The Horror Of The Holocaust

The years of World War II, otherwise know as the Holocaust, are arguably the worst years in Jewish history. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party constantly mistreated the Jews on a daily basis. They did everything from using anti-semitic propaganda to opening concentration camps to torture and kill Jews. Hitler was so influential he was able to completely change people’s views on a certain group of people. He even convinced most people that Jews were evil and were the reason Germany was in the bad state it was at the time. They had been used as scapegoats and mistreated before, but nothing compared to this. They were killed, their businesses were boycotted, their books were burned, they were segregated, and so on. That era of anti-semitism started in the year 1933 after Hitler was appointed chancellor, and continued until the war was ended.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a witty and well-written account of the realities of a “tired old town” (4) where there was “nothing to buy and nothing to buy it with” (4). Purposefully, it comes across not merely an innocently portrayed, yet eye-opening, story of a young girl start to grasp the inequalities of her society. Rather, it is accompanied by recollection of the unfortunate pillars of hate of the places Harper Lee matured in. We now perceive this account as an ‘archaic” and “ancient” recount of some historically frowned upon mindsets in an enthralling atmosphere upon which we pin historical quantities of prejudice, racism and most of all, bigotry. The unfortunate reality is that we look at history in a vacuum and ignore the occurrences of our own times. So although we, like Scout’s teachers teaching about the horrible acts of the Holocaust while being outspokenly racist, are able to analyze social inequalities in other places in time or the world yet refuse to open our eyes to the same prejudice, racism and bigotry today. To instance, when reading To Kill a Mockingbird , we often frown upon citizens for judging “folks” based on their family name and race, although, everyday, some member of our current society, such as police officers and employers, do the same thing and no one bats an eye. Alternatively, the issue which we definitely desperately desire to avoid, racism, is explicitly tackled in To Kill a Mockingbird to the point of viral awareness of the problem in

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.

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

The atrocities of the Holocaust placed the German Jewish population in a quagmire of antisemitic persecution, but it also spread beyond Germany to affect Jews throughout Europe. Poland was such a country. The first nation invaded by Nazi Germany and the last to be liberated, the population of Polish Jews was nearly eradicated. How were the Nazis able to accomplish such a feat in a nation where antisemitism had not been as prevalent? Aside from forcibly introducing antisemitic policy into Poland, the Nazis relied on fear and self-interest to accomplish their goals. For the average Polish Catholic in 1943, a decision had to be made on where they stood regarding the “Jewish problem”. Should they sit idly by and do nothing, or perhaps even assist in the capture of the Jews? Or maybe they could risk everything by hiding and otherwise aiding the Polish Jews. If I were such a Polish Catholic citizen living in 1943 and the opportunity arose to help a Polish Jew, my conscience would prevent me from doing any less.

What if there was a choice on whether to be Jewish or Non-Jewish, to either be Jewish and fight back or to go with the flow, and to be Non-Jewish and fight back or go with the flow? Being non-jewish and going with the flow would be the smart choice, if survival is the goal. In that time period being Jewish was awful. Being Jewish basically meant you were an outcast. During the Holocaust it would have been better to not be Jewish and to stay out of the way, or go with the flow.

Art Spiegelman’s Maus is based upon a true story. This novel is more than just a regular memoir. It is a riveting tale in the form of a comic book that is meant for readers that are not nonchalant to the events of the Holocaust, the genocide of the Jews during the second world war ordered by Adolf Hitler. While the novel is in the form of a comic book, it focuses on one of the most serious, tragic events in history. It focuses on the history of the Jewish people and how it has impacted adults and children in that time in history and of today. What Maus does is provide readers with a mix of non-fiction and biography on a serious event, while keeping it light-hearted with its beautiful artwork. Winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, it can be considered one of the most powerful books about the Holocaust.

The books Maus I and Maus II are biographical comic books written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman. In these books Spiegelman tells his father’s story of survival through the horrors of the Holocaust. Spiegelman simultaneously presents an inner story of the conflict between him and his father, Vladek Spiegelman as both he and his father try to come to terms with the past, and work to have a normal life. This feelings of tension and conflict suffered by Vladek and Art in Maus I and II is caused by a transitional and rebounding feeling of survivor’s guilt caused by Vladek’s passing down of his own guilt, Art’s guilt of neglect, and Art’s attempts to come to terms with his own guilt of survival.

