The Holocaust was the effect of Nazi Germany’s plan to rid their country of anything or anyone that did not fit into the idea of an Aryan race. A lot of events and tribulations lead up to Holocaust’s occurrence. People paid attention to the violent acts against the Jewish people such as Kristallnacht and their placement into concentration camps, but what they do not seem to notice were the people who stood by as these things happened. These people who were there and did not to help or stop the continuance of eliminating the Jews were bystanders. The bystanders during the Holocaust not only watched as horrible things happened to the Jews, some even decided to take part. Bystanders contributed in dehumanizing the Jews and shaping the course of history in Germany. It is troubling trying to
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They knew they would have to live with each decision that they made. There was an act of indifference involved in being a bystander. Barnett mentions that the behavior of ‘indifference’ is characterized by silence: by people going about their business, not talking about what is happening . . . humanity’s silence during the Holocaust is related to God’s silence (125). The act of being silent is the act of pretending as if nothing ever happened. This meaning of silence not only means that of which occurred then, but also the silence that occurred after the Holocaust was over. Those who watched as their neighbors, friends, etc. disappeared did not speak of what happened after the Holocaust. It remained nameless, unspoken, a black hole in the center of consciousness: “I can’t remember.” Or, “we didn’t know; we only found out later.” (Barnett 126). Silence was what bystanders became identified as. Silence was an action that they decided to make. Silence helped shape what happened to the Jews. Silence became a part of their
They knew they would have to live with each decision that they made. There was an act of indifference involved in being a bystander. Barnett mentions that the behavior of ‘indifference’ is characterized by silence: by people going about their business, not talking about what is happening . . . humanity’s silence during the Holocaust is related to God’s silence (125). The act of being silent is the act of pretending as if nothing ever happened. This meaning of silence not only means that of which occurred then, but also the silence that occurred after the Holocaust was over. Those who watched as their neighbors, friends, etc. disappeared did not speak of what happened after the Holocaust. It remained nameless, unspoken, a black hole in the center of consciousness: “I can’t remember.” Or, “we didn’t know; we only found out later.” (Barnett 126). Silence was what bystanders became identified as. Silence was an action that they decided to make. Silence helped shape what happened to the Jews. Silence became a part of their