime's reach into dissidents and intellectuals. The revelation confirms the brutality of the Nazi system. This knowledge galvanizes their decision to act to help Gerhardt's family.

They later learn that Ernst Gerhardt has been killed in Dachau, not merely imprisoned. Carol decides to send money to Gerhardt's widow as a concrete act of aid and solidarity. The tragedy underscores the human cost of the Nazi regime.

They witness deliberate denigration and cruelty in the streets as the Nazis exercise power in public spaces. The harsh scenes contribute to Carol's growing realization that Germany under Nazi control is a place of fear and oppression.

Carol suspects Eric's affair with Frieda, and Eric admits that he wants to marry Frieda. Their confession shatters trust between them and intensifies their personal and moral conflict.

The couple quarrels over custody as Eric refuses to let Carol leave Germany with Ricky. The dispute becomes a microcosm of the larger struggle between personal desires and the coercive Nazi climate.

Eric's father warns that, unless Ricky is sent back to the United States, he will reveal that Eric's mother was Jewish. The confrontation shocks Eric, forcing him to confront his ancestry and the regime's anti-Semitic rules. Frieda witnesses the moment and is disgusted by the revelation.

Frieda, shocked by Eric's parentage, declares her disgust and leaves the house, shouting that he is a Jude. The blow underscores the personal costs of the regime and the deteriorating relationships around Eric.

Carol and Ricky leave for New York, and Delane escorts them to the station. He tells Carol that he must stay in Germany 'for the duration,' choosing to remain behind as the regime tightens its grip. The departure marks a turning point as they seek safety away from Nazi control.