Myranda Marotta
US History II
Period 8
2/27/15
Schindler’s List
Often times in life one’s weaknesses can develop into their greatest strengths. This idea directly relates to German industrialist Oskar Schindler and his character’s transformation throughout the Steven Spielberg directed film
Schindler’s List
. Oskar Schindler was a Nazi member who saved over a thousand lives during the Holocaust by employing
Jewish prisoners to work at his factories. Although this act of utter courage and selflessness definitely gave Schindler a remarkable reputation, his flaws were what helped him achieve such greatness. In the movie
Schindler’s List
, Oskar Schindler’s excessive drinking, self indulgence and disrespect for the law
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When Schindler finally realized the true cruelty of the
Holocaust, his once selfish nature shifted into one of complete selflessness. He then opened another factory and used his personal money to purchase and save many more Jewish lives.
Along with his self indulgent weakness, Schindler also exhibited disrespect for the law.
Schindler’s disregard for the law showed to be a factor that led to his heroic deed.
Schindler broke the law by treating the Jewish people better than the Nazi’s wanted them to be treated. At one point, he even kissed a Jewish woman in front of several people. Since he never really cared for the law, it was easy for Schindler to break the rules in order to ensure the safety of Jewish people. Instead of aiding in the war effort, Schindler broke the machines in his factory so that no bullets would be produced. Although breaking the law is often times looked down upon, Schindler’s actions turned out to be of the highest acceptability as this trait helped so many Jewish people. Schindler definitely was not a man of many morals, but his flaws did indeed lead the way to salvation.
Ultimately, Schindler’s character flaws were the greatest factors in his saving of over a thousand Jewish lives. Without his tendencies to drink, self indulge, and disrespect the law, those lives may have been lost. He essentially risked his own life, to make sure those thousand Jews would not lose theirs. Schindler’s actions were of
Throughout the novel, a miniscule act of heroism goes a long way. While working for Oskar Schindler, a Nazi, at his factory, Schindler portrays kindness. Leyson informs us that, ‘A true Nazi observing such an action, such humane treatment of a Jew, would have murdered them both’ (141). By simply making
Oskar Schindler rescued Jews from being deported to concentration camps by getting them to work for him. He treated them all very well and they were all exempt from Auschwitz. He got arrested on charges of irregularities and favoring Jews. He set up factories in Krakow, home of about 60,000 Jews. The factories primarily had Jewish workers. He got permission to keep his factories if he moved them to Brunnlitz. There were 700 men and 300 women deported to Auschwitz, when Schindler found out he got them released and sent to work for him. Oskar and his wife Emily both helped rescue Jews. Emily stopped a cattle car with 120 Jewish men in it and she convinced the SS officer that the men were needed for work. As a result the men were sent back to work for Oskar and Emily. Together they rescued over 1,000 Jews.
Oskar Schindler’s identity drastically changes from the beginning to the end of the movie. At first, Schindler was a greedy, selfish, and rich man, who was a member of the Nazi party and profited from the war. He also was a womanizer who constantly cheated on his wife. He only cared about making money and he only hired Jewish workers because they were cheaper. He saved his workers initially because he did not want to pay to train other workers and protected them since he believed that their welfare impacted his business. He saw Jewish people differently than other Germans, he saw them as workers, and he inadvertently developed a reputation for kindness. He did not do this at first to be a
Oskar Schindler was a hero in World War II. He endured many conflicts. The main battle he faced was during World War II. During World War II, Oskar Schindler was a German businessman who saved Jews in Poland and Czechoslovakia from death by employing them in his factory (“Oskar Schindler” 362).
In the beginning of the film, Oskar Schindler is a man who is intrigued by anyway to make money. In the past, he has mostly been a failed businessman who is extremely persistent and will stop at nothing to become a profiteer. Schindler however, has an idea, unlike any idea he has ever had in the past. In the beginning of the film, he bribes and communicates with many German officials just as the war is beginning so he can gain access to jews and their free labor. He is an exceptionally greedy man who will abuse his power and social status to make money even if it’s through the blood, sweat, and tears of other individuals. At the beginning of the film, Schindler proclaims, “In every business I tried, I can see now, it wasn't me that failed. Something was missing.” He expresses that the reason for his success in his newly found business can be credited to war. This quote clearly indicates his extreme desire for wealth. However, over time he begins to adjust and modify his behaviors as a result of his friendship with a Jewish man named Itzhak Stern, who also is a manager of his business. As time goes on he begins to protect his workers and save them from concentration camps proclaiming that they are “essential workers” for the war effort. Schindler has now begun to understand that jews
He made sure that they were able to keep their lives. He did this by preventing those people from being shipped to concentration camps or killed on sight. Proof that Schindler took care of his workers is that after the war ended, some of his “Schindlerjuden” took care of him and “honored him” (JewishVirtualLibrary.org). If Schindler had shown them cruelty why would some of them make sure that he was taken care of? These people did not care that he had been a drunk, or that he dishonored his marriage vows. All they saw was a man who had taken a risk to save their lives. To many, there was no way they could repay him for his actions. That is why they honored him as they did and took care of him. They do not know why Schindler decided to save them, but all that matters is that he did.
