Custom «Comparison of Holocaust Experiences» Essay Paper Sample

Introduction

Holocaust is probably one of the most controversial issues that have shaken the world- all parts of it. Many have died and many have given their lives in their quest for freedom. However, it cannot be denied that even if lots have died, the story of holocaust lives because of the survivors who have lived to tell what has transpired behind those concentration camps and behind the darkness the lurked under the dictatorship and cruelty of the Nazis. It is a known fact that holocaust also meant suffering. It was undeniably a torture for those who have been held in captivity. But one thing that cannot be denied is the fact that there is now an enormous literature attesting to the magnitude of the holocaust. From the beleaguered witnesses writing in the ghettos and the concentration camps, to the émigré survivors committed to remembering the dead, countless attempts have been made not only to document the atrocities but to retrieve some meaning from what the Jews were forced to endure. Increasingly, historians, philosophers, and theologians are being left to confront this daunting task. As they inherit the diaries and other documents written by those who knew they would not survive, or the memoirs produced by those who have dedicated their lives to educating future generations, they have to decide how these testimonies should be comprehended and represented. For example: as testaments to the strength of the determination of humans and their spirit and as historical documents. It is only by exploring what have transpired and how lives were made interconnected with the events that led to the tragic holocaust to the freedom of the people that the society can appreciate the sheer diversity of witnesses' experiences. Hence, this paper will compare all the experiences that of various people that have come to see and experience first-hand the tragic holocaust.

Life before the Nazis

The life before the Nazis is the same as far the survivors of the holocaust are concerned. The Jews and other Europeans were having the time of their lives. As a matter of fact, they do have their own businesses, the kids went to school and everything is working out well until the buzz of the Nazi taking over and identification of the Jews spread. Soon the terror has been identified by the society when the Nazis started to shut down all the businesses of the Jews and all that is not German. Apparently, it can be seen that the children have been separated and discriminated from the society. The Jews and other Europeans were not allowed to go to the same school as that of the German children. It is in this situation that the lives under the Nazi ruling have been hard to bear for the Jews and other Europeans.

Identification

The process of identification during the Nazi ruling has been one of the most devastating events for the Jews and other Europeans. The children were separated from their parents and the men were separated from the women. The lives have totally changed and they were given the Star of David in order to identify. But the most crucial part of the identification as experienced by all the people during the holocaust is the fact that such Star of David has separated these people into their own culture. Many of which have regretted that they were not Germans.

Ghettoization

Both men and women and the children were sent to the ghetto and concentration camps on board the trains were the Germans have tried to squeeze as many people as they could possibly can. All have been treated like they are animals and lived like they really are.

Destruction/Camps

The concentration camps were considered to be the destructions of the people who were sent there. In the concentrations, Elie Wiesel, Werner Reich, Ruth Minsky Sender and Vladek Spiegelman experienced all the same thing-fear and terror. They are made to work long hours and have not been fed the right amount of food in order to ensure that they do have the nutrients needed in order to carry heavy metals and stones for the construction in the camps. Both men and women were treated the same-cruelly. The name of the game is survival. Without food and clean water to drink, all the survivors attested that the people in the concentration camps were like skin and bones. It was a horrible sight as the people can be considered as walking dead.

WW2

Elie Wiesel and the rest of survivors have only one thing to say during the holocaust- the good people did nothing in order to stop such horrific killings. The Church had remained silent and did not do anything to stop the cruelty and to free the people. However, it has been a relief for all of them when countries have started to rise up and fight against dictatorship. The hope almost died but the faith of these people was held high knowing that one day they will be freed.

Liberation

Liberation is the best thing that happened during holocaust. However, for Wiesel and the rest of the survivors, they are determined to tell the stories and hoping that this cruel event will not happen again and that the people and the society will be protected from the suppression of those who have powers in their hand. It is believed that evil will only exist if the good in each person will be suppressed and held silent accordingly (Stannard, 268).