Jodie's Blog

If I could change anything at Westborough High School, it would be to require every student to take the Facing History and Ourselves course. Not only did I learn about the brutality and misery of the Holocaust, but I got to learn about myself as a person. Throughout the course of the semester we watched movies that made you question the actions of humans, how someone could do such a horrible thing to other people.

The movie that coincided with questioning human psychology was, “The Milgram Expirement”, this was the first movie we watched that “tugged” at my heart. The Milgram Experiment was an experiment done to two people and one person was given a list of words, while the other person had to memorize the words in a separate room. The person given the list of words was to read the words off once, then go through and have the person in the other room say a word that came after. If the person in the other room got the answer wrong, they were electrocuted. The more they got wrong the higher the voltage became. The person who was doing the electrocuting could hear the screams of pain going on in the next room. The screams continued, and the person doing the electrocuting would ask if the other person was okay, or if he should stop, but the proctor insisted that they just continue what he was doing and not bother with the other person. Even when the other person stopped responding after the voltage was high enough he could have been dead, they kept electrocuting. After watching that, I was in disbelief that anyone could be that inhumane to hear the screams of someone in pain, and to ignore them. I was in shock that such a brutal experiment could be performed and come out with the results that it did. Although the film was short, it turned out that the Milgram Experiment contained an actor, the man who was being electrocuted was not actually being electrocuted, he was just acting. I have never been in such a relief for a film before.

Some films that were viewed throughout the course were films that involved decision making, decisions that you never thought you would have to make, and would be the hardest decision of your life. One film clip in particular was one named, “Sophie’s Choice”. In this film clip, a Polish woman was standing in line going to one of the concentration camps with her two kids, a son and a daughter, in her arms. She attracted the attention of a Nazi officer, who eventually gave her a choice. Either her son or her daughter could continue her journey with her. When she said she could not choose, the Nazi responded by telling her that he would take them both. She refused, but at last minute she chose to keep her son with her. This clip was also one of the hardest clips to reflect on. Being faced with such a decision is unbelievable, but having made a decision is life changing. When asked what I would have done in the situation, I simply could not answer the question. I do not know what I would have done. I do not know if the lady made the right decision, verses making the wrong decision. What I do know is that this was the hardest decision this woman ever made, and she does not go a day without remembering it.

The film that hit me the hardest was “The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas”. This movie is about a a Nazi soldier who has moved his family closer to one of the concentration camps. The family consists of the father, a wife, and their two children. In their new house, the son has a view of the concentration camp and sees the Jews and “farmers” and asks his mother if he can be friends with the “farmers”. In shock, that her son has been exposed to scene, she tells blocks the window in her son’s room. One day Bruno, the son, went for an adventure to the “farm”, where he met a friend named Shmo. Shmo was the same age as Bruno and together they became friends through the fence that separated those inside the concentration camp from society. As their friendship grew, Bruno would bring sandwiches and food to give to Shmo. One day when Bruno came home Shmo was cleaning glasses for Bruno’s family. When a soldier came in and began to yell at Shmo for eating a cookie, Bruno denies talking to him and giving him the cookie. Shmo has been brought back to the concentration camp and Bruno feels incredibly guilty for what he had done. When Bruno goes back to the camp to visit Shmo, Shmo tells him that he cannot find his father. In order to show his apologies to SHmo, Bruno and Shmo come up with a plan to sneak Bruno into the concentration camp. Shmo brought extra clothing, and Bruno brought a shovel and dug under the fence. Bruno is in the concentration camp. Together they look for Shmo’s father but the Nazi gaurds take all the people in the room, and bring them to “take a shower”. Bruno and Shmo were gassed.

“The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas”, hit me the hardest out of all the movies we have watched all year. The movie made me reflect on myself as a person. First, it made me reflect upon myself as a friend and it made me think of a very important friend in my life. We’ve known eachother since the fifth grade and she is the one person who I can tell everything too, whether it be funny or embarrassing. The two of us have been threw a lot, just like Shmo and Bruno. She has struggled with Bulimia throughout her life while I struggled with depression at a point. Ive called her at two in the morning crying over nothing, Ive spent time at her house to get away, I pushed her to talk to someone about getting help with her eating. The fact is, we do just anything for each other. If she was Shmo and I was Bruno, I would have done the same exact thing and vis versa. This movie made me realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing person in my life, but also how friendship plays such a big role in everyones life. “The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas” also made me reflect upon the relationship I have with my dad. My dad is my best friend. So when this Bruno’s father allegedly gassed his own son accidently, I thought of how awful his father must feel. I think of my dad, because I know he would do anything in the world to protect me, in contrast to Bruno’s father who is more focused on work than having a relationship with his children. Overall, “The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas”, made me realize how fortunate I am to have the people that I do in my life.

By taking Facing History and Ourselves, I have been fortunate to learn to appreciate all that life has to offer and not to take it for granted. I have also learned to tell people how I really feel. For example, I recently sat down with a graduating senior and told her how much of an inspiration she has been for me throughout my high school career. I have learned how much of an influence one person can have, and how being a bystander is worse than being the bully. By taking Facing History and Ourselves, I have learned that I can truly make a difference in the world.

Jodie's Blog

Friday, May 25, 2012

Introduction

Reflective Essay

Works Cited

About Me