Leaving 6 million Jews murdered in its wake, the Holocaust is one of the most devastating events to ever occur in history. This horrific work of evil is a moment never to be forgotten, especially by those who lived through the nightmare. With hundreds of stories that have been published about the Holocaust by survivors and their relatives, this time in history is also a learning experience for modern day people. By reading the sorrowful and melancholy tales of Holocaust victims, the people of today grow wiser and more knowledgeable as to prevent something so heinous from reoccurring in the future. However, what shocks many readers is one author’s decision to depict his father’s Holocaust story in the form of a comic book. The comic book format used in both Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman is a new and innovative way to present the atrocities of the Holocaust because it makes the dark concepts of the story easier to understand and opens opportunities for not only displaying, but inspiring new insights among readers.

A mass murder on an industrial scale: the horrors of the Holocaust were unlike anything the world had seen before. Seeing what a civilized society is capable of doing to other human beings reveals the capacity of evil which humans are capable of. Consequently, 11 million individuals lost their lives due to discrimination, intolerance, and others’ indifference to their suffering, therefore, learning and remembering their stories during the Holocaust is the first step in preventing future genocides from occurring. The systematic murder of Jews began in 1941 with the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and the use of Gas Chambers, yet discrimination began in 1933 with a national boycott of their businesses and exclusion from various professions. Knowing this allows citizens to recognize warning signs and stand up

The author of Night, a novel documenting the horrible and gruesome events of the holocaust, Elie Wiesel expresses his experiences and observations in which he and his fellow Jews were dehumanized while living in concentration camps (a hell on earth). All Jews, as a race were brutalized by the Nazis during this time; reducing them to no less than objects, positions which meant nothing to them, belongings that were a nuisance. Nazis would gather every Jew that they could find and bring them to these infernos, separating the men and women. Families, not knowing it would never see each other again. Individuals within the categories were divided even more, based on their health, strength, and age. They would be judged by a Nazi officer, which would then decide their fate, if they would have the opportunity to live or if they would be sentenced strait to execution. In these camps, babies became target practice, being tossed in the air like an object with no significant value and shot at with no remorse. The more mature could be sentenced to execution, tossed into pits of fire while fully conscious burning them alive. In addition, the ones who passed inspection received treatment as if they were slaves and dogs, making them follow any command, any disobeying of these demands would consequence them to be shot without hesitation. These dehumanizing crimes were the punishments forced on the Jewish race by the Nazi influence, turning Jewish nationality into a nuisance against what they

A powerful and provocative graphic novel, Maus, generates a Jewish individual’s life of grotesque and horror. With its ability of perception and interpretation, it tackles the main points of the ominous Holocaust and delivers a spooky aura to the absorbed audience. In comparison to Schindler’s List, the graphic novel shines brightly than the pale movie due to its realism and humor that is constantly present throughout the storyline. The novel has the ability to connect to the audience; thus, it gives an in-depth look and overall comprehension of the massacre that Spiegelman is trying to communicate. The graphic novel, Maus by Art Spiegelman, brings an honest account of the Holocaust to a wide audience because of its historical truth and intriguing viewpoints and characters that shows the effect and process of the genocide.

The books Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman over a thirteen-year period from 1978-1991, are books that on the surface are written about the Holocaust. The books specifically relate to the author’s father’s experiences pre and post-war as well as his experiences in Auschwitz. The book also explores the author’s very complex relationship between himself and his father, and how the Holocaust further complicates this relationship. On a deeper level the book also dances around the idea of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. The two books are presented in a very interesting way; they are shown in comic form, which provides the ability for Spiegelman to incorporate numerous ideas and complexities to his work.

Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” allows readers to see the Holocaust through a comic as the story is told by his father. Other than Vladek's tellings about the Holocaust, Art includes description of his life now. This let the readers to see what happened outside of the Vladek's accounts. Consequently, Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel broadens the readers understanding of the influences of Holocaust through Art’s relationships, guilt, and Vladek's changes.

Spiegelman distinctively portrays his father's story as a particular man, representing the Jewish characters as mice and the Nazi characters as cats. The Jews are portrayed as Mice, the Non-Jewish Poles as Pigs, the Nazis as Cats, and the Americans as dogs. This shows an interesting explanation on the people involved in this awful moment in human history. Through Spiegelman's ground-breaking use of the comic book medium, Maus puts into question traditional notions of history, memory, and narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the legacy of the Holocaust.