Theme Of Little Polish Boy Standing With His Arms Up By Jane Yolen

In the two differing pieces of literature about the Holocaust, The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen and “Little Polish Boy Standing With his Arms Up” by Peter Fischl they both have similar themes and purposes for writing their piece of literature, but have opposing tones. The novel The Devil’s Arithmetic talks about how the Nazis tortured and dehumanized the innocent Jewish people. The tone of Jane Yolen’s novel is a respectful one, she wants us to remember everyone that was important who died. In the poem “Little Polish Boy Standing With his Arms Up” is mainly about how the Jewish citizens should have been honored because they fought through every obstacle that the despicable Nazis threw at them. The tone of this poem is teaching because the author wants the bystanders to teach others how horrific the Holocaust was.

For example in the novel it states,”.....Programmed misery, such a routine of torture, all couched in a language of manufacture.” This exemplifies that the Nazis are demoralizing and torturing the Jews. While the Jews are trying to defend themselves but their was no way to. In the text Yolen portrays, “not to lift a hand against the Germans had become the quiet passive heroism of the common Jew. That heroism- to resit be dehumanized, to simplify out live one tormentors, to practice the quiet, everyday caring for one's equally tormented neighbors. To witness. To remember. These were the only victories of the camps.” On the other hand, the Nazis will never get rid of the spirit in their hearts even if they are getting torn apart. With the author's respectful tone it sets a mood of enragement because of all the wicked Nazis and what they did to the