The poem “Shooting Stars” by Carol Ann Duffy utilizes juxtaposition between positive and violent words to emphasize the clear horrific tone the author has created in response to the holocaust. “Shooting Stars”, which tells the story of the appalling events taken place throughout the holocaust, specifying on the people on a personal level, uses juxtaposition between positively and negatively connotated words. The authors choice of placing positive words within sentences of violent meanings reinforces the injustices done, and makes the people seem even more vulnerable and helpless. Duffy describes, “Between the gap of corpses, I could see a child.”, contrasting the vulnerability of a child to the grim depiction of dead bodies. The author creates
“The Shawl” by Cynthia Ozick is short story in which a mother, her child, and her niece are described as they walk through a concentration camp during the Holocaust. This work is well known for its prominent use of figurative language. For a story about the Holocaust, it may seem odd as to why this language was used instead of a factual style of writing which is common in these types of stories. Ozick uses figurative language excessively in attempt to describe such a horrific situation. Some may criticize the author and even take offense to the way the story was written, but it does not have the same effect when told differently. Most accounts of the Holocaust are hard to comprehend, even for those who experienced it themselves. Ozick stated in an interview that even if everyone “were to spend the next five thousand years absorbing and assimilating the documents, it still
As a child, Peter Fischl was subjected to harsh anti-Semitic laws, separated from his family, and sought refuge in southern California years after the end of the war where he stumbled across a photograph of the little Polish boy. The powerful impact the image had upon him inspired the composition of the poem four years after the occasion. Fischl conveys feelings of sorrow and regret as he recalls the inhumanity of society using symbolism, “Now will know/What fear is in/the darkness”.
‘The Action in the Ghetto’ is a poem based on the perspective of a holocaust survivor. Kimel re-tells the horrors that he had survived during the holocaust. Kimel uses various literary techniques to create a visual for the audience to ‘see’ his experience. Kimel describes the visual of ‘the hunt’ as “the creation of hell.” He uses this metaphor to describe the soldiers and their true nature. Kimel then goes on describing the Nazi soldiers as “enjoying the hunt.” Kimel’s perception of the Nazi soldiers was that they found the hunt to be fun which provides insight into the
Over 5 million people died between 1933 and 1945. Additionally, around half of these deaths happened in a concentration camp. This point in time is commonly referred to as the Holocaust. In Elie Wiesel’s book "Night” that documents Elie Wiesel’s struggles in a ghetto and then being transported throughout Germany to these awful places that are made for death. However, in the novel “Night,” Elie Wiesel uses dialog, ellipses, and symbolism to show the bond he has with his father. (73)
In the book “Night” written Elie Wiesel, Wiesel wants readers to know the pain and struggles he had to face in the holocaust. In 1944, in the village of Sighet, Transylvania, a boy named Elie was taken from his home and was taken to a concentration camp and spends time talking about being invaded by the Nazi. The purpose of the book was the remembrance of the holocaust and how it causes him to lose faith and his identity. Although the concentration camps were a bad place the people were forced to work, the rhetorical devices imagery, symbolism, and diction is used to present loss in faith and identity.
The mass killings of entire races are important events to recognize and understand so that history won't repeat itself. One genocide that was clearly documented was the Holocaust. Ellie Wiesel was a survivor of the Holocaust who wrote a fluent account of his experience in the camps in his memoir Night. In the memoir, Wiesel creates an articulate style with the use of a few style devices which help portray his narrative clearly.
In the early 1940s, over six million Jews were slaughtered due to the irrational belief of their imperfection. Each day, people make decisions, and those decisions are guided by thoughts, and everyone has the right to those opinion; however, many people fail to believe that their thoughts and actions can affect the lives of others. There are people with a strong moral compass that carry around the weight of the horrific actions of others such as Peter L. Fischl, author of the poem, “To the Little Polish Boy Standing with His Arms Up.” Throughout the poem, the author expresses how some people are in denial but others are haunted by the horrific events of the past. The narrator speaks to this young Polish boy, standing with his arms above his head, waiting patiently for his demise. Life is full of difficulties; if there were no struggles in life then it would not be life at all. The author creates a lead into the poem with the title, using a symbol for vulnerability. If someone stands with their arms in the air it means they are surrendering, they are vulnerable and defenseless. As the little Polish boy walks past the guards, he has his arms raised, knowing he has no say in what is yet to come. In the poem “To the Little Polish Boy Standing With his Arms Up” Fischl uses repetition and symbolism to enhance, that one’s actions affect the lives of others, and at times those on the sidelines have a worsening effect after all.
