From reading the first chapter, I was shocked to learn that
most Jews didn't want to accept the fact that the Germans had committed such atrocities
towards other human beings. I believe they had ignored Moishe’s warnings about
the things Jews were forced to do, such as digging graves for themselves and
being killed, because they feared the thought of a human acting so inhumane towards
another. They were shocked at all the things happening around them that the
only way they could handle the situation was to be optimistic. Although many
may take this optimism as a sign that the Jews liked living in the ghettos, I don’t
believe that was the case.
Lizette, I also did catch that many of the Jews didn't really believe Moishe's warnings and such. Even Elie himself was skeptical about it. Maybe the people were just too afraid of thinking bad thoughts, too scared to think that this could eventually happen to them. I also agree that although the people were optimistic about their living conditions, they didn't necessarily like it because even during the eight days of Passover, a time to celebrate and rejoice, their hearts were not in it because of fear of the unknown.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Lizette even throughout there departures there was still optimism in some Jews. I think they did it in order to create a state of illusion in which everything would be okay even though deep down they understood that life would never be the same anymore.
ReplyDeleteLizette, you are pretty much right. When I think about it is shocking how the Jews were in denial at all the atrocities that the Germans committed. But you see, perhaps they were in denial because they were like Doubting Thomas (an allusion, from AP Literature when we studied the the events and people in the Bible). They needed to see the atrocities with their own two eyes in order to believe that such things were true. A simple few warnings were not enough to convince them because seeing something with your sees has a much powerful effect than hearing something horrible. For example, last year I hear from Mrs. Urgo that Dolphins were being murdered for meal, I just couldn't believe it because it all sounded so absurd. However, once she showed us the video I was disgusted and finally realized that dolphins were being killed. You see, now that I think about it that's why I always hear this phrase "see to believe", I always wondered why hey didn't say hear to believe more often, but I realize that it is because that is just how humans function. Yes, I think you are right about them being optimistic because their fear of something so horrific that could ever happen to them was such an insane and crazy thought. I mean who wouldn't feel this way if they were the target. To think happy thoughts is better than to come to an understanding that horrible and deadly things will come soon and time was a mock since it no longer determined their existence but a simple, sociopath man, Hitler, determined their fate.
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