—Video:
“The Devil’s Arithmetic” uses the compelling literary device of casting the
main character into a parallel universe. Explore the use of this device in
terms of purpose. In what ways could
this fictional experience actually prevent history from repeating?
—***For
those who did not watch the video, watch the following video about the
concentration camps and then answer the following question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=449ZOWbUkf0
—Is
the Auschwitz camp shown on the short clip similar to the one you pictured in
your mind? How was Hitler able to build
such a camp during the Great Depression?
You may have to do a bit of research.
No, the façade of Auschwitz is different from what I imagined. I pictured something very depressing and anemic. As much as I hate to say it, some parts of the camp look quite inviting, minus the pallid palette. I mean, huge apartment complexes, am I right?...of course I am. However other locations look so ashen it’s as if they were burnt to the ground. Or blown up by bombs. Certainly not too inviting. Better than Mysterious Hotel Delfino, but, jeez....
ReplyDeleteHow was Hitler able to build such a camp? Well, Auschwitz [respectively, Auschwitz I] was originally built for Polish ‘citizens’ (I put that in quotes because most were but some weren’t, and they certainly weren’t treated like citizens!) but the place needed to be enlarged [gulp] for more inmates. Allegedly, barbed wire and other guessable materials were placed to enlarge what is respectively known as Auschwitz-Birkaneu...however, it is usually referred to as just Auschwitz. The SS was the only party eligible to maintain these facilities, so they expanded the area and enforced labor. Eventually, Rudolf Höss was put in command….Since this is during the Great Depression, you need money to do such stuff. Right? Not if you have inmates doing the labor for you....
I don't believe that it even came close to the image I have pictured. That place was daisies and roses compared to the Auschwitz I imagined. The Nazi's there were so humane. If someone stood up to an officer like the Rabbi did, they would've been shot on the spot. You also had women there. Sorry laddies, but you would've died first thing when you got to the camps. They allowed a young person to work. Unfortunately they would've died also. Their barracks were so nice too. They actually had a floor, and some space. I couldn't see any veterans. How could I tell? No one there was skin and bones. The gas chamber was off too. They released gas through a valve, not through some beads. It also wouldn't of been so far off. The one thing I did find accurate was the hangings. The noose was a common way of execution.
ReplyDeleteCamps were made in a depression initially, because it made jobs. As time progressed they had the inmates build off of what was already made to allow the influx of people. Going back to the depression, if you can create jobs, it helps the economy. It does cause a bit of an initial and some sustaining financial supplies. That's why it moved on to the inmates. After Hitler had what he needed for the camps, he replaced the paid workers with inmate workers because they are cheaper. Cheaper to the point where the only thing they need are bare necessities. Even that they cut costs and gave them very little. That is how Hitler was able to create so much out of so little.