Neighbors by Jan Gross and the Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman - Comparison - Term Paper Example

? “Neighbors” by Jan Gross and "The Pianist" by Wladyslaw Szpilman: A Comparison Word Count: 1500 I. Introduction Neighbors by Jan T. Gross, and Wladyslaw Szpilman’s The Pianist are going to be compared by completing: a summary of each book; a critique of each book; and a placement of the wroks within the historical context of the historiographical arguments about their subjects. Within the summary, the main thesis, how it is presented, and the organization of both books will be presented. In the critique, we will see what the prejudices of the author are, how the prejudices affect the authors’ views of the subject, and what the authors’ conclusions are as well as how the prejudices affect the conclusions. The historical context of each book will be analyzed with regard to: how the books relate to the times in which it is written, the effect the book had on historical interpretation of the subject, and in particular the culpability of a nation for the massacre of the Jews in Europe. It is hoped that with the proliferation of such works, that peace and justice will be promoted throughout humanity in the world, and seek to prevent such violence from occurring to any group of people in the future—no matter who those people are in any case whatsoever. II. Summaries Neighbors is a work that seeks to understand the massacre of the Polish people in one relatively small Polish town, Jedwabne. This book demonstrates that hatred can “[W]hat Poles have learned recently is that the perpetrators in this case weren't Germans, though the Nazi occupiers clearly approved the slaughter. They were Poles, the Jedwabne neighbors of the Jews. And the revelation of their role has triggered a wave of agonized soul-searching since it emerged…”1 Basically, the people from this small town are so blinded by hatred, that one half kills the other half of the town. In The Pianist, Szpilman relates how he used to be playing the piano on the radio in Poland, until the invasion of the Germans, which would change his life inextricably forever. After working in a labor camp for awhile, he is able to escape into the Warsaw Ghetto for awhile, scraping by simply by foraging for food in the basically empty and lifeless ghetto setting—where he is the only person around. Finally, a German officer discovers Szpilman. Szpilman offers to play the piano for the officer, and in turn, the officer decides not to report him. Szpilman is able to survive the ghetto in order to once again be able to play the piano on the radio. However, in his postscript, we see how Szpilman talks about how the German officer who saved him begged a violinist friend of his to get him out of the German prisoner-of-war camp, saying, “Tell [Szpilman] I’m here. Ask him to get me out. I beg you—”2 Thus, Szpilman has come full-circle—from once having played piano on Polish radio to continue doing it again after the war is over. Obviously, his life has been shattered, his family members have probably been sent to Treblinka or other concentration camps, but he is the one who survived. This is an amazing story of remarkable triumph over evil with the good of the human spirit. Hopefully, stories like Szpilman’s will get the proper credit and attention that they deserve, telling the heroic tale of one man’s struggle to survive in the face of challenging, and yes, even daunting, odds. Basically, Szpilman’s life becomes a symbol or a metaphor for survival and what it means to truly be a Jewish Pole in an era when Nazi persecution of the Jews was prevalent and accepted by society in Nazi Germany. III. Critiques Now we have seen how both books have logical—if not albeit organized—elements and theses. What will now be discussed are the author’s prejudices and how they affect their writing. Interestingly enough, Gross, being Polish, does not give any explanation for why this massacre happened. That might be due to the fact that the story hits so close to him because Gross is Polish, too. To imagine that one’s own people could have committed an atrocity of this scale is almost beyond belief. “Jan T. Gross, who wrote an account of the slaughter in his remarkable book, Neighbors made no attempt to explain the phenomenon, having set as his task the meticulous documentation of this seemingly incredible event.”3 The book Neighbors caused quite an uproar in the Polish community due to the fact that civilian participation in the Holocaust is taboo to talk about. No one wants to admit that many people who were not even in the Nazi party held up prejudicial notions about Jews. "Neighbors strikes squarely at Poland's accepted historical narrative . . . One Polish critic compares the gathering controversy to the uproar with which Germans greeted Hitler's