Das weiße Band: Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009), directed by Michael Haneke, encourages the viewer to contemplate the myriads ways in which power can corrupt the very essence of humanity and what it means to question authority. Focusing on the fictional town of Eichwald “in the Protesant North of East Germany in the early twentieth century,” the film weaves a tale “that lift[s] the diegetic action out of its immediate sociohistorical context, stripping it of its temporal and topographical coordinates” (Blumenthal-Barby, 95). Das weiße Band, therefore, becomes an allegory that attempts to transcend the ages, causing the viewer to think on and discuss the role of violence in any society, in Europe or elsewhere. An important aspect of the economies of power, as evidenced in the film, is that of education. Blumenthal-Barby argues, The most prominent “disciplinary” discourse in Haneke’s film undoubtedly is that of education, including the work of the Schoolteacher, whose voice-over guides us through much of the film, but also the rigid educational regime enforced by the Pastor and symbolized by the white ribbon that he ties around his children’s arms or into their hair (96). Education as a manipulative tool, exemplified by Nazi propaganda as envisioned by Joseph Goebbels, is not a novel idea. Moreover, this rigorous ideal of education plays an important role in both Haneke’s Das weiße Band—in the form of religion—and Rothemund’s Sophie Scholl: Die letzten Tage. In the
Recalling his devoted years to the Hitler Youth program, author Alfons Heck states “I have never once during the Hitler years thought of myself as anything but a decent, honorable young German, blessed with a glorious future” (206). This honesty conveyed by Heck elucidates the selfish ideals of those in the Hitler Youth, a theme apparent in the novel A Child of Hitler. Although Heck’s thoughts are self-conceited, they convey the opinions of those decieved by the Hitler Youth principles. As politically incorrect as these principles were, A Child of Hitler portrays them differently than other literature reporting on the subject. Through his descriptions of daily activities, Heck describes the pressure that children faced as Hitler Youth.
At the film's opening, we learn of the first East German shot into space, surely an apotheosis of what a state can achieve, its grasp extending to the stars. But behind the curtain of this vast achievement we can see how it is brought about through the utter bending of citizens to the states will. Alex's mother Christiane, who we first assume the innocent of the piece, is interrogated by the Stasi for her husband has fled the country. We learn he was unable to live with a state he detested, the ordeal of the interrogation so testing for Christiane it sends her into a coma. Her husband and the children?s father absent, she finds a kinship with the state, now one of its most vociferous supporters. The absence of the father is particularly imbued with purpose. Later, Becker seeks to equate the death of communism with the return of the father for the two are so inextricably connected. Only when the German Democratic Republic (GDR) is laid to rest can this dark chapter
Maxine Kumin?s, Woodchucks provides an interesting and creative perspective into the mind state of those influenced by nazi warfare. What begins as a seemingly humorous cat and mouse hunt, reminiscent of such movie classics as Caddyshack, soon develops into an insatiable lust for blood. Kumin?s descriptive language provides the reader with the insight necessary to understand to the speaker?s psychology as they are driven beyond the boundaries of pacifism.
Freire talks about the “banking concept of education”, explaining that students in this system are receptacles that are to be filled with the “content of the teachers narration”.(Freire, 1) These receptacles are expected to regurgitate information given in class, on tests, quizzes, and anything that requires an answer that is “word for word” what the teacher says. In a banking classroom, the teacher is the authority and the students are oppressed. Freire writes, “The more students work at storing deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness which would result from their intervention in the world as transformers of that world.” (Freire, 2).
The color of our skin, our beliefs, where we come from, these are some of the most controversial subjects ever. Since the beginning of time, violence has been around for it all and it will never stop. Some examples of violence are small, like a fight or verbal disagreement, but some, like the Holocaust and the Hutu massacre of Tutsi, have changed history forever. In Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie gives readers a sense of how bad the Holocaust was through his own eyes. Violence is a huge theme in this book and has a huge effect on not only Elie, but his dad, Shlomo, as well.
“Your problem, Werner,” says Frederick, “is that you still believe you own your life” (223). Anthony Doerr complicates these two important topics with the idea of duty and order. When Werner’s intelligence earns him a place at the Natzi Institute, he’s introduced to a Nazi way of life, and taught that the Jews are the enemy, and he’s mandated to comply to Hitler. “It’s not forever, Jutta. Two years, maybe. Half the boys who get admitted don’t manage to graduate. But maybe I’ll learn something; maybe they’ll teach me to be a proper engineer. Maybe I can learn to fly an airplane, like little Siegfried says. Don’t shake your head, we’ve always wanted to see the inside of an airplane, haven’t we? I’ll fly us west, you and me, Frau Elena too if she wants. Or we could take a train. We’ll ride through forests and villages de montagnes, all those places Frau Elena talked about when we were small. Maybe we could ride all the way to Paris.” The burgeoning light. The tender hissing of the grass. Jutta opens her eyes but doesn’t look at him. “Don’t tell lies. Lie to yourself, Werner, but don’t lie to me” (133). Werner also wants to express his own beliefs, that he and Jutta we not raised this way. Since when did punishing innocent people become okay? However, Werner is too caught up in his new and shiny lifestyle to stand up for what he knows is right, but he also reflects on Jutta and knows she would be highly disappointed.
