Introduction

Facing History and Ourselves is one of the most rewarding classes anyone will ever take. This course introduces a whole new perspective on the Holocaust as well as other time periods. The films and documentaries shown are eye openers for everyone because this class allows you to not only learn about specific eras, but also about how you reflect on the subject. Because the title of this course includes “ourselves”, you will learn more about yourself as well as these time periods. Because you will react differently to what is shown in this class, you will develop a new perspective and outlook that will be completely altered from the one you had before taking this course. Before signing up for this class, I did not know how much I would take away from it. Facing History and Ourselves was, at first, just another class that would give me the credits to graduate. But I also chose it because it sounded interesting and I had heard that Mr. Gallagher was an outstanding teacher and totally different from any other teacher in Westborough High School. Both of these things proved to be true. I reluctantly admit that I am not the type of person to reflect on my classes and I instead focus more on the grades that I receive. I am a very shy and motivated person which made taking this class a rather transition. I never think twice about the classes I take or the teachers who teach me, but Facing History and Ourselves has given me the opportunity to do so in the future.

What Facing History Meant To Me

At first, Facing History and Ourselves was just another course to fill my schedule. Just as I would with any other class, I looked at the description in the manual and decided that it might be interesting. This proved to be more than true. In addition to this class being interesting, it was also an eye opener in many instances. Being a student, I have learned that the courses I take are not just about the grade that I receive in the end, but also about taking things away from them. Facing History and Ourselves has taught me to focus more on what I am learning rather than strive for the A plus. As a person, I learned to look at things from a new perspective and see things from all angels in all of my classes. Among the many films we watched in this course, there were three that really stood out and were most meaningful to me. The film The Grey Zone made me realize that the Jews actually fought back against the Nazis during the Holocaust. I had not known this before and it was an eye opener. Also, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas gave me new perspective on how truly manipulative the Nazis were. We also recently watched real footage of the death camps from the Holocaust which was unbelievably life changing for anyone who watches it. After seeing these films, it amazed me to see that the Jews had the will to fight back in the conditions they were in. Since The Grey Zone is based on true events, it is truly admirable to see that based on their condition in the death camps footage, the Jews were able to fight back.

            In the movie The Grey Zone, Jews inside the prison camps were able to fight back with the little hope that they had left. Before seeing this film I did not know that they attempted to escape in the way that they did. It surprised me that so many of them were able to come together and work on a plan to get out of the death camps. This film was meaningful to me because it showed me that the Jews were not as weak as everyone thought they were. They were strong and courageous people who used their last bit of life to try and escape. Being an educated Christian girl living in the United States in the twenty first century, it is hard to put myself in their position. However, I can honestly say that I do not think that I would have had the strength to fight back and plot against the Nazis inside the camps. It was truly admirable what they did. Not only did people go against the Nazis, but the Nazis themselves went against their own families.

            The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a very controversial film. It shows multiple instances where the Nazis decide to go against their own families and continue to follow Hitler’s leadership. One time that this happened was when the father’s Nazi assistant implies that his own father does not agree with his choice of being part of the Nazi Party. Even after his father refuses to accept his son’s choice, the assistant continues to be a part of the hateful group. Another instance where this happened was when Bruno’s father turns away from his wife and two kids in order to continue to be a Nazi. This ultimately leads to his son’s death after accidentally getting gassed in Shmo’s camp. This had a big impact on me because it showed how powerful Hitler was and how much he had control over his party. It is also shocking how easily the Nazi soldiers went against two important people in their lives in trade for being part of the cruelest group of people ever to exist. Seeing how strongly people felt about the Jews was shocking to me. This film was one of the most meaningful films we watched during this course because it left me with the impression that the Nazis were even more evil than I had known. Not only did these two men choose Hitler over their families, but it also led them to be a part of killing innocent people. Seeing Bruno die really tugged at my heart. It is especially sad when you are able to get to know the character before something terrible happens. In this case, we see two young boys form a forbidden friendship only to see it go away. This film also allowed me to get a new perspective on how the Nazis were able to kill innocent people.

            The most horrid video I have ever seen is The Death Camps. I cannot begin to relay the feelings I had while and after watching this. It is the most devastating film I have ever watched. Since this is actual footage from the Holocaust, it hit me that what happened in history is real. It not only made the Holocaust real, but other events in our past real as well. Even though I have seen so many films about this time period, I have always been able to convince myself that isn’t real in order to prevent myself from getting upset. However, this film was the most real thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Even after having learned about the Holocaust during school in the past, this film was still shocking. It showed what he American troops found when arriving at the death camps which was dead bodies, gas chambers, tools to beat people with, and living, but very sick, Jews. The Jews were in such poor condition that some were not able to be saved. Out of the millions of Jews killed during imprisonment, there were more that died even after the Nazis abandoned the camps. Seeing the skeleton-like bodies was so shocking and horrifying. To me, it was the most unpleasant sight I have ever seen because the Jews were in such poor health that they truly looked like they were already dead. This film was the most meaningful one that this course showed me because it had the biggest impact on me. All of the films that we watched were sad and devastating, but knowing this film has actual footage, made it the hardest but most rewarding one to see.

            Through The Grey Zone, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Death Camps, and many other films, this course has taught me to be a better person. It has showed me so many new and significant things about the Holocaust and that time period that it is almost overwhelming! The most important thing that I will take away from this class is to stand up for what I believe in. After taking this course with Mr. Gallagher I can honestly say that I will do my best to follow through with this valuable lesson. 

Bruno and Shmo form a forbidden friendship.

In the concentration and death camps.

Children of the Holocaust.

The Grey Zone.

Map of concentration camps.

Works Cited

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Google Images. Online Images. 24 May 2012.

Concentration and Death Camps. Google Images. Online Images. 24 May 2012.

Children of the Holocaust. Google Images. Online Images. 24 May 2012.

The Grey Zone. Google Images. Online Images. 24 May 2012.

Map of concentration camps. Google Images. Online Images. 24 May 2012.