Introduction It is human nature to question what is the meaning of life. It is within this realm that we use our moral compass to seek the answer.
In the beginning of 1933, life was becoming increasingly difficult for the Jewish community in Germany. Germany, during this time period, was scarred from World War I and the spirits of its citizens was diminished from its defeat. The humiliation of the peace treaty that held Germany accountable for reparations paved way for the rise of the Nazis and its ideologies. In demand for vengeance, Adolf Hitler led an army to restore Germany its strength and confidence in its future. Using propaganda, Hitler was able to increase the number of followers to believe that Germans were in fact, racially superior. …show more content…
By putting a human face on the experience, Buergenthal was able to show the reader his own deep reflection on morality and the reasons he considers himself lucky by viewing survival as a game of chance. The memoir began with his parents when he was almost five years old. With prompt warnings from friends about the rise of Hitler along with increasing attacks on Jews, the family of three were refugees on the run. Using different tactics showing strength and courage, the family was able to deter from being taken away. When the family reached Katowice, a city in Southern Poland, joining other German Jewish refugees, it is here that a fortune-teller would tell the Mother that her son is lucky and will rise unharmed from what was waiting in the near future. This unknowingly provided the hope that she would need. Thomas struggled to have a normal life as a kid as much as he could, but was forced to face prejudice early, question the morality of humankind, and learn quickly the tricks to survive. His sole objective was to stay alive and recounted all the strokes of luck he had during his journey just as the fortune-teller predicted. After the liberation, Thomas experienced what is was like to be in the Polish army for a short period of time but was then reunited …show more content…
277). Thomas spoke on the matter, stating, “if we forget this commitment and the duty it imposes on us to value and protect human life, we will dishonor the memory of those who died in Auschwitz and the Holocaust” (p. 268). According the author’s account, “international human rights norms, mechanisms, or policies” were almost nonexistent in the 1930s, allowing “almost unlimited freedom to mistreat their own citizens” (p. 223). In fact, their freedom indicated other countries had an excuse for their inaction and therefore, there was no international pressure. Under these circumstances, Thomas stressed the importance for intervention and honing all the available tools we have today “to stop massive violations of human rights” (p. 223). It is within this commitment that we can eliminate genocides and crime against humanity altogether for future generations to
In the beginning of 1933, life was becoming increasingly difficult for the Jewish community in Germany. Germany, during this time period, was scarred from World War I and the spirits of its citizens was diminished from its defeat. The humiliation of the peace treaty that held Germany accountable for reparations paved way for the rise of the Nazis and its ideologies. In demand for vengeance, Adolf Hitler led an army to restore Germany its strength and confidence in its future. Using propaganda, Hitler was able to increase the number of followers to believe that Germans were in fact, racially superior. …show more content…
By putting a human face on the experience, Buergenthal was able to show the reader his own deep reflection on morality and the reasons he considers himself lucky by viewing survival as a game of chance. The memoir began with his parents when he was almost five years old. With prompt warnings from friends about the rise of Hitler along with increasing attacks on Jews, the family of three were refugees on the run. Using different tactics showing strength and courage, the family was able to deter from being taken away. When the family reached Katowice, a city in Southern Poland, joining other German Jewish refugees, it is here that a fortune-teller would tell the Mother that her son is lucky and will rise unharmed from what was waiting in the near future. This unknowingly provided the hope that she would need. Thomas struggled to have a normal life as a kid as much as he could, but was forced to face prejudice early, question the morality of humankind, and learn quickly the tricks to survive. His sole objective was to stay alive and recounted all the strokes of luck he had during his journey just as the fortune-teller predicted. After the liberation, Thomas experienced what is was like to be in the Polish army for a short period of time but was then reunited …show more content…
277). Thomas spoke on the matter, stating, “if we forget this commitment and the duty it imposes on us to value and protect human life, we will dishonor the memory of those who died in Auschwitz and the Holocaust” (p. 268). According the author’s account, “international human rights norms, mechanisms, or policies” were almost nonexistent in the 1930s, allowing “almost unlimited freedom to mistreat their own citizens” (p. 223). In fact, their freedom indicated other countries had an excuse for their inaction and therefore, there was no international pressure. Under these circumstances, Thomas stressed the importance for intervention and honing all the available tools we have today “to stop massive violations of human rights” (p. 223). It is within this commitment that we can eliminate genocides and crime against humanity altogether for future generations to