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Steal A Pencil For Me Analysis

Decent Essays

Nazis, death, atrocities and girlfriends? During the Holocaust millions of European Jews were inhumanly killed. In dire times, companionship increases one's chances of survival. This is shown in Elie Wiesel’s memoir “Night” and Michele Ohayon’s documentary “Steal A Pencil For Me”. These two works are both non-fictional and show how companionship helps lead to survival. Elie Wiesel’s memoir “Night” shows many of the crimes committed by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. In the memoir, Wiesel recalls his experiences in the Holocaust. In many of the dire situations, it is not Elie who pulls himself out of a situation, it is the presence of his father. For example during the Death March: “My father’s presence was the only thing that stops …show more content…

Another example comes from Michele Ohayon’s documentary “Steal a Pencil For Me” where Jack, a Dutch Jew, falls in love with a Jewish girl, Ina, in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. The documentary goes into great detail about Jack and Ina writing love letters to each other while in the camp. This form of companionship is slightly different from the type of companionship in Wiesel’s “Night” because it is less direct contact and more indirect communication. These love letters help reassure Jack and Ina that someone cares about them even if it didn’t seem like it at the time. This is more of an emotional companionship than physical. Half of the danger in dire situations is mental. Without a calm and clear mind, one can get caught up in the chaos and die rather quickly. On the contrary for Jack and Ina, their love letters help them to remain emotionally stable, which helps them survive longer in the concentration camps.

Companionship helps in all dire situations, not just in the Holocaust. However, companionship alone does not make one survive. But companionship is a large factor. These two pieces of literature shine the light on how companionship enables a person to be emotionally stable and survive in dire situations. Elie Wiesel spent his life trying to prevent atrocities. Companionship will continue the work, as shown in “Steal a Pencil For Me” and

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