Jase Jacobson
9-10-11
Per A2
Schindler’s List
The Holocaust; one of the worst pieces of human history, also one the most used subjects for books, movies, T.V. shows, and the media. The story of Herr Oskar Schindler however, is a level above anything else I have ever read or watched. It is the 100% true story of a man saving lives by putting his own at risk, of good versus evil, and it shows just how drastically a man can change. That an important German business manufacturer can have an epiphany and give all he is to protect a couple hundred Jews.
I would give this book a solid eight; I wouldn’t give it a ten because of how the Author chooses to present the story. He wrote in a boring style, presenting only facts and leaving no room for real literacy. Luckily, the story didn’t have to be tampered with at all to still be incredible. Though that doesn’t change the fact that the writing style was hard to digest. It sort of reminded me of Tolkien’s writing; factual, interesting, but soulless at the same time. I believe that the Author could have been more creative with how he presented everything. And for that reason I would only recommend “Schindler’s List” to people who want to know the story, and also have an advanced vocabulary, not people who are looking for an entertainment source.
During chapters 1-12, Oskar Schindler is introduced. He is not a purely good man; he cheats, bribes, drinks excessively, and has multiple affairs. Schindler is a pirate, but he does not kill to gain wealth. This is what sets him apart from Nazi officials, who also cheat, bribe, drink, and sleep around, but choose to take part in the murder of a race for money. If World War II had not happened, Schindler would not have seemed any different from the officials. He might even have been a genuine friend to them. Then war occurs, and Schindler is shown to have a basic goodness in him, a deeper humanity than them. He becomes a hero, and in the end, many of the Nazi officials are killed.
ReplyDeleteSchindler makes the decision early on to protect his Jewish factory workers. He tells them that if they work for him, they will survive the war. At this point in his development as a character, his motive for protecting them seems to be money. Schindler needs his Jewish workers to show up at his factory each day, otherwise he loses money. Jewish labor is cheaper than Polish labor. This is his excuse to insist that his workers not be shot or harmed by S.S. police. Schindler seems to be fighting a losing battle though, because the Nazi government is already seeking to eliminate Jews from every aspect of German life.
In chapters 13-14, the status of a Jew is lowered to that of cattle. Intelligence is no longer valued by Nazi Germany. It is a person’s race that identifies them. The Nazi government removes the identities of the Jewish people and labels them as one big group of nothing. Worthless, they are deported to prison camps. Schindler’s workers though, are safe. He rescues one of his key workers from a transport train, but claims he only did it to keep himself and his company running.
ReplyDeleteChapter 15 is the real turning point of the novel. Schindler is riding with his mistress – a perfect display of wealth and immorality. The scene they view is a complete contrast to their lifestyle. As Schindler stands on a hill above the ghetto, he sees the evil of the Nazi philosophy, and the evil of his part in it. He and other powerful Nazis are the pretty wallpaper covering a rotting wall.
ReplyDeleteIn this moment of truth, Schindler sees that there is no limit to the cruelty and persecution of the Jews until they are dead. No one knows exactly what it is he sees that day that causes his rapid switch of mind. I think that almost anyone who saw the liquidation of the ghetto and the murder of its occupants would have seen it as wrong. However, only a few would have the strength to take action. Schindler is a man of action. The only reason he is as wealthy and influential as he is is because he was quick to establish his war-profiteering business. Now he takes action again to save human life.
In chapters 16-20, Schindler meets Amon Goeth, the new commandant of the labor camp. If you compare the outward characteristics of the two, Goeth closely resembles Schindler. He is also a drinker, womanizer, and profiteer. Unlike Schindler, however, Goeth is a cruel, abusive man. He is insane because he will kill a random laborer and then think of himself as a sensitive “man of letters”. A prisoner describes him clearly: “When you saw Goeth, you saw death.” Two men who might have been mistaken for each other during peacetime become total opposites. Schindler is the embodiment of good in the novel and Goeth is the embodiment of evil.
ReplyDeleteThe death toll rises. Schindler opens his own factory camp outside of the labor camp. It becomes known as a safe haven. Schindler has to be even more careful not to reveal what his factory really is to the Nazi officials he works around. He has developed strong ties to Itzhak Stern, making struggle to keep his workers alive even more personal.
ReplyDeleteWhen Schindler discovers that the assassination attempt on Hitler failed, he becomes depressed. What I think is amazing at this point in the story is that Schindler continues his mission to protect his workers. Other men might have given up under the pressure of hopelessness and stress. He does not. Every other business venture Schindler embarks on in later years is a failure (I read the epilogue). He cannot keep them running. His safe haven factory, however, endures. This makes me believe that goodness, kindness, and humanity will always have a place in time, no matter how much evil there is.
The last chapters I read were 30-epilouge.
ReplyDeleteWhen we hear about Schindler’s List, and the Schindlerjuden, we often forget about the other heroes, besides Schindler, in the story. His wife, Emilie, who helps nurse workers when Schindler moves the factory to Brinnlitz, and Itzhak Stern, who is Schindler’s confidant, are a few. Schindler is the first to take action. He leads, and the others give him the support he needed to keep up the ruse. They all trust that better years are coming soon.
The concepts of good and evil are totally distorted during World War II when so many people remain unmoved by the routine murder of innocents. But even when Schindler was a part of the Nazi party, he kept a hold of his basic humanity. Even when Schindler abandons her, Emilie agrees to help him help his workers. Even when Germans persecute him, Itzhak Stern becomes friends with Schindler and supports him through the war. Their fight for life is a symbol of hope for us all.
I rate the story 5 out of 5. It is definitely a challenging read. I had to reread it to get a sense of the story and find what I had missed. Watching the movie helped to, so I could match people and events in the book to faces and scenes in the movie and keep them straight. The book is slightly better than the movie, as it makes the whole event feel real. I read about so many different stories: Schindler's, Pfefferberg's, etc. The movie focused mainly on Schindler's story. Anyone interested in learning about the Holocaust and about the Nazi government and its officials should read Schindler's List. It is an excellently written documentary novel about a true and inspiring story.
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