Group Reader Response LC#2

A- Dehumanization is the depriving of human qualities, to treat someone less than human.
B- The various prisoners showed their gradual transformation from their normal behavior as human beings by convincing themselves that the current situation is their permanent fate. They slowly accepted their sufferings and mistreatment as the way of life.
C- Eliezer loses faith in God. He begins to rebel against customs by not fasting and accuses God for not rescuing the community.

Dialectical Journal Entries

• "There were no longer any questions of wealth, of social distinction, and importance, only people all condemned to the same fate-still unknown."
• Why. but why should I bless him? Every fiber I rebelled. Had had thousands of children burned in his pits? Because he kept six crematories working night and day,on Sundays and feast days? Because his great might had he created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many factories of death?"
• "What are you, my God," I thought angrily, "compared to his afflicted crowd, proclaiming you to their faith, their anger, their revolt? what does your greatness mean, lord of the universe, in the face of all weakness, this weakness, this decomposition, and this decay? Why do you still trouble their sick minds, their crippled bodies"

Reading Response LC #1 : Dialectical Journal

 When the Jews were first informed about a possible German takeover, they were ignorant about it and tossed the idea aside as if it was far from ever happening. The first arrival of German soldiers did not spook the Jews quite yet because the soldiers were reassuring, distant, but polite to their hosts, no unpleasant comments, and never demanded the impossible. Once the verdict was pronounced the Jews remained smiling. Worry hit the Jews when Germans arrested the leaders of the Jewish community. They saw that being put in the ghettos was rather well off because they were self contained. They remained optimistic as their situation worsened each day that they dared to proudly label themselves by exposing their Star of David on their clothing.

"The Russian army's making gigantic strides forward... Hitler won't be able to do us any harm, even if he wants too."
The Jews in this community were ignorant of the warning of bad news. They chose to shrug it off as if there wasnt a slight chance that Germans could do the worse to their community.

"The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You dont die of it..."
This dialogue is evidence of how the Jews remained prideful of their religion despite the strong discrimination toward who they were and their belief.

"The Germans were already in town, the Fascists were already in power, the verdict had already been pronounced, yet the Jews of Sighet continues to smile." 
Even when their religion was being victimized, the Jews in Sighet chose to continue to smile because they thought that since they were not harmed yet they were still safe as they were before they were even targeted. Their community wasnt invaded yet so they didnt take the warning into serious consideration and instead smiled about it.

"little by little life returned to normal. The barbed wire did not give is any fear." 
These people were forced in ghettos and yet they still did not fear the odds. With the soldiers and the governments hate toward them doesnt seem to phase them because they continued to have optimistic views as treatment worsened.

"The Boches just want to steal our jewelry. They know we've buried everything, and they'll have a hunt for it: it's easier when the owners are on holiday..." On holiday!"
Most have convinced themselves that this getaway was a vacation so that Germans could try to steal their goods. They told themselves that it will be over soon because they know that the Germans will give up the hunt for the Jew's goods.

Holocaust Trinna& Jiliann

The Nazi Holocaust was an example of an extreme inhumane act to man. "Polish Jews were rounded up and forced into newly established ghettos at Lodz, Krakow, and Warsaw, to await future plans. Inside these overcrowded walled-in ghettos, tens of thousands died a slow death from hunger and disease amid squalid living conditions" The Jews in this situation did not do any wrong to be imprisoned and have their rights taken away. They were blamed for Germany's social and economic fall and because of that they were seen as a second citizen. "Hitler continued his conquest of Europe, invading Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and France, placing ever-increasing numbers of Jews under Nazi control." Hitler's murderous passion took over follower's beliefs where there were informal competitions as to which group had the highest tally of murdered Jews. Cruel practices of genocide became a daily business on their agenda.

Jews were constantly put upon false hope while under Nazi control. "The SS also made new arrivals in the death camps sign picture postcards showing the fictional location "Waldsee" which were sent to relatives back home with the printed greeting: "We are doing very well here. We have work and we are well treated. We await your arrival." The Jewish had no say in what's being done and were not even able to decide for themselves. The Jewish soon believed that they no longer had any hope because they were told that they were going to live a better life. "They were told their clothes were going to be disinfected and that they would all be taken to shower rooms for a good washing. Men were then split up from the women and children." Being told that they were about to "shower", deadly carbon monoxide fumes were then fed in from a stationary diesel engine located outside the chamber. This inhumane act of genocide took many innocent lives away all because of one person's crazy discrimination of a religion.