What Facing History and Ourselves Meant to Me

INTRODUCTION

 

At Westborough High School, Facing History and Ourselves is a course dedicated to the understanding and enhancement of one’s own character and the decisions we would make in difficult situations, even under extreme circumstances. The focus of this course is learning about events of the past that shaped society and how we, as individuals, can help shape the future through our decisions. The Holocaust, as the most complex and almost unimaginable event in world history, is the main material of the course. Understanding the specific circumstances and beliefs of the time period under Nazi rule in Germany and surrounding counties that allowed for such a tragic and horrific event as the Holocaust to occur is important to the prevention of something so wrong to ever occur again. The course begins with a set up and background about important themes like the history and implications of discrimination, racism, identity, image, and advocacy for oneself and others. I requested to take this course for my junior following multiple conversations with upperclassmen on their opinions about the course. Every student I spoke with personally recalled having greatly enjoyed the course, some even calling their experience ‘life changing’. Since I was already quite intrigued by the small amount of history of the Holocaust that I had been aware of, I realized then that I would most likely have a good experience in the Facing History Course. Being the oldest of four, experiencing everything first has become a concept I have gotten used to, and I know that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to experience this course. With a mother who grew up in a Jewish home, a father in a Christian one, and being left to decide for myself what religious affiliation or belief I may choose for myself as an adult, I think it is very important to develop an understanding of the history of the religions my parents grew up following. I have developed a passion for the game of soccer, hopefully continuing in college and carrying the sport with me throughout life. Another strong passion I have come to realize recently is the desire to read and learn about past wars and events that shape the world, similar to the Holocaust. Among my favorite books, Lone Survivor, No Surrender, and , I have found the inspiring stories of heroic endeavors motivating and enjoyable, which has led to my life goal of becoming a Navy Pilot for the United States of America, to serve those that served for myself. I have begun this challenge through my interest and application to the United States Naval Academy along with my first flying lesson in a Cesna 172.

What Facing History and Ourselves Meant to Me

In the Facing History and Ourselves Course that I have participated in my junior year, I have developed a greater understanding, patience, and accountability and recognition for who I am as an individual in today’s society. I experienced an awakening in which I realized that I did not want to be a bystander in life, I wanted to make a positive difference, become someone who rescues and advocates for those that can’t for themselves when victimized. Through the images of the death camps in the most recent document, the review of the Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Saving Private Ryan scenes, I have gained and understanding of bravery, cowardice, responsibility, and advocacy.

Recently watching the images of the death camps that were formed all across Eastern Europe (Nazi Germany) revealed in the Nuremberg Trials has had a great impact on my view of ignorance and advocacy as a student and a person. Seeing these images of bodies that had gone through cruel and unusual brutality is upsetting and moving. Understanding that this was able to occur in society is even more disturbing. I feel it was very important to show the process of how Germans were taken back into the camps following the capture of them by the Allies, to teach these humans a lesson. These people that were killed in the death camps were innocent people, only imprisoned for their ethnical or racial background or mental stability. The belief that those imprisoned were people that were wrong or unfit for life and should be exterminated shows how ignorant and impatient people were. Fearful of their own lives and families, many Germans followed right in line with the Nazi teachings, not even if they believed they were right. Officers became tragic slaves to the rules of the Nazi way, looking past the brutality and cruelty that their past neighbors were facing in these death camps. Seeing these images also sparked an anger in me for those that had the ability at the time to do something to stop this horrible tragedy. Those many Germans that simply complied with the Nazi government for their own well-being were ignorant and therefore did nothing to advocate for these people that could do little for themselves without being killed on the spot or punished inhumanely. These images of people living with absolutely no body fat, like walking skeletons were the most moving part to me. The fact that people survived the horrors of the death camps and lived to tell the stories is inspiring and important so that they can share the horrors and teach a lesson on ignorance and wrong-doing.

By watching the Saving Private Ryan opening scene, I have gained a sense of pride and responsibility to those that fought on D-Day and all throughout World War II for the Allies and specifically the United States. Experiencing up-close the action of bullets flying past your head and explosives going off rapidly, along with the anger and other emotions that Americans had for Nazi Germans/Axis Powers during the war is inspiring. These men fought with confidence and bravery in the eyes of their enemies, dying with pride and honor. Seeing the true horrors of war also shows how there are ‘good’ people that refuse to wait or comply for fear of their lives. These men were average Americans who made the sacrifice to serve to protect and defend Americans and those in Europe that were in desperate need for rescue due to the horrible regime of the Nazis. These average American men are exemplary of ideal people that advocated for others that are being ill-treated, not being ignorant to the situation. They stepped up when the United States made the decision to get involved, and they fought, risking their lives, to end the Nazi regime and the horrible manner in which the Nazi treated their people.
            The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was the most influential, moving, meaningful lesson that I experienced through this course. Even after seeing the film multiple times beforehand, the depth of the secrets, horrors, and innocence of Bruno are touching and mind-blowing to view and comprehend. The film sparked so many emotions for me personally, and is a great factor in why I want to stay focused on the right path, to do something noble and honorable for the country that advocates for others. Bruno is taken from his life in the city where he roams and plays happily with his friends and dropped into an isolated home with his family and multiple Nazi officials that borders a death camp. Bruno’s youthful curiosity and drive for adventure take him through the woods, to the fence of the camp, where he meets a boy in striped pajamas who lives and works at the camp. When Bruno witnesses the propaganda video of how wonderful the camp is, he is grateful for the wonderful country he lives in and proud of what his father is involved in. However we see this view change as the film goes on, watching the people in pajamas be beaten for little mistakes and then the horrors of what the camp really is like when he enters it. We see how young Bruno becomes frightened by the Nazi officer and lies to protect himself out of fear, after giving the young boy in the pajamas a pastry to eat, when he is supposed to be cleaning glasses. This gets the boy in trouble, receiving a beating. Bruno comes to realize his mistake, turning in his own friend out of selfish fear for his own possible punishment. In his sincere apology we see how these difficult situations for Bruno to mature at such a young age. As an innocent, young boy, we sympathize with Bruno for he has good intentions and struggles to understand right and wrong, growing up in a Nazi family, but being so innocent and youthful that he sees his Jewish friend as an equal to himself. Being hidden form the truth about the camp by his parents, and not knowing enough to really understand the seriousness and reality of his situation, Bruno becomes trapped in the terrible horrors of death that the camp represents. This shows how wrong the Holocaust was, in that Nazi’s were killing their own people. This is literally shown through the death of Bruno by the camp that his father controls.

            Through the films and lessons that we have done this year, specifically the Saving Private Ryan scene, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and death camps films have touched, taught, and changed me so that I am willing to step up in situations that I know are wrong no matter the severity of my own well-being and situation.

Works Cited

Gas Chambers. Google Images. Image. 22 May 2013.

Illustration of nazi symbol created in grunge style. Google Images. Image. 22 May 2013.

Nazi Death Camps - The Results of "Gun Control”. Google Images. Image. 22 May 2013.

Shmuel and Bruno. Google Images. Image. 22 May 2013.

Storming the beach in Saving Private Ryan. Google Images. Image. 22 May 2013.