The Ghetto Response

Marvin J. Pringle

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. Comp 102-117

26 March 2013

Response Essay

“The Ghetto (Unfinished)”

The film entitled “Ghetto” gives viewers a firsthand account of the lives of Jews in the Warsaw ghetto.  Although many scenes are staged by the Germans, this film documents the supposed “good life” and the actual reality of how Jews live confined to this ghetto. These are the conditions the Germans don’t want to show the outside world.  Without knowing the true nature of this film, viewers can only fathom it is intended to depict a differing view other than the truth. In reality Jews are living in atrocious conditions, have no freedom of movement outside the ghetto and appear to be living as caged animals.  After being relocated to the ghetto, Jews lose all their rights and are forced into overcrowded, undernourished squalor.  For example one witness states Jews are forced to live as multiple families in one home as her family is forced to live in one room of their own home while other families take over other rooms and their home is transformed into a multi-family home. These living conditions lead to overcrowding and eventually unsanitary conditions.  As seen, garbage and waste is just tossed out of windows into the streets as the people are too weak from malnutrition to take the refuse out of the building.  In addition to living conditions, the film also delves into the aspect of death in the ghetto.  Starvation and malnutrition in addition to the sickness and disease lead to slow and agonizing deaths.  For those who are fortunate enough to obtain small portions of food and avoid starvation, they triumph over death until the ultimate happens.  Those who perish for one reason or another are discarded on the streets and collected as if they are mere garbage.  Acts such as the disposing of the dead as garbage made Jews indifferent and numb to death as one witness stated they didn’t feel human while in the ghetto.  Some scenes depicted are so horrific, the assembled witnesses at times cover their faces as the anguish and pain is still very vivid even after six decades.  In the final analysis, this film is an attempt to depict happiness and good times as opposed to the reality of harsh conditions of life in the ghetto.

Harrison Bergeron

Marvin J. Pringle

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. Comp 102-117

21 March 2013

Response Essay

“Harrison Bergeron”

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “Harrison Bergeron,” takes readers inside the lives of George, Hazel and Harrison Bergeron.  After reading this passage, the reader reasons individual expression and rights are voided by a government seeking absolute equality. Vonnegut tells readers, “All this equality was due to the 211^th, 212th, 213^th amendments to the constitution and agents of the United States Handicapper General” (293).  He further tells readers about Hazel’s average intelligence and how George “…had a little mental handicap radio in his ear” (294) because of his above normal intelligence. The handicap is required by law and keeps George from using his advantage of higher than normal intelligence. Moreover, when talking about the ballerinas because of their above average ability, he states “They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked …” (294) ensuring they are no less good in their dancing and beauty than anyone else. Unlike George and Hazel, Harrison defiantly throws off his handicaps and expresses his individuality and free thought. However, this act of defiance meets harsh results as Harrison is terminated by government agents. In the end, the government seeks to remove advantages by ensuring equality.

Word count: 194

Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. "Harrison Bergeron." Power of Language; Language of Power: A Collection of Reading. 2nd ed. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011. 293-99. Print. A Custom Edition for Ozarks Technical Community College.

Joseph Morton Testimony

Marvin J. Pringle

Mr. Neuburger

Eng Comp 102-117

14 March 2013

Holocaust Testimony

“Joseph Morton”

This interview is with Holocaust survivor Joseph Morton, formerly Mortkowitz, of Mortonville, Illinois.  Mr. Morton was born in Lodz, Poland, on July 11, 1924, where he lived with his mother, father and siblings.  He was the oldest of six children; spoke Polish and Yiddish in his youth.  He spoke about his family and their lives in Poland before the outbreak of World War II (WWII).  He recalls lots of anti-Semitism in Lodz prior to the war.  Their oppressors are equated to the KKK with the exception of the white sheets and hoods. After the start of WWII, Lodz is turned into a ghetto by the German army and Jews are segregated and tortured regularly. He talks about being shipped from Lodz to Auschwitz concentration camp by train. Moving forward, he explains how he, his father, brother and a cousin are “fortunate” to get moved to Dachau, a camp in Germany. From here, they are moved around from camp to camp working and being tortured. He states because they were in good condition and strong, this allowed them to survive although being worked long and hard.  When Germany was liberated by the Americans he ended up in a hospital because of the Typhus he had contracted some time earlier.  He was reunited with his father, brother, and cousin who take him out the hospital and to a Displaced Persons (DP) camp. While in the DP camp, he registers to come to the United States and is put on the waiting list.  He goes to Canada instead where he meets his future wife, also a survivor, in Montreal. He finally finds his father in Chicago and moves in with him from Montreal. He returns to Montreal, marries his sweetheart, brings her back to the US and begins life as a holocaust survivor.   

Two quotes by Mr. Morton:

“we really didn’t know what was going in in the outside world; we had no contact with anyone”

“sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know”

Malka Baran Testimony

Marvin J. Pringle

Mr. Neuburger

Eng Comp 102-117

14 March 2013

Holocaust Testimony

“Malka Baran”

This is the testimony of survivor, Malka Baran, formerly Klin, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Baran was born in Warsaw, Poland on January 30, 1927.  When she was a year old, the family moved to Chestohova, Poland where they made their lives. She is the oldest of two children and they live a quiet life where her father owns a print shop in the building where and her mother is a homemaker. She speaks of her early life of attending a mostly private school where she loved reading.  The school was all Jewish and they spoke Polish and Hebrew.  While growing up she stated she didn’t experience any anti-Semitism, but knew it existed; the family didn’t associate with any non-Jewish Poles. Her life changed in 1939 when the German occupation of Poland began.  The Jewish population in Chestohova was ordered to wear stars to distinguish Poles and Jews.  Their city was turned into a ghetto and they were made to work for the Germans. One night, she and her brother were awakened by her parents and were told to put on cloths in layers. This was the last night she saw her mother and was traumatized by this loss for a long time.  She said, because of losing her mother, her memory of events is spotty from this instance.  She worked in a factory until liberated by the Russians. She doesn’t know how she survived her ordeal, maybe because she was so passive and didn’t make any attempts at resistance. She met her future husband in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp while in Austria.  She eventually moved to Israel where she became an educator working with children.  She married and eventually moved to New York and continued working as an educator until she retired after 35 years.

Two quotes by Mrs. Baran:

“we didn’t go freely”

“the Germans did it slowly and slyly”

free write 5 mar 2013

today is a good day. woke up with yet another test/exam for this week to take but i don't have any worries.  either I know the information or i don't; i know that seems a little lacsidasical, but it is just how i feel about it.  i am not going to sprout any more gray hairs than i have to because even if i don't know the material, i still have to take the test.  i am feeling good about school today.  i just want to keep my spirits up and keep moving vorward without too much complaint.  i really didn't expect to be back in school at this point in my life, but here i am and  i MUST do well.  there is no alternative for me.  i am not like some of these younger kids who still have lots of time left to  decide on their future, mine is here and I must seize it now!  i will continue to study hard and keep my motivation level up so i can continue to be a great student and complete this program of study to further my goal of returning to the work force in the near future.  if i can stay on track, i will be back in no time and once again feel good about myself as a whole, not tthat i dont feel good about myself now, i just need to be doing something other than planting my butt in a chair for half a day.  as stated, i will continue to push forward and do well while i am here at OTC.  my confidence in myself to finish my program is very high and my expectations are even higher.  now that i have said all that, i raelly believe i am at a lost for words at this point.