The holocaust itself, to be honest, is pretty intense, but the way Elie Wiesel just throws you into this memoir is electrifying. In the first chapter I love how the Jews no matter what happens they attempt to stay optimistic about their. Though, I think this is one of the factors that leads to their ultimate destruction. For example on page 11 when the Romanians put the Elie and the other Jews into the ghetto, the Jews weren’t discontented by that, they in fact were joyous about this because they would have their own government: “… we were entirely among ourselves. A small Jewish republic…” (Wiesel 11-12)
Wiesel isn’t afraid to give all the details of what happened which is great. In the first to chapters he jumps into the details not giving you time to get a grip. He’s brutally honest the horrible conditions they put into as well as how it affected them.
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget the smoke.
Never shall I forget the faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams into ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
Never.” (Wiesel 34)
This experience of the Holocaust affect me on an emotional level. Before this experience I did not know much about the Holocaust I just had heard of horrible man named Adolf Hitler and the genocide he had created. After reading the book Night and after the documentaries and films that we watched I've been slapped by reality. I've been dwelling a lot on my own as well, about how people could have so much hatred on the people who are their neighbors. Just ordinary people that have so much hatred. I'm just so confused how people could just back stab their neighbors as soon as a new political party rose. Ordinary people turning into monsters you don't see that everyday. I've taken away so many things from this unit. I think the thing that just draws me the most from in this unit is to never forget. So many innocent people died just because of what they practiced and what they look like. So the least I can do is memorialize them by never forgetting what happened to them....
Malcolm,
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good first journal entry. I thought that what you said about the Jews not being discontented by being put in ghettos was very interesting. I agree with you on that. The second passage that you chose was also really great. I think you backed up your quotes very well. And it's well written.
Good Job :)
Malcom, I admire how you focused on the brutal honesty of the memoir. I agree that community remained strong through such difficult times. You really focused on the emotions on the other, but I felt you could of expressed your emotions a little more thoroughly, and proof read the start of the document. Over-wise great work.
ReplyDelete