Compare And Contrast This Way For The Gas Ladies And Gentlemen

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary racism is a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. On the other hand, racism as an ideology originated from European scientists in the 17th Century during the Atlantic slave trade. They invented it in order to differentiate themselves from those with different skin colors and unwanted features, this created a racial hierarchy that continues to this day. Both Tadeusz Borowski and Silko write about their personal experiences with racism in society.

"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen" by Tadeusz Borowski was very powerful. Although he was not Jewish, he spent two years in a

concentration camp as a political prisoner and had escaped the fate of immediate death. At first I thought Tadeusz Borowski was being hard towards the Jewish deaths in his stories. After futher processing I realized Borowski's writing may not be overloaded with emotion but it is descriptive and allows us to conjure our own emotions. He recalls some of the experiences of non-Jewish inmates at the camp. As a prisoner Borowski gave a glimpse of humanity in general. Not everyone is brave, saintly, or even innocent. The brutality discussed in this book is a disgusting indication of how humans behave toward one another in grim circumstances. The drive for self-preservation can lead to unthinkable acts between prisoners. Borowski's stories proved that no one is innocent. He was thrown in that camp for attempting to stand up for what he believed in. To combat the racism that was spreading. Although Borowski was against disgraceful acts of the Nazis, this story centers around survival. It is shows the desensitization that takes place in order for one to survive the horrors of a death camp. He began doing things I'm sure he thought he would never do. Borowski turned a blind eye and did what he was told no matter how bad. His story was an unapologetic exposition of what camp life was truly like for those that thought surviving was the bottom line. It also shows how the Jewish people were clearly singled out for mass extermination. The question is how much of your humanity remains after something like this. Borowski may have survived Auschwitz physically but he would forever remain there mentally.

In "Yellow Woman", famous novelist, short story writer and poet, Leslie Marmon Silko, recalls her encounters with racism while growing up on the Laguna Pueblo reservation in New Mexico.

She calls herself a mixed breed because she has Indian, Mexican and white ancestry. She explores the sexually uninhibited Laguna society before the arrival of Christian missionaries. This is back when Laguna women were sexually liberated and could hunted and go to war with the men. Her explorations of Pueblo myths and oral narratives emphasize the complicated links between human identity, imagination and Mother Earth. Silko's short essays are a carefully controlled blend of pride in Pueblo heritage and anger over the perpetuation of injustice against Native Americans. These stories are rich in observation. Silko, whose mixed heritage has made her extremely sensitive to issues of race. She weaves events from her life into reflections on the inclusiveness of the ancient Pueblo vision, especially how important this place is to a Pueblo sense of identity, and how stories are a major part of everyday Pueblo life; they establish and preserve a web of meaning, memory, and knowledge. In her essay, Silko contrasts Native American and European American standards of feminine beauty, then introduces the heroic figure of Yellow Woman, whose strength, courage, and "vibrant sexuality" were advantages to her

people.

Both authors have lived with various hardships in their life. Faced with Racism and placed in difficult situations. Although one took his life they both emerged from the hatred and shed a light onto the injustices of the world that we are still fighting today. These writers have paved the way for others to share their story and hopefully make a real difference in the world.