If the “killers” of the Holocaust were not put in the situations they were in, many of them would not have committed the crimes they did; whether they were killing the Jews or just delivering the Jews to camps, they were part of the extermination of innocent people. Most of them were killing in fear, they didn’t want to be persecuted and murdered so they made it look like they were for the Nazi party. Anne Frank once said, “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.” I believe that this quote, which is saying that some people do bad things but that does not mean they are bad people, many are doing things out of fright, hoping it will save their lives, is very true. All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein which is about a Jewish family, mainly on the little girl in the family who goes through the unimaginable during the Holocaust, popped into mind when I heard the quote. Also two short stories called “Tiengen” by Maurice Meier and “Rescuers” by Irene Opdyke came to mind when I read this quote.
These three pieces of work prove there were so many people who did virtuous things and assisted the people being terrorized, although there were many more who did nothing, or those who caused the horror, that is the Holocaust.
For example, All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein, a story about the terrors of the Holocaust but also about some of the respectable people in the Holocaust. There was one story of a police officer in this book that Anne Frank’s quote really reminded me of, in the book Gerda is stopped by a police officer but in the end let go. Gerda was walking to her English lessons at her friend Ulla’s. Gerda had to bring her English book with her but since it was against the law she put it in a bag o...
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...e 12 lives she settled with it. This is yet another example of how there were some noble hearted people during these frightful times.
As stated before, all three of these pieces of literature show that there were individuals who did the right thing even though there were more people who were bystanders.
These three pieces can teach you that there is more to the story of the Holocaust than the Nazi’s and the killers. There are tales of the people who spoke out, and the people who were actually genuine people deep down, despite what there were labeled as. I’ve learned that there were people who weren’t all that bad hat were part of the Nazi party. Just because they were wearing the Nazi uniform didn’t mean they were bad. It was really touching and inspiring to hear the stories about those who voiced their opinions and did something right during these “wrong” times.
The Book Thief and The Devil’s Arithmetic both focus on the prejudice Hitler had on different types of people during World War II. Liesel and Hannah both lost someone they had dearly loved. Liesel lost Rudy and Hannah lost many members of her family. In a time of fearfulness, both had told stories to the people surrounding them. Although both were not seen as equal in the eyes of many during their time, I see them as courageous and brave heroes after what they underwent.
The tragedies of the holocaust forever altered history. One of the most detailed accounts of the horrific events from the Nazi regime comes from Elie Wiesel’s Night. He describes his traumatic experiences in German concentration camps, mainly Buchenwald, and engages his readers from a victim’s point of view. He bravely shares the grotesque visions that are permanently ingrained in his mind. His autobiography gives readers vivid, unforgettable, and shocking images of the past. It is beneficial that Wiesel published this, if he had not the world might not have known the extent of the Nazis reign. He exposes the cruelty of man, and the misuse of power. Through a lifetime of tragedy, Elie Wiesel struggled internally to resurrect his religious beliefs as well as his hatred for the human race. He shares these emotions to the world through Night.
The holocaust was a dark event in our history, and works like these help us get a deeper view of what happened. I feel that with all things considered Night gives us a better look at the prejudice the Jews faced during WW2. Night showed us the struggles 15 year old Elie had to face as a Jew living in a concentration camp. Though “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” Shows us how a young boy has a big enough heart to be friends with a kid no one wants him to be around, Night shows us the harsh treatment and verbal abuse the Jews got. In the end, prejudice is a common thing
The resistance of the Holocaust has claimed worldwide fame at a certain point in history, but the evidence that the evil-doers themselves left crush everything that verifies the fantasy of the Holocaust. For an example, in Poland, the total Jewish population of over thirty-three hundred thousand suddenly plummeted to three hundred thousand. Ten percent of the population survived the Holocaust in Poland. Almost every country that the Nazis have conquered has the same percent of survival as Poland. In Elie Wiesel Wiesel’s memoir Night, the activities in the concentration camps, the suffering of Jews, and the disbelief of the inhumane actions of the Nazis result in making people resist the truth.
Many different responses have occurred to readers after their perusal of this novel. Those that doubt the stories of the holocaust’s reality see Night as lies and propaganda designed to further the myth of the holocaust. Yet, for those people believing in the reality, the feelings proffered by the book are quite different. Many feel outrage at the extent of human maliciousness towards other humans. Others experience pity for the loss of family, friends, and self that is felt by the Holocaust victims.
