Gies' motivation for helping Jewish families during World War II was endless and inspirational to all. Although the heroic Miep Gies said she did not like being called a hero and she had done nothing extraordinary, the truth is that she put her life on the line for the Frank family. She began by saying "... I'm just a very common person. I simply had no choice." Miep saw herself as another ordinary person and thought that a human helping out another human was a task that was normal and almost obligatory. But, because she thought so little of herself, she believed she could take on the challenge. Moreover, she stated that "if people are allowed to think it takes remarkable qualities to act boldly on behalf of others, few will attempt it."
She explains that this is one of her motivations. Overall, what motivated her was the thought of another person doing this act, and the thought that if they could perform it, she could. Miep also continues on to say, "People should never think that you have to be a very special person to help those who need you." Her motivation for helping those poor people wasn't because she wanted to be a hero or put forth a legacy, it was because she thought that this was something that any other human, which she thought of herself as, would do.
Although Chris McCandless' life at home growing up was hounded by his so called "ignorant" father or his "bigot" parents, made the best out of his life whenever he could. He was on the cross country team when he was younger, and they all ran out into the wild almost, purposely getting lost. Being on that team and experiencing that made him happier and started his interest and passion for embracing nature. Chris even found solace and was content with providing food, such as hamburgers, stated by his cross country teammate Eric Hathway, providing company to people less fortunate than him. Taking hikes with his grandfather and doing things as mentioned previously (cross country), eventually influenced him to make his greatest adventure and unbeknownst
Miep was not being a hero figure because she didn’t care about any of that. She only cared about getting them food and making sure their ok. She risked getting caught and sent to prison and who knows maybe they would have taken her to a concentration camp. They felt like they were being kind in helping them because it's not like they were forced to do it but that they did it because they wanted to.i would have done the same even though i could have been arrested I still would have done it because i would have been helping people for the right
During this dark time in history, people like Miss. Breed from Dear Miss Breed took initial action on what she thought was right, and gave hope to Japanese Internment Camp children by supplying books and writing letters. What these heroes of the past have in common is that they took action for what they truly believe is right. The best way to respond to conflict is based on a person’s general judgment on what they think is right or wrong, this will show how they take action during conflict. In the story, Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow, the thoughts of independence and judgement were shown by German student, Sophie Scholl.
How would you react if you were taken from your friends and family? Both Elie and Anne had to experience their family being taken away from them, possibly forever. Even though their most loved ones were taken, they still stayed strong. Elie and Anne had similar situations at the concentration camps when they went there.
Moche’ from the Holocaust novel, Night by Elie Wiesel, risked his life and freedom to try and warn his family and friends.
Everyone is placed in dire circumstances at some point in time, some more difficult than others. Elie Weisel is an inspiration. Just like him, we should never let the wrong doing of others break us, and instead let them inspire us.
Though his experiences in the concentration camps, Elie Wiesel has developed the belief that everyone should be an upstander and not stand silently as people are hurt. This can be seen in his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance speech years after the end of the Holocaust and the publishing of Night, “that the world did know and
Many people including them went out of their way to help Jews that they felt needed to stay safe. Most rescuers did all that they could to help save the Jews from the many dangers that they were each in. Even when some rescuers were caught, they each helped save a life of a Jew in some way or another. These courageous and strong-hearted individuals or groups including others each risked their lives to make an impact on the Jews’
“Where the rest of us see a stranger, a [hero] sees a fellow human being."- Samuel Oliner. Samuel Oliner was a jew living in a town in poland. One day Nazis came to his town and gathered them in trucks and took them to the forest and killed all of them. Samuel hid in different farms and barns. Oliner eventually left his hiding place and headed into the countryside. After three nights sleeping rough he knocked on the door of a Catholic woman, Balwina Piecuch, who had known his family before the war. At great risk to herself and her family, she took him in, helped him create a false identity and hid him from the Gestapo. Balwina Piecuch is a real hero because she risked her life for someone she didn’t even know without even
Irena Sendlerowa proved herself as a hero when she saved 2,500 jewish children from the holocaust. During an interview she stated “I was taught by my father that when someone is drowning you don't ask if they can swim, you just jump in and help” ( www.yadvashem.org ). This shows she believe that if a person needs help you don't look at their race or ask what they believe in you just help them. She smuggled the Jewish children out of the ghetto in boxes and bags in the back of delivery trucks and ambulances. Hopeful that the children could reunite with their families after the war was over, she kept records of the children’s
Immediately after arriving at the concentration camp of Auschwitz, Elie was separated from his mother and sisters. He remained alone with his father, and clung to him, saying, “All I could think of was not to lose him. Not to remain alone.”(Wiesel 30). As they together went through the interrogation, showers, and the barber, Elie found himself taking care of his father. Being fifty years old, the work was hard for him, and not ideal for a man his age. Elie would look out for him, making sure he got his proper food and rest. Although they did not have the greatest relationship, that was soon forgotten as their need for survival deepened.
The idea of personal responsibility to other people helps show us that people’s lives can change in an instant, through the theme dehumanization. When Elie arrives at Auschwitz he is immediately given a number, tattooed to his arm, a permanent memory from these bad times. This replaces his name known by all guards and officials, this is shown through a very powerful and memorable line,“I became A-7713” (42). None of the Jews that came in any concentration camps went without a number on their arms. This is showing the reader how they are not really being cared about and just the Nazis are caring about themselves and making it easier for them. It is also giving an example of how Elie’s life was changing within the first hour of him and his family and friends arriving in Auschwitz.
This new behavior lead him to develop new character traits. While Ellie was in the concentration camp he became angry at many things, for example “I would have dug my nails into the criminals flesh” (Wisel 39). Elie shows extreme anger when the Nazi officials are beating Elie’s father. Elie was angry because the Nazi soldiers were not treating them nicely and putting them in poor conditions. Elie is usually not a person for anger but he shows this when his family members are being hurt. Elie wants to stand up for what is right and for his family members. Despite his studying, Elie wavered in his belief in Kabbalah while he was at the camp. In the book Elie says, “‘Where are You, my God?’” (66). Elie is wondering why God is not helping the Jews. Elie had complete faith in his religion until now, when he is starting to question his beliefs. He had learned that God will punish evil and save the righteous. However, when Elie saw that God was not helping the Jews situation then asked himself the question, “Is God real?”. Elie became worried because he felt he had lost a companion that always seemed by his side at all times. He lost hope. While Elie was in the camp he had changed the way he acted towards his Dad. Before Elie was sent to the camp Elie had a love hate relationship with his dad. However while they were in the camp together they became closer. Elie showed this when, “I tightened my grip on my
“This is a simple story but not an easy one to tell. This is my story. This is the sacrifice my father made. This was his gift to me.” – Giosué Orefice. Raising a child is already an extremely draining and difficult job, and the fact that Guido Orefice repeatedly made sacrifices for his son just shows how caring he is. In the movie Life is Beautiful, I believe that Guido made the right decision telling Giosué that the horrific things they experienced during their time in the concentration camp was a game. I know this because by doing so, Guido kept Giosué’s innocence and he gave his son another reason to see the brighter side of every situation and to work to survive the camp.