Super Short Summary

In The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass, Oskar Matzerath recounts his life story from a psychiatric hospital, detailing his childhood decision to stop growing after receiving a tin drum and his surreal experiences during World War II in Nazi-occupied Danzig. Oskar witnesses brutal events, grapples with complex family dynamics, and uses his magical ability to shatter glass with his voice as a form of expression and resistance. The novel explores themes of trauma, identity, and complicity under a totalitarian regime while employing elements of satire, magical realism, and allegory.