Why didn't they just give up?
After enduring so much degradation and humiliation at the hands of the Nazis... after losing their homes, their families, and their livelihoods... after losing their faith in God and humanity, why better yet, how could these Jews possibly find a way to keep going?
It would have been much easier to succumb to defeat as Akiba Drumer and the man in the infirmary had. Even Elie admitted feeling faithless and betrayed by God's apparent silence. But in spite of all of the infliction, Elie, and the other men had an unshakable will to survive. When faced with "the selection" they mustered every ounce of strength, and then some, to demonstrate their willingness and worthiness to survive, even though they knew survival only meant more back-breaking labor, meager portions, and brutal treatment. What kept them going?
The will to survive is part of our humanity. Sure, animals and other living things can survive harsh situations, but there's something... different about us. As the saying goes, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", and I'm not implying in any way that the Holocaust somehow benefited the victims by boosting their morale or teaching them endurance. Obviously it was a horrible situation... but it revealed a crucial aspect of our humanity. We possess some innate ability to transform our hardship into endurance, which helps us tackle even the most impossible situations.
Chinyere, I agree. I think that that will to survive is a natural instinct for humans and for every living creature. I also think that their is fear to lose life and to continue without life is something that we are not used to and so we continue to fight for what we have always done-live. I also think that hardships can make you stronger but it also brings consequences. Very interesting thought.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is instinctual for us to try to survive no matter how unclear or bad our future seems, but I think it may be possible that this isn't the only thing that carries the Jews through the selection and away from death. I think part of what fuels them is the desire to not let the Nazis completely win -- They're in this camp, being starved and put through extreme conditions at the will of the Nazis. If they end up being killed because of the selection, or by the hands of a Nazi for some other reason, it shows that the Nazis were able to take everything from them - their homes, their health and sanity, their humanity, and their lives. If they survive, if they aren't put to death at the hands of the Nazis, they prove that after everything they've had to endure they are still worthy human beings. They prove that they can't be completely broken. They show that when it is their time to die it will not be because a Nazi wants them to.
ReplyDelete