While examining the works of Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi it becomes apparent that the holocaust was a horrendous time in our human history. However, although both writers went through similar experiences during this time; both seem to reflect and dwell on things differently such as their point of view and lives in the camps as well as the different themes they focus on. In this analysis the stories of the two authors will be compared and as stated above will also focus on how they recount their experiences.
Elie Wiesel’s Night
In terms of themes in the book one that became apparent to me from the very beginning is that of faith. As the reader progresses through the book there is a very clear picture of a loss of faith by Weisel. The book begins and it is obvious from the get-go that Weisel has much stronger faith than many of the other Jews in his town. One specific passage in the book really sheds light on just how faithful young Weisel was:
He had watched me one day as I prayed at dusk. ‘’Why do you cry when you pray?” he asked, as though he knew me well. “I don 't know,” I answered, troubled. I had never asked myself that question. I cried because something inside me felt the need to cry. That was all I knew. “Why do you pray?” he asked after a moment. Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe? “I don 't know,” I told him, even more troubled and ill at ease. “I don 't know.” (Weisel, 1986, pg. 4)
After reading this passage one might think
The Holocaust, a morbid atrocity that made people question humanity, was the cause of millions of deaths. One of those victims of this brutality was Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who hid from the Nazis along with her family. Although she was merely ordinary, Anne Frank kept a diary which became a significant, historical artifact in the modern world as it details her account of concealing her identity from the outside world. Her story, told in an innocent perspective, allows individuals to reflect the dreadful events of the Holocaust and acknowledge how far we have come since then. Even though she died along with millions of other victims from the Holocaust, her spirit still exists thanks to her articulately written words in her diary which is now considered one of the most famous works of literature. Anne Frank’s legacy still lives on today because her story provides a primary source of a dark period in history, insightful contemplation of humanity, and motivation for people to stand up against unjustified persecution.
The Holocaust was the single most heinous act in history for many reasons, the first of which is the death toll of innocent men, women, and children, almost as horrifying was the treatment of German Citizens within the camps and ghettos, and finally the effect Hitler and his Nazi regime still has on the world and America today.
In his novel, Night, Elie Wiesel recounts the horrific experiences that he faced as a survivor of the Holocaust during World War II. The following passage presents the impossible struggle to maintain a decent quality of life in the face of war:
The holocaust was one of the most considerable crimes committed against humanity. The Nazi’s boycotted all the Jewish stores. However, a minimum amount emigrated. Although at one point when Jewish wanted to flee, country's didn't accept them knowing the fact there's a lot of them. After the problem hit the Nazi’s that their are too many Jewish they began to discover ways to decrease the amount of Jews. Not until they planned to put them in camps. The Nazi’s put the Jewish in the ghetto to separate them from the Germans. The Jewish were treated miserably, they had the slightest amount of food that wasn't enough for them.
Nowadays, people tend to forget the morality of human beings. For instance, the people in today’s world are attracted to greed or power letting their mind and body rot them. However, are we doing a right in letting people like that win? It might not seem much or anything, but as history has shown us otherwise with World War II. Like letting a tyrant leader like Adolf Hitler take over different countries and bring in what is believed the most horrific discrimination ever known. Therefore, it is right to agree with Elie Wiesel a former target of the Nazi Final Solution that the moment race and religion are involved then that soon must become the center of the universe’s attention.
The Holocaust is one of (If not the worst) the worst times in our world’s history. Regrettably, The Holocaust can relate to many problems in our society today. Multifarious conflicts today are started by the same thing: Race.
The Holocaust was a persecution of Jews implemented by the Nazi regime in Germany. Many Jews were stripped away from their homes and put into concentration camps. In many of these camps, they were forced to work as slaves and many times executed. In the book, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi, it discusses his hardships in the concentration camp, Auschwitz. Levi 's main focus for his book is his survival during the camp and how one can survive the brutalities of the Nazis.
Prior to the holocaust, however, he exhibits none of these characteristics. He was kind, wealthy, and uncommonly resourceful, and his marriage to Anja was filled with compassion, intimacy, and love. Where now Vladek is now stubborn, irritable, and almost comically stingy with his money. His experiences in the Holocaust undoubtedly played a role in these dramatic personality changes. It wasn’t until the war started that Vladek got a little more precautious about a few things. Whenever a bad thing would happen, Vladek would remain hopeful and trusted that things would go well for him and his family in the long run. Even when Vladek had to fight in World War II and was put in a prisoner camp with the most terrible conditions he still seemed to keep faith. However, one can slowly notice how Vladek becomes cautious about food and any kind of valuable. It is natural because he couldn’t get much so he had to be very careful about wasting anything. At times, he was willing to share, but he quickly realized that he had to fight for himself to survive and that everyone was responsible for themselves. He became a little careful about who his real friends were. ---- need uote here
When people elevate to the status of citizen in their respective country, it’s surely a momentous occasion. However, once the title of citizen is acquired there are certain responsibilities that must be fulfilled. Tim Holden said "The Holocaust illustrates the consequences of prejudice, racism and stereotyping on a society. It forces us to examine the responsibilities of citizenship and confront the powerful ramifications of indifference and inaction"(Holden). Holden’s quote has a specific point that is incredibly important which is confronting the consequences of inaction. Anger and revulsion can arise from a variety of epicenters, but one that undoubtedly protrudes is Adolf Hitler throughout World War II. Inaction can be a godsend, but definitely has a dangerous side which held true during the Holocaust and still holds true today.
