When Light Pierced the Darkness by Nechama Tec

When Light Pierced the Darkness by Nechama Tec

“Altruism: Concern for the welfare of others, as opposed to egoism; selflessness” (American 99). In her book entitled When Light Pierced the Darkness, Nechama Tec asserts that people who aided Jews during the Nazi Holocaust may have acted altruistically; however, they did so under a modified definition of altruism. Furthermore, she offers her own definition of altruism within the context of the Holocaust and designates six traits, which she found rescuers of Jews to exhibit. While many of these traits are apparent in the personalities of characters in the films: Shop on Main Street, Cold Days, Divided We Fall, and Europa Europa, some of them are glaringly absent.

Tec offers the general definition of altruism, “…doing things for others without expectation of external rewards” (Tec 151). She indicates that this definition does not apply to people who saved Jews because it does not take into account the tremendous amount of risk (e.g., the possibility of losing one’s life) involved in their actions. Consequently, she offers the biological science definition of altruism, “…self destructive behavior performed for the benefit of others,” which she perceives to be more applicable to the exploits of non-Jews who rescued Jews (151). Moreover, Tec personally defines altruism within the context of the Nazi Holocaust as, “… that [behavior] which is carried out to benefit another?with a possibility of very high, rather than inconsequential, personal costs to the giver” (151). In addition, within the parameters of this broad definition she offers two sub-definitions: normative altruism and autonomous altruism. Tec explains that normative altruism (e.g., a father donating a kidney...

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... were outsiders may have contributed to their selfish, cowardly behavior. Thus, it is the individual who demonstrates a high degree of independence, a strong sense of duty where charity is concerned, and an ability to value every human life regardless of religion or ethnicity that will be most likely to selflessly aid people in distress. Conversely, it is the individual that lacks the aforementioned traits, who will be the least effective in assisting those in need.

Works Cited

American Heritage Dictionary. Second College Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin

Company.1982.

Holland, Agnieszka. Europa Europa. Orion, 1991.

Hrebejk, Jan. Divided We Fall. Czech Republic, 2000.

Kadar, Jan, and Elmar Klos. Shop on Main Street. Czechoslovakia, 1965.

Kovacs, Andras. Cold Days. Hungary, 1966.

Tec, Nechama. When Light Pierced the Darkness. 1986.