One of the many things that I will take away from this unit is how important it is to keep the memories of those who perished alive so that they will never be forgotten. “What could I say? These are the bones of my countrymen? I had visited a pasture of bones in the Syrian desert? This one might be my grandmother’s first husband; this one from a farmer from Sivas” (“Bones” by Peter Balakian). Another thing that I will take away, is that it’s important for us to act as fast as possible when told about something as horrific as genocide being brought upon innocent people. “And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. … Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must-- at that moment --become the center of the universe” (118 “Night” by Elie Wiesel). We can not remain silent and wait for confirmation if anything like the Holocaust ever happens again. We must act as soon as possible.
I don’t believe that I’ve changed as a person because of this unit, but my thoughts and opinions have definitely changed for the better. When we first began the lesson, I believed that all Germans were monsters for wanting the Jewish citizens dead. I had no faith left. But as I walked through the Holocaust museum, I saw that there were hundreds of people who risked their own lives resisting Hitler and his men in order to save the Jewish people. They didn’t even know the people they were helping, and yet they still chose to resist. Knowing that this type of person is out there somewhere, renewed my faith in humanity.
Elizabeth, great post! You used quotes effectively, and your points were very thought out. I was about three quarters through your post when you said "I had no faith left," . That phrase jumped at me because I didn't think of you as a religious person. The way you used it almost passively was odd to me. The only phrase that jumped out of the page at me more was: "Knowing that this type of person is out there somewhere, renewed my faith in humanity," . Oh! faith in humanity! After the eureka moment died away, my mind immediately took me back to my second blog post, where I talked about my atheist view of Elie's faith. There I briefly talked about how moral is directly connected to faith in Night, but yet many people don't believe in God today who are very happy. My conclusion was that since God represents justice and sincerity etc. for many people who do believe, as long as an atheist has those same feelings for humanity, or something else bigger than him or herself, than hope is the natural progression for both of those parties. Congratulations on summing up what I said in three paragraphs in two sentences!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Ethan
Elizabeth, great post! You used quotes effectively, and your points were very thought out. I was about three quarters through your post when you said "I had no faith left," . That phrase jumped at me because I didn't think of you as a religious person. The way you used it almost passively was odd to me. The only phrase that jumped out of the page at me more was: "Knowing that this type of person is out there somewhere, renewed my faith in humanity," . Oh! faith in humanity! After the eureka moment died away, my mind immediately took me back to my second blog post, where I talked about my atheist view of Elie's faith. There I briefly talked about how moral is directly connected to faith in Night, but yet many people don't believe in God today who are very happy. My conclusion was that since God represents justice and sincerity etc. for many people who do believe, as long as an atheist has those same feelings for humanity, or something else bigger than him or herself, than hope is the natural progression for both of those parties. Congratulations on summing up what I said in three paragraphs in two sentences!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Ethan