Simon Wiesenthal had two decisions to make. First, what to respond, if anything, to Karl’s plea for forgiveness, and second, what to tell Karl’s mother about her son’s actions when Simon met her after the war. What do you think of what Simon did? Should he have forgiven Karl? Should he have said something to Karl’s mother?
Please leave your comments about Night. What stands out in this survivor’s story to you? What do you think of Wiesel’s religious transformation during the period described in the book?
Please leave your comments about the style of MAUS. What was your reaction to hearing an holocaust survivor’s story told in a graphic novel? How did you feel about the use of animal heads (mice, cats, pigs, etc) for the different characters?
Why doesn’t emancipation solve the problem of the Jews? How is antisemitism different from the 18th century up to the Nazis?
What does the presence of anti-Jewish polemics in the New Testament and early Christianity do to your attitude toward Christianity? Why is anti-Judaism so important to the birth of Christianity?
Please paste your assignments in here. Write your definition of the term “JEW” for a Dictionary of Stereotypes based on antisemitic websites you have found on the web. Be sure to include links to webpages you found.
This blog is a place for your regular comments, reactions, or questions in response to the topic of the course.