Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Chapter 2 Questions
1. Describe Mrs. Schacter's son's thoughts as he watches his mother on the train and others' reactions to her.
At frst her son was crying and trying to calm down his mother. He told her there was no fire and asked her to sit down. Then when the people on the train started beating her the little boy didn’t do anything. It was like he understood that it was important that she be quiet. The other people on the train tried to talk to her first to try to calm themselves rather than her. Eventually they had to start beating her to get her to be quiet.
2. Did the Jew's treat Mrs. Schacter appropriately? What could they have done differently?
Because she was starting to create a panic, we don’t really think the Jew’s mistreated her. We also don’t think that there was anything the Jew’s could have done differently. Her screaming was starting to drive them mad also so they had to do something to keep her quiet in order to preserve their sanity.
3. Why do the Jews so quickly reject Mrs. Schacter but just as quickly believe the news from the men who gathered water? How do they feel when the cattlecar doors are opened in Birkenau?
They didn’t believe Mrs. Schachter because they were on a moving train and they didn’t want to believe something that they couldn’t see and something that was obviously bad. They so readily believed the people gathering water because everything the Jews were being told was good. The water gatherers were giving them hope that something good was coming. When they arrived at Birkenau they lost all their hope because they could see the fire and smell the burning flesh and they realized that this was not a very good place and that what the people gathering water were telling them was not true.
McCool group
-Natasha A., Shelby R., Wade T., Seyd P., Don P.
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13 comments:
I think that you guys did a really good job. On the second question I think that you should have looked at both sides. If you were a child watching your mother being beat would you not try to stop them? Would you not think that it was wrong? Try to think about that.
I believe the kid also knew that his mother should be quiet. she was going psycho and they had to do something before she got them all killed or before she drove them crazy. I also believe they didn't believe Mrs. Schachter because they didn't want to think of the bad things that could happen to them.
On the first question, i agree with the statement that the boy tried to calm his mother. However, i don't think that the boy allowed the other Jews to beat her because she needed to be quiet. I think he felt like he had no other options. He knew that his mother was causing panic and had already tried to comfort her. He, being a small child, didn't know what else to do. And as for the second question, i do not agree with it as well. I do not believe that Mrs. Schacter was treated well. she may have been creating a sort of panic, but it was not right for the Jews in the cattle car to beat her. it was a horrific thing that they were all going through, and the Jews should have drawn together and helped each other. Beating Mrs. Schacter probably actually contributed to the panic that was taking place.
I like what you said on the third question and I liked how you put your opinion in on the second one, but I think you should have looked at the other end of things too. If you knew, 100% for sure, that something bad was happening to people you loved, wouldn't you do everything in your power to try and stop it from happening? Yes, she was creating a panic, but at the same time she was only trying to get them to see what was going to happen to them. I think that maybe they beat her because they knew that there was no escape and didn't want to be reminded of the death that awaited them.
I agree with most of the first question, but I also think you could have added more to this by explaining why they all thought it was important for he to be quiet. Even if you do not know why you can always infer and explain that this is what you are thinking. With number two I agree with you completely. Something to think about also is, even though her screaming was driving them mad she was already insane and she really could not help what she was doing even if most people think she could have. The answer to number three does not really make any sense because the people giving them water were not telling them anything good. They were trying to explain to them everything that was going to happen. Confirming their fears that they had about what Mrs. Schacter had. The only reason they had any hope was because they had been told somewhere along the way they were going somewhere new to work.
Good post. On the second question though i think you should of described both sides, because i do think she was not treated right. Yes after the 100th time she screamed fire, they know that there was not one. They should of just ignored her and went on. Yes, she probably was annoying, but yo beat her almost near to death in front of her ten year old son is inappropriate. But the way you answered it is correct also. But great job!
On the first question it says to describe his thoughts. You guys did a good job of restating what happened in the story but you could of added more details of what he was thinking. But other than that, good job.
Well I think you have an overall good blog! However when you said the boy thought it was important to beat his mother to keep her quiet. I have to disagree I think the reason he didnt do anything was because if he would of tried to stop it the Jews might have made it worse on her or maybe even beat him for getting in the way. I just think if we were in the same time in place and that young we would have done the same thing the little boy did. But I do agree with the rest of you answers.
I think you guys really thought hard on question 1 i think your guys answer was very detailed and very good. Question 2 i think that the Jews in a way did treat her bad i mean i dont think you should ever have a reason to beat someone like they did her, but i also believe that they were scared of being killed and afraid of what could have happened if the officers would have heard her. Number 3 i really think they didn't believe her because she had repeated herself so many times and they believed the water gatherers because there news was somewhat good and didnt involve death but you guy did a really good job..
I think on your answer to question two you should have looked at it from another angle. How can you justify beating a defenseless woman, almost to death? I do not think that they beat her to necessarily keep their sanity, but to keep the Germans from coming back to shut her up themselves. The Jews probably could have found another way to shut her up. Otherwise, good post.
I do agree with your first answer, but on question number two you could have thought more outside the box, for example, explain how the Nazis would have reacted if they heard the woman screaming, it would have created a worse situation. Answer number three was good but youcould have gone into more detail on the subject.
You guys did a good job. There were a few things, however, that I don't quite agree with. On the first question you guys did a good job in stating that the little boy understood the importance of his mother's silence, but just think about what her son must have been going through in his mind. The internal conflict he must have been experiencing. The anger, the fear, the guilt. Think about it, if someone was beating your mother, your sole living family member (as his case was at the time,)what would you do? I know it would take every fiber of my being to refrain from attacking those who were attacking my mother. Just don't think of the boy as cold or uncaring ok. I'm sure it was hard for him to go through.
Another thing I don't quite agree with was in your answer to question number 2 when you said that you did not think there was anything that the Jews could have done differently to Mrs. Schacter. Yes, she was causing a panic, and yes she was putting them in danger, but I believe they still could have acted differently and silenced her in a less violent manner. It's like they were taking out their stress and their fears on her. They did not have to beat her.
These are just my opinions and I'm not trying to be offensive or over critical or anything. You guys really did do a good job, and I hope I did not anger anyone. Peace out.
Its all mental, all of the jews were under extreme pressure, and Mrs schacter screaming was a final breaking point for a lot of people, and her son knew it theyn all knew it so everybody just went along with it. Loosing family members is no walk in the park, they were especially depressed and anxious its too much for anybody to handle. I believe it was instinct, pure animal instinct.
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