The story is an exercise in developmental psychology: can a child develop normally despite growing up in harsh surroundings? It juxtaposes the real-life childhood of Adolf Hitler with a fictional female character two years his senior. The two hit it off and eventually fall in love, until a catastrophic event separates them forever. The story ends by asking the reader, "Was young Adolf's love for her strong enough to change his personality for the better--and thus alter the course of history?
