Narrative Essay On Ghetto

A ten-foot brick wall, topped with coils of barbed wire and broken glass, looms menacingly over all those who enter; this was my welcome into the War-saw Ghetto. This ghetto was established in Warsaw, Poland, just three years ago in 1940. In an effort to segregate those considered to be “undesirable” by Nazi standards, a portion of Warsaw’s people were outcast and forcibly moved into the slum. There, a population of over 350,000 Jewish people and other minority groups currently inhabit a destitute area of just over one square mile. The ghetto’s deplorable living conditions were a harrowing sight. I first noticed how isolated the ghetto was from the rest of the world. High, hermetic walls did not allow a millimeter of open space. German

Famine and pestilence was as common in the ghetto as air. A scarcity of food led to starvation and malnutrition of those living within the ghetto. With their emaciated bodies, the people resembled ghosts more they did than human beings. At one point, I witnessed a man futilely chewing on a newspaper to curb his appetite. Moreover, exposure killed just as easily as hunger. Those living on the streets were often found dead the next day. Lice were a common aspect of daily life in the ghetto, hanging on to people’s hair and clothing. Raging diseases, such as typhus, prevailed in the ghetto as well. As a result of these dreadful circumstances, death was not a stranger to the Warsaw Ghetto. Bodies obscured in newspaper were scattered on the streets, to later be tossed into a wooden cart and wheeled

Young children often no older than ten years of age would sneak out through crevices in the brick wall. They would scavenge and steal supplies from outside the ghetto, and return carrying bags of food larger than themselves. However, smuggling had its conse-quences. Those caught smuggling were punished severely. An instance of this was when a group of young boys were caught smuggling onions in their clothing. When all the onions were emptied out, the Nazi soldier called out to the crowd, “We tell you! Do not smuggle!” The Nazis proceeded to beat the boys with clubs, leaving the smugglers blood-ied and bruised. I also witnessed the hanging of a young boy who had been caught smuggling food. A sign hung across his chest, reading “I was a smuggler”. Though smuggling was necessary for survival in the ghetto, it was not without its