In every moment, people make choices that impact society, continually shaping history. During the Holocaust, when the Nazi Party incarcerated millions of Jews, ordinary European citizens and their everyday decisions and shaped history through an amass of cause and effects. Their decisions were greatly influenced by their understanding of the universe of obligation, which sociologist Helen Fein defines as “the circle of individuals and groups ‘toward whom obligations are owed, to whom rules apply, and whose injuries call for [amends]’ (“We and They”56). The majority of society became bystanders to protect themself and their social status, leading upstanders to be a minority. Although multiple bystanders claimed to have no other options when
Sit back, and imagine this: you’re sitting on a hard mattress. You can smell the smoke. The screams and tears of adults and children, just the same, fill the dirty air you breathe. Outside, acres upon acres of barbed wire and fortified walls. Platforms, cremation ovens, gallows, and gas chambers. The year is 1945, January 27th to be exact. This is a day that will be remembered for years to come. This is the day that the prisoners at camp Auschwitz being held by Nazi German soldiers were liberated.
The Holocaust, one of humanities most horrendous acts and a large topic in the history of World War II. Led by the German National Socialists, the Holocaust was an attack on innocent people for reasons of race, sexuality, nationality, and religion with their main target being the millions of European Jews who they saw as an ‘inferior race’. Hitler and his higher up stripped Jews of everything. He took their money, their homes, their jobs, their nationality, their dignity, and eventually he took their lives. In Peter Longerich’s Holocaust: The Nazi Persecution and Murder of the Jews, Longerich takes an in depth look at Nazi politics and how it eventually led to their Final Solution of the Jewish Question. His research that began in the late 1990s, when he questioned both schools of Holocaust studies, the Intentionalists and the Structuralists. His studies in Europe led to a novel that that outlines the entire history of the Holocaust, the ideas of Judenfrage, and the implementation of Judenpolitik on the Jews of Europe from 1933 to 1945.
The Holocaust, 9/11, wars and assassinations are common events that come to mind when thinking about history. These events tend to make people think that mankind is evil and will always choose to be evil. However, when looking at the people behind the evil doings, are they really killing for a selfish reason? Mankind will always do good for their nation, no matter the cost. While most powerful leaders end up hurting many people, they either have good intentions behind the mask of people suffering or people come together to stop the leader. When Hitler ended up killing many Jews, countries came together as a nation to save the Jews from the camps. Good will overrule the horrible events in Earth’s past, present and future. Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and ISIS all have one thing in common, nationalism.
In situations of crises, people can have different reactions; some people might be destroyed by the hardships associated with being forcefully imprisoned in concentration camps, others may transcend above these crises through their strengths. In fact, many people in the Holocaust reacted differently; some by rising above with strength and determination while others exiled their faith to the shadows forever. Throughout history, several different reactions have been accounted for but some do not take the time to think of why survivors reacted in the manner that they did. By doing this, many people will gain greater insight on just how devastating the Holocaust was, even though some chose to make light out of darkness. Therefore, though the Holocaust is a despicable time in history, many chose to write memoirs about it in order to share their tales of both devastation and conquer to all who were unaware of the Holocaust’s significant affect on people (since many chose to turn their heads the other way while this was happening.) Overall, there were mixed reactions regarding the Holocaust, some using it to make themselves stronger, while others were severely affected; suffering from blows that would never heal.
The Holocaust. While it may be known as one of the most devastating genocides in history, it’s not the only one. Dictatorial leaders have, since the concept of government began, blemished our world’s history. A myriad of totalitarian leaders, such as the likes of Hideki Tojo, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot, have tarnished the Eurasian continent. Pol Pot, leader of the infamous Khmer Rouge, was responsible for what is known as the Cambodian “Killing Fields,” a senseless massacre of over two million Buddhists, Cambodian Christians, foreigners, and intellectuals. While a genocide such as the Holocaust was much more monumental than the Cambodian “Killing Fields,” Hitler and Pol Pot used similar methods to achieve similar goals.