Welcome to another blog entry of Unveiling Literature where we are going to talk about the Post-Holocaust Literature of the Jewish Community. As we know from history, the Germans have really afflicted the Jewish people in attempts to have a superior race that was more capable of being chosen by God. However, because of Hitler’s twisted ideas, we see that the Jewish people were victimized, killed, and treated very inhumane. In this topic, the authors of the literature pieces have given us the inside scoop of what it was like to live in those times and also what impact it had on them as a people. Let’s Begin…
Taduesz Borowski
In “This Way To The Gas Ladies and Gentleman”, Taduesz writes the story in first person point of view. I think that that was very powerful because it gives us a different look of the story. I don’t know about anyone else but I think that we look at literature in a different telescope when it is in First, or Third Person. Because this was written in the First Person, it’s like looking at it in a more personal frame. It talked about the concentration camps and it talked about how the environment was and how the Jewish people turned on each other because they wanted to survive. Also it talked about innocent men, women and children going into the gas chambers and they died. If they weren’t dying quick enough, the Germans would shoot them dead. Horrible stuff. It also seemed like the concentration camps were also serving as an experimental site where they were teaching Jewish people to tell on other Jewish people if they plan to go against the Germans to appease them. (When I mean “them”, I mean the Germans.)
Theme
The theme in Taduesz story is death, loss of faith, holistic suffering, and confusion. When the main character wanted to hurt the Germans for what they did to his people, they welcomed it. It was apart of their experiment. The main character took a lot of courage (also the theme) not to go down a path that could turn him against his people. Instead he had to bury the fallen.
Analysis: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/This-Way-for-the-Gas-Ladies-and-Gentlemen/
Paul Celan
In Celan’s Poems, it is the most saddest piece of literature I ever did see. The precision of the poems gave me a clear depiction of how things were during the Holocaust. Families split apart, parents being killed, children dying alone. Men burying their dead people. One of my favorites was Aspen Tree, only because it seemed like a clear relation between the poet and his mother. The fact that his mother was killed by a gunshot wound that was super sad. I nearly cried. All of his poems are like that. However, Aspen Tree is the shortest and most powerful because of family relation and the ultimate clarity in the poem.
Theme
The theme is death, loss of faith, mental suffering and relationships being severed. In Aspen Tree, the relationship the poet had with his mother was severed because she died from a gunshot wound. That brought mental suffering and loss of faith.
Yehuda Amichai
I find it hard to understand Yehuda’s poems, however one thing that I did manage to understand that he seems to question things that God does. It seems prevalent in God Has Pity of Kindergarten Children. Maybe because children doesn’t understand what is going on because of the capacity of their minds have not fully matured. It also seemed that the poet questions God. I can’t really blame him and I don’t think God does either because He is understanding. Sometimes when you are going through something then you will feel a certain kind of way. I know I would before asking God to reveal why a particular trail or tribulation has befell to me.
Theme
The theme is loss of faith. Yehuda seemed angry at the fact that his people was considered a fragment of history because of the biblical history of the Israelites. He wanted to be seen as a regular man. His people like everyone else from any other nation. The Holocaust has made things very difficult to see it that way. Therefore, allowing him to question God.
Analysis: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/greatworks2fall19hta/?p=396
Clarice Lispector
Clarice Lispector talks about things from a woman’s perspective. I think in the tale, “The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman”, the main character is split between the woman she wants to become and the woman that she is currently. I think the events of the Holocaust is what made the main character turn to drinking in the first place. I think she really wanted to become the wife and mother that her family needed. However, due to her circumstances, it made it very hard for her to change.
Theme
I believe that confusion and frustration are the key elements in the theme of this story. The main character wanted to become a better person but she finds herself plagued by her drinking. Her drinking leads her to becoming frustrated. Her motivation is confused because she wants to become better but she gets driven into temptation every time.
Analysis: https://www.enotes.com/topics/daydreams-drunk-woman
What Can Students Learn From This?
Students can learn a lot from this topic because it ties into history and how things went in WW2. I do think that the Holocaust of the Jewish people does teach the students as to why Nazi communities are bad and why America is against Communism and Socialism. I do think that it does provide a great example of history and valuable lessons about compassion. It also teaches them about respecting other cultures regardless of what he/she thinks about them. A Reflection Sheet of 3 questions are provided to have students ponder the life of the Jewish people during that time.
History Lesson Rather Than Pop Culture
It would also be a good time to revisit the Diary of Anne Frank. It is true that she didn’t make it during the Holocaust but I think it would be a good movie to revisit to show students how life was during that time. Some students may have seen the Diary of Anne Frank before in Junior High. I remembering being introduced to it when I was in Junior High. However, I think it will be perceived differently with more mature mindsets. Also, its amazing what high school students can perceive when watching it because of their young minds. They can pick up things that adults can’t and they can process things faster than adults can.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6eThcOEjIc
References
Pucher, Martin. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. https://digital.wwnorton.com/worldlit3v2
Course Hero. (2021). This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen Study Guide. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/This-Way-for-the-Gas-Ladies-and-Gentlemen/
Victor-Katia. (2013). Paul Celan’s Poem “Aspen Tree” - How Personal Tragedy Can “Humanize” The Cosmos. http://www.actingoutpolitics.com/paul-celans-poem-aspen-tree-how-personal-tragedy-can-humanize-the-cosmos/
Guzman, Merlyn. (2019). God Has Pity On The Kindergarten Children. https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/greatworks2fall19hta/?p=396
Enotes. (2021). Daydreams of A Drunk Woman. https://www.enotes.com/topics/daydreams-drunk-woman
Bridges, Carmen. Reflection Sheet: A Walk in History. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BeYOO_C9eKZgkE4TRAQZNqVaB-LIzsZWbugf5JbqocM/edit?usp=sharing
Frank, Anne. (2016). Diary of Anne Frank. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6eThcOEjIc
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