Wednesday, November 10, 2010
I read Night by Elie Wiesel. I found that while i knew a lot about the general facts of the Holocaust i didn't know many of the details of what really happened. I knew it was bad but Night helped me realize how bad it really was. It made me think of the full extent of the war and how evil and sadistic people can be. I don't understand how there can be so many people out there that were willing to sacrifice human life. Its like an army of psychopaths. while i can understand how several people would follow Hitlers plans i don't see how thousands of people would be able to murder people and children without feeling guilt and regret. One passage in the book that made me feel this way was when Eliezer and his father saw babies being burnt by the truckload. Who would do that? its sick and twisted. I don't see how Hitler was able to find an army full of people who would follow through with this. its like all the Nazis were brainwashed into committing these atrocities. All together night made me think of how large scale this war was and gave me insight into the more defined details.
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wow this book sounds insanely graphic. knowing me i would probably be balling throughout the entire thing; especially the burning of infants. but yeah, the whole brainwashing of the Nazis is something i have never been able to understand. How could someone have their mind completely turned around and all morals lost? but that is something people have always wondered.
ReplyDeleteThat book was terrible! I really did not appreciate Mrs. White making us read that. Anyways, I totally agree with you. I can kind of see how you could manipulate someone into going to war for the wrong cause, but I don't understand how you could brainwash people into this kind of violence. It's kind of scary to think that human beings have that in them. I don't know, you can list out all of those reasons like desperation and willingness to believe in anyone who had power and economic depression and ehtnocentrism and nationalism, but none of them really seem extreme enough to cause something like this.
ReplyDeleteI agree!! Sometimes I see the Holocaust as being seprate from the war, but really it's not, it was all happening at once. I also don't understand how these people were convinced to commit these crimes, I know that Hitler was a "persuasive speaker" but really? Come on, no one's THAT persuasive. I remember reading a memoir of a Nazi soldier who said that he didn't deal directly with the people and he just tried to ignore them but how it haunted him for the rest of his life. Well yeah, what do you expect? I just, these are all people and as much as I don't understand how they could've done this, I know no one else understands either.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it seems unbelieveable. I can't help but think too, the Nuremburg trials only targeted the leaders of these crimes. Like you said, he had an army, and they really weren't held accountable. It's almost a guilty by association issue, even if you just let it happen, you're to blame.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Night and learning about the perspective of someone going through the camps-wouldn't it be interesting to read a book by a German soldier to see actually what he was thinking-what drove him to committ these types of crimes? It seems like you learned a lot from this book- and you see now to bring history courses alive, it is helpful to read outside sources. Interesting points Sarah :)
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