Expansion in Holocaust Knowledge

Over the course of the novel, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, by Louise Murphy, I acquired knowledge about how Jews in Poland lied to survive, how the SS conducted themselves, and how people were sorted in concentration camps. Jewish boys in Poland would lie and say that they are another religion, so they wouldn't be shot if the SS checked their body. Boys and girls would dye their hair blond and chop off the curls, to hide their identity- it got to the point where the boys and girls couldn't remember who they used to be. Despite the hidden identity, these actions were necessary to survive. The SS were disgusting people, who could never be considered humane. They shot children, and elderly citizens for being a certain race or religion. However those actions were obvious- not many people know that they would have blood transfusions with Aryan women and children. They would torture people, and use them, as well as kill them. The SS also sent people to concentration camps and decided who would be killed, and who would be worked to the death. I learned that elderly people, children, and most women were to be killed. Previously, I believed that children may have been kept, for their energy and small hands. Every new fact that I learned about the Holocaust was even more appalling and callous.

In the end of The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, Hansel and Gretel survived and found their father at a soup kitchen for Jews after the war. It was a settling ending, because Gretel also regained her memory, and wasn't crazy. However, Magda died, and became one of the 6 million "stars" in the sky, after being gassed and burned at a concentration camp. The way Louise Murphy chose to end the book reflected on her view of how it was possible to survive the Holocaust, but avoiding the death of at least one family member or loved one was inevitable, and heart-breaking. Overall, most of the problems that emerged were resolved, therefore confirming the theme of the novel. Louise Murphy was trying to demonstrate how to the Jews in the Holocaust, life was viewed in a negative way, and death was viewed in a more positive and hopeful way: their views were a direct product of the malicious attitude of the Nazis and the SS. Magda's death was written in a peaceful way, escaping into heaven to be one of the 6 million stars in the sky. This reflected on Murphy's message communicated throughout the whole story, and left you at ease. The way Louise Murphy ended The True Story of Hansel and Gretel was allaying, by describing the topic of death in a positive way, and tying together the theme of how life was negative, and death was positive, in the Jewish victims' perspective.

Korean War Memorial

The faces of soldiers etched into the walls, and the statues of the soldiers made me grateful that I don't have to experience this terror, and it also portrayed the solemn theme of death and how war affects countries as a whole. Etchings in the walls of soldiers faces were reflective for a reason- this reason being that while you view scared, injured soldiers, you also see yourself, and how lucky you are to be there. It makes you appreciate your life from a different perspective. Also, the statues of soldiers stirred an emotional reaction inside of me- I felt sick because of how scared and innocent they seemed. Their faces appeared to be terrified, and it was men that were a little older than my own father, and I couldn't bear to think about that situation if my father was in it. The bodies of the soldiers were hunched over, creating the message that they were weak and not prepared for war. My great uncle fought in this war as a pilot who was unexperienced, and he died during one of his last missions. As I made my way through this memorial, I could only picture my great uncle dying and others just like him dying in more brutal ways. The body position of soldiers, their faces, and the faces etched into the reflective walls all created a solemn tone in this monument, and painted vivid pictures in my mind of the war and how gruesome it must have been.

Humanity vs. Inhumanity

In a world where inhumanity is ubiquitous, the characters from The True Story of Hansel and Gretel do demonstrate how inhumanity is an epidemic that has swept all of Europe. However they also performed acts that show the good in humanity, when the presence of humanity is seemingly absent. An example of this is when Hansel and Gretel's parents evolved into the lure that would drag the Nazis away from their children. Their parent's showed the courage and devotion that exists throughout the good in humanity, by risking their lives to keep their children safe. Louise Murphy chose to include this act of humanity to manifest the ultimate sacrifice that some parents chose to make- their own lives. Ultimately, the author wanted to prove how, in a greedy and inexorable world,  people still manage to show kindness and sacrifice. Another example of characters showing humanity was when Magda allowed Hansel and Gretel to stay in her house, and she gave them her food. Her generous welcoming and offerings reveal how even strangers were willing to risk their lives to save the lives of hungry children. Magda took Hansel and Gretel in as if they were here own children. Murphy's reason for including this act of humanity that evolved into a strong relationship was to teach the lesson that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, and again, to demonstrate the theme of sacrifice. Magda seemed to be a witch of some sort, based off of her appearance, so that is what the children saw her as. However, she ended up being the one who saved Hansel and Gretel's lives, while immolating her own. The final example of a strong act of humanity was when Nelka provided aid for the children and Magda- washing them, and driving out the lice from their clothes, etc. She certainly did not need to associate herself with these children, who could potentially be the death of her. Nelka's actions evinced how even small, humane acts can have a great effect, while also carrying the burden of knowing you could die. Her actions were not entirely necessary, but the prevented Hansel and Gretel from getting sick. By doing so, Nelka jeopardized her life, and this is why Louise Murphy decided to include this scene with Nelka. A common theme throughout all of these acts of humanity was sacrificing your own life for another person, and persistently, the impact this had on others was immense. Although there were several examples of inhumanity throughout this novel, there were also numerous examples of humanity. The yin-yang is a symbol for this novel- the good in the bad, and the bad in the good.