Anne Frank stated in her diary that "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." As a Jewish teenager during the time of the Holocaust, Anne had been hiding in an attic with her parents and sister, as well as the Van Daans, their son, and Mr Dussel. This time was extremely rough for her entire race. This quote shows how optimistic she really was. She had the attitude to think that even underneath all of the hatred that not only the Nazis beheld, but perhaps also the people that she was hiding with for years, there was at least a small amount of good in them. With that optimism, came the strong hope that she had. She was completely aware that the Nazis were not good people, but she refused to take that as a
His work serves as a reminder to everyone- not to let prejudice blind you against evil, to remind people of the great sorrow that happened, and not only does it educate and inform people, it also expresses feelings that should not be forgotten in case another Holocaust should happen. It serves as to inform people, or also remind them of what happened. It is his catharsis, and our education.
He moves the audience like a pendulum. He talks about the evil, compassion, indifference and hope. His pathos moved deep into the audience by questioning the history which returns made the audience question also. The argument of indifference, making people felt abandoned and forgotten didn’t really hit home until he added the phrase “All of us did.” He reminded the audience of the raw emotion of how all the Jewish people felt being in those camps for so long and nobody, not one person jumping to their aid. The speech would have less meaning coming from anyone who wasn’t a survivor of the Holocaust. Just a little sentence like that can feel sharper than a knife and leave a great reminder on why we should be
The delineation of human life is perceiving existence through resolute contrasts. The difference between day and night is defined by an absolute line of division. For the Jewish culture in the twentieth century, the dissimilarity between life and death is bisected by a definitive line - the Holocaust. Accounts of life during the genocide of the Jewish culture emerged from within the considerable array of Holocaust survivors, among of which are Elie Wiesel’s Night and Simon Wiesenthal’s The Sunflower. Both accounts of the Holocaust diverge in the main concepts in each work; Wiesel and Wiesenthal focus on different aspects of their survivals. Aside from the themes, various aspects, including perception, structure, organization, and flow of arguments in each work, also contrast from one another. Although both Night and The Sunflower are recollections of the persistence of life during the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel and Simon Wiesenthal focus on different aspects of their existence during the atrocity in their corresponding works.
Throughout history, there have been many noteworthy events that have happened. While there are many sources that can explain these events, historical fiction novels are some of the best ways to do so, as they provide insight on the subject matter, and make you feel connected to the people that have gone through it. An example of a historical fiction that I have just read is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, a story about the life of a German boy who becomes friends with a Jewish boy in a concentration camp during the holocaust. The author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas portrays the historical period well,and uses many details from the real life holocaust to make his story more believable. This book is a classic, and is a very good look on how it feels to be living in Nazi Germany.
It was in December 1948, when it was approved unanimous the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide at France which became the 260th resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations. What made the leaders of the 41 States create and sign this document in which the term Genocide was legally defined? This document serves as a permanent reminder of the actions made by the Nazis and their leader Adolf Hitler during the Holocaust where more than five million of European Jews were killed. In summary I will explain what were the events that leaded the ordinary Germans kill more than six million Jews in less than five years. To achieve this goal, I will base my arguments on the Double Spiral Degeneration Model provided by Doctor Olson during the spring semester of the Comparative Genocide class.
The quote that stuck with me trough the book was one not so much about the emotions that can with the Holocaust, but more of the actions that people at this time must do.
Why didn't the non Jewish people fight for their friends, family, and acquaintances? If the non Jews would have collaborated then they would have had capitulate from the Nazis. Were they scared, or were they afraid that they could not do anything? Well, if enough of the non Jews had fought back they could have helped the Jews out of the Concentration camps and all of the torture that they were being put through. One reason that the non Jews should have fought back was if they were in the Jews predicament then they would want help too. The non Jews could have been triumphant. The non Jews should have had an aspiration for saving their friends. Hitler was putting them through the worst possible treatment. I know that I would want help. I would help it is the right thing to do and that the Jews have a right to believe what they want. Everybody has the right to believe what they want.
The Holocaust is a traumatic history. About six millions of Jews got killed during this period of time. Holocaust is a history of anti-Semitism in Europe, anti-Semitism gained their strength after World War One, Germany had lost the war, so the German people blame the Jews for losing the war, and the Jews became the scapegoat. So Anne Frank is one of those Jews who got discriminate during the Holocaust. She went to hiding with her family, and the diary she wrote during her hiding time remained after she got killed in the camp. Her diary was published after then, and in her diary she had state it “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.” I totally agree with her in this statement.
Although many people across Germany were threatened into believing such hateful Nazi ideas at the time, there were still individuals who took a stand against the mistreatment. Not everyone had the courage to stand up for their beliefs, but those who did are still remembered today for their heroic actions. Whether it’s the Catholic Church that stood up for the disabled, or the Danes that helped to save over 8,000 Jews, it is clear that there are people who are willing to do what they can to stop such cruel behavior. Often times, Hitler’s cruel actions are the only moments that people seem to remember, but it is also uplifting to remember those that were brave enough to stand up against the mistreatment, even though fear was holding them back.