Wow...that's all I can really say. I thought that the first section of the book detailed the horror. I didn't know that this could get any worse. First off, these people were dehumanized even more than before. Never mind the fact that they lost all their possessions, or they were made into slaves, but now they were even losing their names. Elie Wiesel recounts the time when he was tattooed with his new identification number. He said that he "became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name" (42). Names are the one thing that makes us individual. It was the only thing that the inmates-actually, prisoners-at Auschwitz had, and even that was taken away. The people were no longer people in the eyes of the SS officers.
Wiesel, in his return to Auschwitz with Oprah, said that he did not hate the officers, did not hate what they had done to the over 11 million dead minorities. The officers are still human. They have families, siblings, and children. Yes, he is angry, but not at the SS officers. Wiesel has said that he is angry at himself, for not speaking out, for not standing up. It could have killed him, but then he would be one of the lucky ones. He would have died, and not have endured the pain and suffering.
The second instance of the new horror does not happen to Wiesel, thankfully. This account tells of four hangings. The first hanging occurs after an air raid. The inmate stole something during the air raid, so he was condemned to death. Later on, Wiesel claims that he "remember[s] on that evening, the soup tasted better than ever..." (63). Yet, the next three hangings are more emotional. All three take place at the same time. This was the only time that Wiesel mentions people releasing emotions. A young boy was accused of sabotaging the electricity in a power plant. On that day, Wiesel questioned his faith. Also on that day, "the soup tasted of corpses" (65). Just these two similar, but different instances show the horror of the camps. People, even innocent children, were being hung for minor offenses. These people didn't deserve this.
I can only imagine what the rest of the memoir holds, what other horrors will be unleashed from its pages. I can only hope that whatever happened, happened quickly enough that no pain was involved.
I suggest that if you as a reader want to really experience the emotion of the camp, you should watch the video of Oprah's interview with Wiesel in Auschwitz. Here it is on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KugVjbq6Si8. The interview brings forth many good points, including some that have been mentioned here in this reflection. Wiesel's true thoughts are unleashed, right in the place where his life changed.
I agree completely. The tattooing of their 'numbers' makes each individual more and more like cattle, and less like an independent human being responsible for their own actions and role in society. Those in these camps are stripped of all remains of their former life, as you say above.
ReplyDeleteWiesel's ability to forgive the SS officers of their brutal actions is truly amazing. The people, the monsters who killed so many helpless and innocent souls, he can forgive. His forgiving attitude is one that is yearned for and admired by many, as it is easy to hold a grudge and blame others. Instead of blaming others, in particular the officers, Wiesel turns the blame onto himself. Although I do not think he is to blame, his self accusation is honorable. He is only one voice out of many, so for him to have spoken up during the suffering and tragic times in the concentration camps would have been suicidal, as you said. Now, however, he is taking all the necessary steps to ensure that his story and the story of many others is heard. Because of his acknowledgement of his tragic past, he can help prevent future genocides or prejudices from taking control of the world as it did during the horrific event now known as the Holocaust.
I completely agree with everything you have to say. I mean what other word could one use to describe this other than wow, since there is no single word can describe the tragedies that occurred. I know exactly what you are saying on how inhumane and demoralizing it was for Wiesel to longer to have a name as well as the other prisoners. I also like the point you bring up on Wiesel’s point of view on the situation. I like his optimistic view on a bleak incident, and the ways he shines light on this topic is remarkable. It is interesting to see how he sees the good in every human being even if they managed to do some bad things. He realizes that they were people to, who loved and raised their own families. He is able to forgive them and respect them because it was their jobs to do what they did no matter if they liked it or not. Great link too, I loved the new perspective Wiesel brought himself by revisiting his old memories. There is one thing that specifically stood out in his interview as well as his book. It seems to me the death of innocent children with bright futures ahead of them, haunts Wiesel the most. At one point he says, Nobel Prize winners, presidents, scientists all died here, and that no sense could be made with the death of millions of children. It seems like he can deal with what happened to him, but not with what happened to others and especially children. I don’t know if it is just me, but that is what I see from this amazing video. Overall, I can’t disagree on any of your points Caitlyn. Even the video link provided a new equally haunting perspective as the book.
ReplyDelete