He saved over one thousand Jewish people from going to labor or death camps. He risked his life for people he has never even met. Schindler received word that a train of evacuated Jews from Golezow camp was stranded in the nearby city of Svitavy. As he has done twice before, Schindler pulled some strings at the top and got permission from German officials to take his workers to the nearby station to rescue the stranded. Once at the station, they forced the doors open to the rail car and saved about one hundred half frozen Jews and did their best to nurse the ill back to health, and those who did not survive received a proper Jewish burial.
Victor Frankl once said, “Any person, regardless of the circumstances, can decide what shall become of them – mentally and spiritually.” This is true for Oskar Schindler and Amon Goeth, who both had very different reactions to World War II. Human goodness is when one sees the truth, accepts it, and makes rational decisions based on the truth. Human evil is irrational decision-making, and when a person sees and understands the truth but choses to defy it. In Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, philosophers Kant and Rahner would agree that Schindler is a representation of human goodness, and Goeth represents human evil.
Oskar Schindler was not one to pass up an opportunity to make some money. He marched into Poland with the SS and dove head first into the black market. He soon began to make friends with the Gestapo, the secret state police, by softening them up with women, money and alcohol. His newfound connections helped him to acquire a factory, which he ran with the cheapest labor around, Jews. At first, it seemed like he was another German money-driven industrialist but somewhere along the way something changed.
Watching Schindler's list I decided to focus on Oskar Schindler. Throughout the movie Schindler personal emotions change on the war. In the beginning we see that it was a good thing for business that nothing else mattered as long as he made money. When Jews would come up he wouldn't care about them because he knew he could manipulate them and earn more money since they needed him. Schindler didn't really care for the Jews and what would happen to them. We see that Schindler only concern is that his business profits in the war. His concern for going to parties were to make connection that would better his money earning business. Money was his only concern which is why he went out seeking a jew. Since having a jew made it so they could be payed less than a normal person and they would be to scared to not do work. If he got a Jew it would earn him more money than hiring a German accountant. After getting an accountant he goes and seek workers for his factory. The workers are Jews since they don't need to be payed to be working. We later learn that his wife influences him with making business and wanting to succeed. He came from a place where he had nothing and is just beginning to make it. Hes making so much money he doesn't know what to do and he thanks the war for that. With his business doing so well he starts to care about his workers. He cares about them because he needs them to continue making the money.He starts really caring about his accountant Stern he makes sure he
To think that this self centred man would become known for a shining moment of salvation for so many is almost beyond belief. Oskar Schindler is not a humanitarian or a force for ?good? in the typical sense. He is depicted within the film as a man that simply found himself in a unique position and rose to the occasion. Evil on the other hand, is epitomised throughout the film by the actions of those involved in the Nazi regime, in particular Amon Goeth who was in charge of the forced labour camp at Plaszow.
The film ‘Schindler’s List’, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel Schindler’s Ark, by Thomas Keneally, gives us an insight into the corruption and destructive capabilities of humans. This film portrays many themes, all of which are evoked due to the factual historical event of the Jewish Holocaust which occurred in Germany during WWII. The exploration of the themes of hope, use and misuse of power, the nature of evil and courage makes this film prominent over others. Spielberg’s purpose in making this film was to raise awareness of the
Oskar Schindler was a very complex and dynamic man. When the Nazi party rose to power and began to dominate and discriminate against
Leadership has played a valuable role throughout history in countless leaders and even followers. Although some of the greatest leaders in history lead for a more notorious cause, the leadership skills they conveyed and followed were key to the success of their goal and accomplishments. I believe Oskar Schindler was a great leader for many reasons because of how he dealt with the Nazi party during the Holocaust and how he adapted to change and from that change resulted in saving over a thousand Jews from death. Oskar Schindler shows how sometimes a leader has to change his values and therefore his actions to accommodate the surroundings and situation. As a result to this change
Conformity is defined as “changing one’s behavior due to the real or imagined influence of other people” (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, Sommers, 2016). Conformity and obedience to authority are central thought the film with Oskar Schindler included. At first Schindler is mostly aloof to the plight of the Jews and after his change of heard engages in a form of obedience to authority. Throughout, we see Schindler don the swastika indicative of the Nazi party and show camaraderie and compliance to SS officers. All the while his thinking has changed from favoring the Nazi party ideals to the opposite. This is called public compliance which is “conforming to other people’s behavior publicly without necessarily believing win what the other people are doing or saying” (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, Sommers, 2016). His public compliance behavior could have stemmed from a motivation to hide his true frame of mind in order to protect his own self. “Obedience to authority is the most powerful form of social influence” (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, Sommers,