Willing Executioners, Daniel Goldhagen's 1996 study of civilian participation in the Holocaust."4 Szpilman’s book The Pianist is probably not as historically accurate as Gross’s account, just because of the mere fact that Gross is a historian, whilst Szpilman is merely a primary source and an observer of what went on. However, since he himself was the main focus of the book, it was probably difficult if not impossible for Szpilman to represent himself unequivocally without opinion or judgment, even though Szpilman himself tries to remain a nonjudgmental observer. Sometimes, one gets the feeling that Szpilman tries to tell his story from a place of vapid emotional detachment, as one can only imagine what he went through combing through the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto to find water, food, and shelter—in the midst of a horribly cold winter and the knowledge that his life has been inextricably changed forever. Without a doubt, there are certain elements about Szpilman’s story that make it unique with regard to Neighbors. While Neighbors is a book about a town of people, The Pianist is a miniature study in wartime psychology and the struggle of one man to survive—not much less a whole town as the subject of the book Neighbors. Ultimately, what we can learn from both books’ critiques is that there is dignity in every human being and that such a power cannot be held back or crushed, no matter how hopeless a situation may seem. Undoubtedly, both Gross’s and Szpilman’s accounts of the people in both of their books are a testament to the emotional strength of the characters involved, and how that tends to speak volumes about the Jewish communities which were affected in each of these books. Certainly, both accounts have different slants or takes on various issues, but both will serve as effective tools in the teaching of Holocaust literature in years ahead. IV. Historical Context The historical context of Neighbors comes at a most chilling time—when Nazis are killing Jews, which is not limited to Polish Jews, although that is one group which the Nazis targeted. In this story, it boggles the mind how the Polish people of this town of people slaughter each other because of, simply, hatred. “"The old, terrible question [persists]: how can a people who have experienced an unimaginable history of persecution now then inflict such suffering on the neighbors…[?]”5 Historically, the account that Gross gives us is well-researched and delves deeply into the psychology lying behind the idea that the Polish people were completely innocent when it came to the war. In fact, his book denotes how very wrong-headed that idea was, and that, indeed, the Poles did kill quite a few Jewish people themselves at the hands of Nazi Germany. “A detailed account is provided by the sociologist and historian Jan T. Gross in his book… Gross's scrupulously documented study challenges another cherished myth: the noble attempts of most Poles to save Jews."6 V. Conclusion The summary, critique, and historical context of both Jan T. Gross’s Neighbor and Wladyslaw Szpilman’s The Pianist have both been analyzed here. Most of what these two books share is the true meaning of friendship, the indomitability of the human spirit, and the significance of both internal and external struggles of the characters portrayed in these books. Certainly, both of these works are exemplar examples of characters’ ability to overcome the horrible circumstances in which they find themselves—only to one day once again be triumphant in their own right. Undoubtedly, these two books are worth the effort to read. Certainly, the mitigating factors involved in these two works are what make them superb examples of Holocaust literature. The two authors, both Polish, have tried their best to make the most of a bad situation by having documented for future readers of Holocaust history about the evils of war and ethnic cleansing. It is through these accounts that we not only realize others’ struggles, but ourselves can learn how to empathize and become more fully human. Knowing these concrete facts, it is simply knowing that—in order to help someone—one must understand their background and their story of struggle. Both books are indeed great inspiration. WORKS CITED Brumberg, Abraham. “Quotation About Neighbors.” US: Times Literary Supplement, 2002. Pp. 1. Gaylin, Willard. Hatred: The Psychological Descent Into Violence. US: PublicAffairs, 2004. Pp. 2. Gross, Jan Tomasz. Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland. US: Penguin Books, 2002. Pp. i. Nagorski, Andrew. “Quotation About Neighbors.” US: Newsweek, 2002. Pp. 1. Reed, John. “Quotation About Neighbors.” US: Financial Times, 2002. Pp. 1. Szpilman, Wladyslaw. The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945. US: Macmillan, 2000. Pp. 188. Read More