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 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.
The Holocaust was an event that took place from 1933 to 1945 in Germany. During this time, Adolf Hitler was in charge, resulting in the prejudice actions that are well written in history. Facing economic, social, and political oppression, thousands of German Jews wanted to flee, but found few countries wanting to take them in. Eventually, under Hitler’s leadership, some 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II. In this time period the Nazi’s waged a war against the Jews and other races that they considered to be unequal in race and superiority to the German race. The actions that took place during the Holocaust were seen as the “Final Solution”. The Holocaust was one of the darkest times in history, and can be traced to the rising of Hitler, “An egomaniac with delusions of grandeur, and power” (Steinberg 240). The Holocaust resulted in the deaths of many Jews and other non- Germans, until they were liberated by America.
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.
From 1933-1945, it was a period of time when the Jews were targeted as an enemy. This period of time is called the “Holocaust.” This is when the Germans killed over 6 million Jews and it was a genocide. They also killed any Jew that they could recognize. The Germans during this time were called Nazis. Nazis were the people that controlled the concentration camps and liberated people. Concentration camps were the places where the Nazis took the Jews to be killed. In the concentration camps there were gas chambers. They were the places where they took the children and their moms for a “shower”. They thought it was a shower, but it was actually a place where they would end their lives. When all the jews went in the Nazis threw a chemical that burnt everything. The people who did that were the Holocaust war criminals. They were the Nazis that killed 1,000s of jews and didn’t care. The most dangerous war criminals were Alois Brunner,Beate Kunzel Klarsfeld, John Demjanjuk, Hans Lipschis, Hans Frank, Alfred Rosenberg, and Gerhard Sommer.
World War 2 brought upon a time of disappointment and the Jewish purgatory. This event caused millions of death to innocent people and disgrace to many Jewish families. This time period was ruled by the powerful leader of the Nazis as they were know for. He was the chancellor of Germany, he was Adolf Hitler he was known as the greatest leader to all the Nazi’s party. Hitler came into power in the year of 1933. This Nazi’s party planned to exterminate all the Jewish. This event was called the “Final Solution” also known as the holocaust. The Holocaust was created to operate massive killing along with, death camps, concentration camps, resistance efforts, Warsaw-ghetto, and liberation. All these schemes were fabricated to massacre all the
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.
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.