Crabwalk by Günter Grass intricately weaves the personal and historical trauma of a nation through a poignant narrative revolving around the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff. In the bitter winter of 1945, the German ship, overloaded with refugees fleeing the Red Army, is torpedoed by a Soviet submarine, leading to an unparalleled maritime disaster. The novel follows Paul Pokriefke, a journalist born on a lifeboat during this calamity, as he attempts to reconcile his existence with the past's haunting echoes. His mother, Tulla, is fixated on the disaster, whereas Paul desires a less burdened life. Their struggles to come to terms with their shared history intersect with the restless explorations of Konrad, Paul's son, within right-wing extremism online. Grass presents a forward-moving narrative that 'scuttles backward' to explore generational perspectives on German wartime memories with poignant depth and unsettling relevance.