Understanding humanities differ depending on perspectives. This is perhaps the biggest impediment towards a generalization a generalization of the experiences of hallmark historical events. Sayre once argued that “context make connections across humanities by tying together the entire cultural experience through narratives (ix). It is for this reason that this paper focuses on the exploration of the holocaust from the angle of a Jewish woman.
Perhaps the central book that focuses on women’s role in the holocaust comes to mind. The book titled “Life, Death, and Sacrifice” originates from the conferences held 2001-2005 dubbed “Women and the Holocaust”. The argument is that women’s lives were much more affected by the holocaust than meet the eye. Women used altruism, courage, and boldness to survive during and after the holocaust. The story also brings the story of women who collaborated with the Nazi regime to denounce their Jewish tradition just for the sake of survival. It is also important to acknowledge that women were oppressed in the either sides. First, the Jewish society had very little role for women’s role in the society, while the German Nazi regime although pragmatic, did not have sympathy for Jewish women either.
In his book, Hillberg states that the average German was forced into killing a combination of factors that include, following orders blindly, influence of peers, and the lack of awareness of the gravity of the genocide. Similarly, Hillberg points to the anti- Semitic propaganda that was initiated in 1933 by the Nazi authorities changed the German mindset to a common view that Jewish people had to be exterminated. Lucy Dawidowicz’s The War Against The Jews: 1933 –194 refutes Hillberg’s assertion that inducement, indoctrination, and fear of authority in his book. In her view, the transformation of ordinary German’s into killers was a result of the conviction that the Jewish people had to die. Dawidowicz’s writes that the lack of consensus on the part of the Jewish leaders further complicated the realization of peace goal. The pursuit of “ghetto autonomy” did not help very much on the need for consensus that was necessary in stopping the massacre. In general both authors argue that the strong indictment of the Nazi ideology on the people was the primary pushing factor on the success of the entire operation. For example, the Nazi ideology played a key role in enabling doctors to perform their task of “ numbing” Jews with a clear conscience knowing that they performing a noble role of rescuing the Aryan race.
Elie Wiesel is perhaps one of the most renowned writers of the Holocaust. However, Wiesel is perhaps his biggest critique. He has severally refused to accept the honor of being one of the touchstones in modern documentary journalism and the place of the Jewish Holocaust at the center of the key themes in the twentieth century literature. Still, his war cannon literature Night wins the trophy of being the most realistic and vivid description of the sufferings of the non-combatants in the ugly phenomenon of war. The Night has been described as “terse, merciless and grotesque” but still stands stall as one of the most remarkable literatures produced out of the Holocaust.
First, the spiritual struggle that Eliezar faces is the struggle of many of the Jewish people at the time of the holocaust. This leads to the slackening of the faith in God. After experiencing the cruelty of humanity, and the absence of godliness, it is difficult for many of the survivors to make sense of the existence of God. Apart from the cruelty of the German Nazi government to the Jewish people, Eliezar’s account is witness that affirms existence of the Holocaust and how it shaped the lives of the people who went through it. This book is a demonstration of the evil nature of humankind and that humanity, given a small chance, can ruin the peaceful coexistence that exists in nature.
Second, the book is demonstration of the survivors account on the power of deceit. According to Elizar, when the Nazi appeared, there was no resemblance of inhumanity or violence on their part. In one of the pages he writes, “Our first impressions of the Germans were reassuring, their attitudes towards their host was distant, but polite.” One can argue that the biggest doubt that exists on the account of the holocaust was the argument by many people that how did it happens? How was it that innocent German people were turned into murderers? Eliezar’s account on the “Night” serves as a testimony on the events that culminated to the onslaught of the Jewish population in Europe.
Raul Hillberg’s Perprators, Victims Bystanders: Jewish Catastrophe of 1933-45 and Lucy Dawidowicz’s The War Against The Jews: 1933 –1945 are both landmark books on the unspeakable issue of the Jewish holocaust. Still, Raul Hillberg’s book examines the role of the segments of the society on their role as bystanders, victims and perpetrators. Hillberg’s book begins his account of the Jewish Holocaust with a deeper analysis of the epicenter of the Jewish holocaust Adolf Hitler. According to Hillsberg, Hitler “is the supreme architect of the operation.” He goes on to point that while Hitler was the grand master of the operation, there was the absence of “blue print”. Hillbergs goes ahead to note that the holocaust was the epitome of the “actualization of Germany’s threats.
In conclusion, these authors challenge us to examine the holocaust from the standpoint of women. This diverts the debate from the male centered aspects such as war, politics, resources and desire for power. Here, we see the holocaust as a struggle of women, the struggle of divided families, women subjected to unspeakable such as rape, extreme violence, death. It is also tell the narrative that just like men, women were affected by the holocaust as great deal.
Work Cited
Brackman, Levi. "Shoah from a Feminist Point of View." Ynet. N.p., 28 Apr. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
Hilberg, R. Perpetrators, victims, bystanders: The Jewish catastrophe, 1933-1945. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc (1993.
Sayre, Henry M. The Humanities: Culture, Continuity & Change. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
Wiesel, E. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, 1960