1. What is a theocracy? Theocracy is a government that is ruled by religious men. 2.
“Despite tremendous advancements in technology, human rights, and social awareness, the system engineered in the 1760’s by King Frederick the Great still succeeds in dampening the creative spirit of its students, fostering mediocrity, and ensuring a subservient population. Deeply ingrained into our collective psyche, the legacy of the centrally controlled, highly scripted classroom continues. Trapped in an educational model explicitly engineered to breed submission and apathy, it is not surprising that student results remain dismal.” (Meshchaninov, 8)
Through the analysis of events and constructions relating to the works of Speer and Hitler, it can be clearly seen that, unlike Krier’s statements to the contrary, the works constructed during the Nazi period cannot be separated from their political surroundings and must be observed and examined within their political context. By recounting events within the Nazi regime relating to the constructions and building works of the regime it becomes clear that the works are not only intrinsically linked to the political context, but are a means in order to expand and concentrate political ideology.
Bowles and Gintis also believe that schools are no longer about the teaching of a subject but the Social Principle or control of the pupils meaning that schools concentrate more on the hidden curriculum than the knowledge process. Equally, schools don’t reward independence and innovation, therefore meritocracy cannot exist within our capitalist society as capitalism is based on the principle of a ruling class (the bourgeosis) and a working class (the proletariat) and meritocracy would abolish the idea of the ruling class, society would be equal. According to Louis Althusser (1972), a French Marxist philosopher, the school serves to mould individuals into subjects that fit with the requirements of capitalism, they learn submission, deference and respect for the economy and their place in it. The school also works to ensure that the labour force is technically competent. Also, according to Althusser, the ruling class within any society exercises control over and through schooling and the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs). The ideologies themselves express the material interests of the ruling class, so this control over and through the ISAs maintains what is called class hegemony, or domination. Althusser is also draws attention to the powerful effects of the ‘hidden curriculum’ of
Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film, Inglourious Basterds, provides a creative alternative to World War II’s end. Tarantino, an experienced director of over 20 years at the time of the film’s release, had been working on Inglourious Basterds since he wrote the script in 1998. His completed film explores the world of Nazi Germany, where unlikely protagonists strategize to end World War II. Working towards this goal, Tarantino uses the aesthetic techniques that most are familiar with in a perverted way, altering the audience’s perception of the plot, characters, and Tarantino’s goal.
In the film Der Untergang, there is a scene in which depicts a young German boy fighting alongside Hitler’s Youth. His father, who himself is missing an arm from combat, scolds the other children for fighting. In a desperate plee, the father calls for his son to return home but instead, the son runs off into the distance. This scene was symbolic as it captured the vulnerabilities children are prone to, especially during times of war. Second, the context of this political turmoil, closely ties into the tendency for the global community to neglect these concerns until it is in a state of direct crisis.
In this essay I will discuss the methods that Hitler used to influence the young Germans until the end of the World War II. To analyze this topic will be considerable to show several points. I will discuss the people who supported Hitler in his rise to the power as background, how the Nazis used Nazi Propaganda to influence to youngsters, clarify why the young people
In 1966, Theodor Adorno, a philosopher and sociologist, wrote an essay called ‘’Education After Auschwitz’’ which is an informative and an insightful piece because the author annotates how “Erziehung nach Auschwitz’’, which translates in Education After Auschwitz German, is teaching the children about the holocaust, as well as bringing them up. Thus, the essay explores on how “the primary task of education should be to prevent another Auschwitz’’. In addition, Adorno discusses the civilization and barbarism within Auschwitz, which has had an effect within society during the holocaust. The term ‘Education After Auschwitz’ consists of the five-point programme which are warmth, empathy and autonomy, which is promoted to the children.
Education today fuels its country, oftentimes at the expense of those being educated. Topically, Barthes eccentrically looks to toys as a representation of the perpetuation of the problem embedded in the education system. Within his text, Barthes claims that in addition to national economic aspirations, the mass production industry has a large influence over the modern education system. Though Barthes does not explicitly state his underlying theme, it is seen through what the toys represent and what they resemble. In the confines of just two pages Barthes is able to proclaim his accusations of both the corruption of the economics of nations as well as the perversion of the modern production industry.