In the poem, The Little Polish Boy Standing With His Arms Up, by Peter L. Fischl, the author informs the reader that the world should have seen the horrible and dehumanizing behavior of the Nazis and their Nazi machine gun bullets. In the poem, the little Polish boy represents all of the Jews that were being held concentration camps and those that had to endure the severe brutality and torture from the Nazis. In order to draw attention to the inhumanity of the German society at that time, Fischl advises the reader that he would paint a picture, “A painting so bright to blind the eyes of the world” (Stanza 11) to remember the little Polish boy. Peter L. Fischl instinctively informs us about him want to make a concerto of
The holocaust can be regarded as one of the most awful events in history and the swastika continues to be a constant reminder of the horrendous acts of hate that were bestowed onto human lives. More than 1 million people were brutally murdered at the hands of an evil dictator named Adolf Hitler. Some of the vivid events and actions that took place during this time have been highlighted in the poem “The Trains” written by William Heyen. Heyen discusses the trains of Treblinka which carried the prized possessions of the many people who had been dropped off to death and/or concentration camps. In the poem, the author attempts to appeal to audiences of the 21st century around the world who do not fully understand the horrific incidents that occurred during the holocaust and the tragedy inflicted on its victims.
Wiesel incorporates irony in his novel to create a perpetual theme of inhumanity. It is ironic when, after the Jews are ordered to wear yellow stars, Elie’s father declares, “The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You don’t die of it…” (11 Wiesel). Verbal irony occurs in this moment because the statement is suggesting the opposite of what is truly expected and meant. The wearing of the yellow star was one step on the pathway of concentration camps which eventually led to almost certain death. Therefore, these actions were very inhumane because Nazis required Jewish people to label themselves with the yellow star, and then transferred them to extermination campgrounds. The author uses figurative language to focus on an adolescent’s perspective on a situation, the Holocaust, where he and those around him are no longer treated as humans.
“Shooting Stars” is a horrific and moving poem written by Carol Ann Duffy. She adopts the persona of a female Jew speaking out from beyond the grave about her terrifying ordeal before she died in the Holocaust. A powerful impression is left on the reader after reading Duffy’s dramatic monologue and visual descriptions of her ordeal and immense suffering. She urges the reader to remember what the Jewish victims were forced to go through, and begs us not to turn our back and forget.
Terrible Things by Eve Bunting is a fantasy story with compelling symbolism connected to the Holocaust written for all ages. Eve Bunting tells the readers “Standing up for what you know is right is not always easy. Especially if the one you face is bigger and stronger than you. It is easier to look the other way. But, if you do, terrible things can happen.” Eve Bunting tells readers in her allegory and in her short message that standing for what is right needs confidence and bravery. However, if looking away is the action made, terrible things can happen. This is similar to what happened in the Holocaust where millions of people died because very few people chose to stand up to face the Nazis. Her story presents the theme, standing up for what is right is difficult, but looking away will cause terrible things to happen, through symbolism, repetition, and tone.
The Dead of September 11 is deep poem that provokes many feelings and thoughts. There are many topics that are rather easy to delve in to. Throughout this essay, three of these literary techniques will be addressed and “delved into”, so to speak. These techniques are: diction, figurative language and tone. Throughout the following essay several large ideas and the theme of this poem will also be addressed, including but not limited to the universality of the poem and the absolute obliteration of falsities and of false intimacy. Tony Morrison has created a complex, captivating piece of literary art that can be viewed and be interpreted in many different ways, with each individual person who examines it
The artistic representation of the Holocaust has created a controversial dialog that revolves around ethical, moral, and historical questions. Is art an accurate representation of the trauma and events that had occurred during the Holocaust? If it is, which mediums are the best in which to represent with? The purpose of art is to evoke strong feelings in the viewer, to create questions about society, and to depict the argument of the artist. Since art - be it a painting, a sculpture, a poem or a novel - is subjective, using it to represent the Holocaust has benefits but also restrictions. Portraying the lived experiences of survivors from an objective point of view is difficult as the horrors faced cannot be accurately captured; however, using art to express a traumatic experience for many people is a safe, therapeutic way of coping. This expression is highly individualized and therefore cannot represent the Holocaust as one cohesive experience. If the Holocaust is to be represented through artistic mediums such as a creative piece of writing, it must be supplemented with historical knowledge and be subjected to criticism.
The American Psychological Association defines a traumatic event as, “one that threatens injury, death, or the physical integrity of self or others and also causes horror, terror, or helplessness at the time it occurs” (American Psychological Association, 2008). With this definition in mind, it no surprise that the Holocaust is one of the most traumatic events in history. Millions upon millions of people either lost their own lives, or watched the lives of their loved ones be taken right in front of their eyes. Many survivors solemnly admit that the hardest deaths to watch were those of children. In fact, an estimated 1.5 million children were killed during the tragedy (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016). However, one cannot help but wonder what happened to the children who did survive. Elie Wiesel was one of those children who was ‘lucky’ enough to survive. However his ‘luck’ came at a severe price. Elie Wiesel suffers both severe emotional and physical trauma in his novel, Night.