One Survivor Remembers- Answered Questions

A lot of the scenes were powerful for me while watching this movie. One of those scenes was when Gerda got separated from her mom, and she tried to escape the truck she was in. It also stuck with me how they yelled across to each other to say goodbye for the last time. Another scene that was powerful for me was when Gerda was showing Kurt the building where all those women laid, most of the dead. It just stuck with me how horrible that was, and how she was so used to it that she didn’t even explain it as disgusting or horrible. One message I received from these scenes was how horrible the Nazis were for separating children from their mothers and having them suffer that pain. Also, it sends the message that the Germans didn’t care about the Jews, even if they were dying, and how they were able to just let them sit and die in a building without caring.

The Nazis dehumanized Jews in many horrible ways. One of those ways was separating them from their family members, making them feel alone and powerless. They also gave them very little food, which could make them feel starved and sick. Everyday, the Jews were forced to work at factories and if they didn’t do what they were told, the officers there would abuse them- both physically and mentally. Even though these circumstances were hard, Gerda found a way to overcome them.  She survived by doing what she was supposed to do and never giving the officers a reason to harm her, even if she was tempted to. Also, she survived using her imagination. When times were really hard, she imagined what it would be like to be home, or a party she would hold when they got back home. Even though these dreams never really came true, it helped to keep her mind off her situation and pass the time. She was helped by a couple people to deal with the dehumanization. These people were her friends, who kept her company so she wasn’t alone, and also helped her imagine life back home. She was also helped by her officer at the camp, who was actually a nice person and got her out of trouble once or twice.

If everything were taken away, I’d fantasize about a lot of things. I think I would mostly fantasize about my family, and spending time at home and doing simple things. I would also imagine being with my friends, where I’m usually happy and entertained. I would maybe even fantasize about the junk food that I eat everyday, because even if I were fed at the place I went to, it wouldn’t be the kind of food I usually eat. In addition, I would imagine being on the computer or watching TV, or using any electronic, because those things are such a part of my daily life. Electronics are also one of the things I think I take for granted, among other things. I think I also take for granted my family, friends, and food, like I said before. I could also take for granted much bigger things like freedom or the ability to stand up for myself.

Today, people are persecuted in some similar ways as they were in the past. People of certain groups are beat up, harassed verbally, discriminated in public places, and not treated with the same respect as other groups (among other things). Some specific groups that are being targeted are the people in Darfur, and homosexuals or people of different races. The people in Darfur are being persecuted by militias from Sudan, who are going into villages and killing the people of Darfur, and forcing them to flee their homes. That’s not the only example; in schools near here, there is persecution too. Some groups that are being persecuted are homosexuals and people of different race. These people are being harassed just because they are different than “normal” people. Some of the ways they are persecuted is by verbal and physical actions against them. We can work against these intolerances by accepting those people and choosing not to harass them, then tell others to do the same. If it’s a bigger issue than bullying, we can contact the president or someone with power, telling them about the issue. If people listen, we could have a world where everyone accepts everyone, even if they’re different.

In this film, Gerda’s heroes are mostly her friends, and even two officers. Her first hero was an officer that was present when she was separated from her mom. As she was on the truck being brought away from her mother, she jumped off of it, thinking that would save her. But, the officer pushed her back onto her truck, knowing that if she went on the other one or stayed behind, she wouldn’t have lived. Her next hero was a woman that was in charge at the concentration camp. One day, when Gerda was sick and stayed behind in her barrack, some of the other officers were going to check on the room. Before they came, Gerda’s second hero came into the room, grabbed Gerda and two other girls and dragged them into the factory. She forced them to work. This saved her life because if she hadn’t gone to work, she would’ve been found staying behind in the barrack, which would’ve resulted in her death. Her last heroes were her close friends during her journey through the concentration camps and death marches. These friends helped her survive by providing her with company during the terrible times, and they helped her hope for the future after the war. Her final survivor, and most important, was the young man who came up to her in the town after the death march. He only came up to her because she was standing against the wall, alone. If he hadn’t seen her, and talked to her, she probably wouldn’t be alive right now. These people made me hopeful because they showed that even though some people didn’t care about the lives of the Jews, some people did. They also showed me that with some bravery and kindness, anything can happen.

The Book Thief- Entry #5

In the story, The Book Thief, Liesel lives in Germany and is involved in many of their traditions. One of these traditions was burning any books that the Nazis felt were “un-German.” This event usually occurred on May 10^th, which is the anniversary of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” (rules/ideas about following Christianity). This is because these ideas were created in a castle inside Germany. This was also because the Germans felt so strongly about religion.

            This event wasn’t just the burnings of the books. There was also a parade, where the Nazi Party and students that were part of the “Hitler Youth Group” would march and sing. Then, the children (or the Nazis) would throw the books that people gave, into the fire. They didn’t just burn books; they would also burn things like Plays written by Jewish people. Even though not much happened at this “parade,” many people would stay and watch the burning. This was because the book burning, to Germans, is something very symbolic and meaningful.

Citation:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Book Burning.” Holocaust Encyclopedia. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/?ModuleId=10005143. Accessed on 12/1/11.

The Book Thief- Entry #4

The protagonists of the books Sarah’s Key and The Book Thief both lived during the horrible events of the Holocaust. They were both little girls, age 10, but went through very different experiences. The main character of Sarah’s Key, Sarah, lived in Paris. She was Jewish. One night, she was taken away as part of the Vel’ d’Hiv roundup that took place in 1942. She was lucky enough to escape the Concentration Camp and ended up with an old couple, who took her in as their daughter. In The Book Thief, the protagonist is a girl names Liesel, who lived in Germany. She supported Hitler, though didn’t know much about him, or what he did. She didn’t have very strong opinions of him. She wasn’t affected much by the Holocaust until her father allows a Jew to live in their basement. We don’t know the outcome, but it will probably become a big part of the story and change Liesel’s opinions on a lot of things.

            As people, Sarah and Liesel are very much alike. At the beginning of both stories, the protagonists start out as innocent little girls who are very naïve. Neither of them knew the horrors of the years to come and what they would have to go through. They also share their love and dedication to their family. In Sarah’s Key, Sarah risks her life to try to save her little brother, who she locked in the cupboard in their house. In an attempt to save her brother, she escapes the Concentration Camp, and forces her new parents to take her to Paris to free him. In The Book Thief, Liesel’s mother gives her away to her foster family, with no explanation. After close to a year with no word from her, the girl sends her multiple letters. Even though she gets no response, she keeps sending them until she realizes that her mom will never recieve those letters. Both of the girls are brave and mature, too. When Sarah was sent to the Concentration Camp, and even after she was separated from her parents, she stayed strong and acted much older than her age. And, she makes the life-threatening decision to escape the Camp, making it out alive. Liesel was strong too. At school, she couldn’t read as well as the other kids, and was made fun of. When one of the kids laughed at her, she beat him up. Also, she steals things, risking her life. But she almost never gets caught.

            When both Sarah and Liesel make the decision to do those brave acts, they had much motivation to do so. The main motivation in Sarah’s case was her family. She escaped from the Camp because she wanted strongly to rescue her brother and see him alive. In Liesel’s life, she stole things such as food because she is poor and sometimes hungry. Her motivation to steal books, though, is her love for reading and her desire to learn how to read better. For both of them, they did things like lie or act strong, for their families, to show that they shouldn’t be worried.