The word ‘holocaust’ (Shoah in Hebrew), originally meant ‘a burnt sacrifice,’ but it has come to mean the horrific killing of millions of Jews by Nazis before and during World War II.
The Nazi party rose to power in Germany between the world wars. It gained supporters by promising strong leadership at a time when there was weak government, poverty and unemployment. As soon as the Nazis were in power and Adolf Hitler became Führer (leader), Nazis were taught to believe that ‘true’ Germans, or ‘Aryans,’ were superior to all other races. When Hitler declared that many of Germany’s problems were caused by the Jews, a terrible persecution of all Jews began. Many were forced to live in ghettoes (restricted areas), where they died of starvation and disease.
The Nazis rounded up Jews in Germany and in the countries that they occupied during the war, and sent them to concentration camps. These were prison camps where Jews had to work hard with little food, and many of them died. Some of the camps became ‘death camps’ with gas chambers in which Jews were deliberately killed. Auschwitz was the biggest concentration camp, located in occupied Poland. Six million Jew died during the holocaust.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Summery of the Novel
“Night” is a memoir narrated by the witness of holocaust, Elie Wiesel. At the beginning of the book, he is just a Jewish teenager who lives peacefully in Sighet, Transylvania, with his parents and three sisters. At the beginning of 1942, German troops enter Sighet, and force the Jews to live in ghettoes. In 1943, Eliezer and his family are sent to Auschwitz, where he is separated from his mother and sisters, whom he will never see again. Along with his father, Eliezer experiences all the cruelties of a concentration camp, and starts questioning the faith in God. He is disgusted by the selfishness which involves the rapture of the familial bonds, which he also confronts with soon after. However, his relationship towards his father demonstrates that his love and solidarity are stronger forces of survival than his instinct for self-preservation. In 1945, Eliezer’s father dies of dysentery. Eliezer survives, and is liberated by the American troops on April 11. In this memoir, Wiesel emphasizes the major theme of his work- the importance of preserving the memory of the past.
Vignettes
Vignette 1
After the rise of Hitler in Germany, Anne Frank’s father, Otto, moved his young Jewish family to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. They lived happily there until the Nazis invaded in 1942. When the family heard of the Nazi plans to send all Jewish people to concentration camps, they went into hiding in some sealed-off rooms at the top of Otto Frank’s former warehouse, with another Jewish family. Dutch friends smuggled them tiny rations of food.
In her diary, Anne Frank wrote about daily events and the cramped conditions in which they lived. In spite of everything, she always seemed to remain hopeful, writing “I still believe that people are really good in heart.”
On 4 August, 1944, after two years of hiding, the secret rooms were broken into and the Franks were taken to a concentration camp. Anne’s mother died in one camp, and Anne and her sister died of typhus in another. Their father survived and published Anne’s diary, which had been found by friends, in 1947. Her diary is read world-wide and has moved many millions of hearts.
http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=2&lid=2
After the rise of Hitler in Germany, Anne Frank’s father, Otto, moved his young Jewish family to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. They lived happily there until the Nazis invaded in 1942. When the family heard of the Nazi plans to send all Jewish people to concentration camps, they went into hiding in some sealed-off rooms at the top of Otto Frank’s former warehouse, with another Jewish family. Dutch friends smuggled them tiny rations of food.
In her diary, Anne Frank wrote about daily events and the cramped conditions in which they lived. In spite of everything, she always seemed to remain hopeful, writing “I still believe that people are really good in heart.”
On 4 August, 1944, after two years of hiding, the secret rooms were broken into and the Franks were taken to a concentration camp. Anne’s mother died in one camp, and Anne and her sister died of typhus in another. Their father survived and published Anne’s diary, which had been found by friends, in 1947. Her diary is read world-wide and has moved many millions of hearts.
http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=2&lid=2
Vignette 2
Eva Galler was born in a little city in Poland named Oleszyce. Her father, Israel Vogel, was the head of Jewish community. Her mother grew up in a poor family, and married her father when she was very young. She had eight children; Eva was the oldest. In June 1941, the Germans occupied their little town. The Jews were mistreated, even by their Gentile friends. They had to start wearing the armbands, to be recognized as Jews. Eva’s family was moved to a ghetto, in Lubaczow. A few days later, they were taken to a cattle train. Eva Galler jumped through a window and escaped, so that she can never again see her parents. Her younger brother and sister, who tried to escape too, were shot dead. Eva was on her own; she took a train to Cracow where she was taken a Gentile child by Germans, and later sent to Vienna. There, she worked on a farm for a German family. In May 1945, the Germans started to draw back. Eva found her old friend from Oleszyce, and married him. She works as a Hebrew teacher and has three daughters.
http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=home&da=survivors&ke=6
Eva Galler was born in a little city in Poland named Oleszyce. Her father, Israel Vogel, was the head of Jewish community. Her mother grew up in a poor family, and married her father when she was very young. She had eight children; Eva was the oldest. In June 1941, the Germans occupied their little town. The Jews were mistreated, even by their Gentile friends. They had to start wearing the armbands, to be recognized as Jews. Eva’s family was moved to a ghetto, in Lubaczow. A few days later, they were taken to a cattle train. Eva Galler jumped through a window and escaped, so that she can never again see her parents. Her younger brother and sister, who tried to escape too, were shot dead. Eva was on her own; she took a train to Cracow where she was taken a Gentile child by Germans, and later sent to Vienna. There, she worked on a farm for a German family. In May 1945, the Germans started to draw back. Eva found her old friend from Oleszyce, and married him. She works as a Hebrew teacher and has three daughters.
http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=home&da=survivors&ke=6
Vignette 3
Solomon Radasky lived with his family in Warsaw. In 1941, he was caught by the Jewish police. He was forced to work, and his job was to keep the trains running. When he returned to the ghetto, his mum and older sister were shot dead. His father was killed in April 1942, and his other two brothers and sisters were deported to Treblinka, whom he never saw again. Solomon worked in the Tobbens’ shop as a furrier. In 1943, he was shot in the right ankle and so he was sent to Umschlagplatz, the Treblinka extermination camp. However, he was sent to Majdanpek, where he suffered a lot of difficulties. He was nearly killed, but he was selected and sent to Auschwitz. There, he befriended several Jews with whom he worked in the sand mine. On January 18, 1945, Auschwitz was liquidated and liberated; however, Solomon was still under Germans. He was finally liberated on May 1, 1945 by the Allied troops. He married Frieda, and they moved to America. They have two children.
http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=home&da=survivors&ke=7
Solomon Radasky lived with his family in Warsaw. In 1941, he was caught by the Jewish police. He was forced to work, and his job was to keep the trains running. When he returned to the ghetto, his mum and older sister were shot dead. His father was killed in April 1942, and his other two brothers and sisters were deported to Treblinka, whom he never saw again. Solomon worked in the Tobbens’ shop as a furrier. In 1943, he was shot in the right ankle and so he was sent to Umschlagplatz, the Treblinka extermination camp. However, he was sent to Majdanpek, where he suffered a lot of difficulties. He was nearly killed, but he was selected and sent to Auschwitz. There, he befriended several Jews with whom he worked in the sand mine. On January 18, 1945, Auschwitz was liquidated and liberated; however, Solomon was still under Germans. He was finally liberated on May 1, 1945 by the Allied troops. He married Frieda, and they moved to America. They have two children.
http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=home&da=survivors&ke=7
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
