Discussion of the Holocaust centering on Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem" examining both age old anti-Semitism in Germany and the banality or ordinariness of Hitler's bureaucratized system of annihilation.
1,535 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 50.95
Abstract This paper is based on Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem". It discusses two views of the Holocaust: one that the perpetrators were Germans nurtured on a centuries old anti-Semitism tradition; and another that the perpetrators were ordinary people, caught up in a bureaucratized system of annihilation that encouraged unthinking complicity that made this evil seem banal or ordinary because everyone was going along with it. That these two views are easily reconciled is the thesis of the paper. Elie Wiesel's "Night" and Michael Dobkowski's "Genocide and The Modern Age" are used to supplement discussion of Arendt's treatment of the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
From the Paper "It is true that the Holocaust was perpetrated by Germans with a long history of pervasive inhumane anti-Semitic views. It is also valid to say that the Holocaust was facilitated by banal acceptance of a bureaucratized system of annihilation. With centuries of hatred, and barbarous treatment of Jews as precedent, it was easy for the Germans to move on to state sanctioned systematized slaughter. Those whose upbringing had taught them to hate Jews, might move quickly into positions of power in the Third Reich. Others who weren?t capable of thinking for themselves, saw everyone else, including those they respected and admired supporting Hitler's answers to the Jewish question. A long tradition of anti-Semitism joined with unthinking complicity to escalate the banality of evil. As evil progressed through stages of classification, ghettoization, deportation, and concentration to eradication, it was just another step in the progression of dehumanization for those who had forgotten the unity of the human community."
Abstract This paper looks at how Rita Botwinick's "A Holocaust Reader: From Ideology to Annihilation" is a glimpse into the madness of the campaign to exterminate the Jews narrated from a historical and personal viewpoint by those who lived the nightmare. The author states that the Holocaust was not an accident but occurred because individuals, organizations and governments made choices, which not only legalized discrimination but also allowed prejudice, hatred and mass murder to occur, thus exhibiting the outcome of remaining silent and apathetic to the oppression of other human beings.
From the Paper "The intent of the Reich was to strip all identity from the Jews and make survival impossible. Reinhard Heydrich was the mastermind behind the Nazi death camps. On January 20, 1942 at the Wannsee Conference he illustrated his plans to murder Europe's Jews. In fact, Auschwitz was regarded as the most effective concentration camp created by the Reich to carry out the Final Solution. Rudolf Hoss was named the commandant of Auschwitz whose goal it was to eliminate every prisoner that entered the camp. On August 16, 1942 a section of the barracks was designated for women prisoners. The conditions were far worse than the other sections. They had deplorable sanitary conditions that caused the rapid spread of disease."
Abstract The paper examines Winston Churchill's poem, "The Influenza", which describes how the disease is almost unconquerable, until at last some supernatural power acts to save the human race from complete annihilation. The paper discusses how symbolism can either be used in terms of its general connection in the collective social mind, or it can be used in a new sense that is revealed by the work itself. The paper illustrates how several words and phrases are used in both these ways.
From the Paper "Churchill opens his poem with a number of questions pertaining to the cruelty of the disease he is describing. The questions themselves could relate to the uncertainty of those who contract the disease, as well as to those who remain behind. In the line "It journeyed with the sun", the sun is used in a different symbolic association than is normally the case. In general language, the sun is usually symbolic of happiness and joy. In the poem however it acquires a more sinister association. Specifically, the sun appears to signify the inevitability and universality of the disease. The sun travels everywhere and eventually reaches everyone on earth. This traveling process also foreshadows Churchill's assertion later in the poem, that nobody, regardless of status or wealth, is safe from infection. The disease, like the sun, does not discriminate."
This paper examines two analyses of the history of European Jews, "The War Against the Jews" by Lucy S. Dawidowicz and "The Destruction of the European Jews" by Raul Hilberg.
Abstract The paper examines Lucy S. Dawidowicz's and Raul Hilberg's analyses of the history of European Jews. The paper discusses how both authors describe the nature of the process of the annihilation of the Jew and the way Germany was organized to carry it out, but Dawidowicz focuses more on the victims and how they reacted and what happened to them, while Hilberg focuses more on the machinery of death and on the lack of morality of so many functionaries and workers who assisted in the process.
From the Paper "Much of the Holocaust was indeed carried out by career civil servants, military personnel, and others in the private sector. The Holocaust itself thus became routinized so that it was carried on as if it were any other government activity. Two reasons given for the participation of ordinary men and women include obedience to authority, and the modern era's pursuit of specialization so that people could perform their part without knowing what the whole entailed, or without admitting what the whole entailed. It may be impossible to determine one reason why the many man involved committed the acts they did, for any general explanation is certain to be applicable only to a percentage of the whole. One force that we can see as operating in this case is the conditioning of society so that people respect and defer to authority. In this case, the society itself had a certain tradition of racism which affected these men and women and determined what they were being asked to do."
Abstract The paper relates that Sylvia Plath's and Abraham Lincoln's poetry both bear the mark of taboo American literature given the frank nature of their discussions of self-annihilation. The paper shows how Plath's "Edge" and Lincoln's "Suicide's Soliloquy" each offer unique perspectives on death and suicide using the literary conventions typical of their generation. The paper believes that although Lincoln uses poetic language and literary devices that are outmoded, his writing is equally as accessible as Plath's.
From the Paper "Both Sylvia Plath and Abraham Lincoln wrote about suicide, and therefore both undoubtedly contemplated the act. Plath did end her own life, though, whereas Lincoln's life ended by his homicide at the hands of John Wilkes Booth. Suicide and its accompanying emotional components are not novel topics for poets. Poetry is defined by its emotionality and hyperbole. Suicide is, however, a taboo topic in American culture because of the ingrained optimism that is a part of the country's worldview. Manifest Destiny and the American Dream preclude morbid thinking and so suicidal ideation is not widely expressed in American literature. Therefore, Plath's and Lincoln's poetry both bear the mark of taboo American literature given the frank nature of their discussions of self-annihilation."
Abstract This paper details the four threats of nuclear annihilation that the Russian nuclear program has created: accidental launch due to a malfunction, failure of the Russian early warning system, a launch of a nuclear weapon because of a rogue commander, the detonating of a stolen nuclear warhead that has been smuggled out of Russia, and the detonation of a nuclear weapon that was built with Russian fissile material. The paper also describes the meager steps that Russia and the United States have taken to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. Most importantly the paper stresses that public awareness of this critical situation is imperative to prevention of such a disaster.
Abstract This paper explores how legal inequality and the wholesale annihilation of African-American rights has gone underground, but hasn't disappeared. The author claims that it has changed from being institutionalized in law to being surreptitiously enforced in a thousand societal ways, but is still present.
From the Paper It was not new when the founding fathers of America met together to create our constitution, nor when they first set their signatures to the Declaration of Independence. America was not the first nation to keep a race of enslaved people, nor the first nation to think itself enslaved and rise against its masters. Slavery have been a part of human life through-out time, and many of the ancestors of even the whitest line have been slaves. Rome took slaves by the thousands from the nations of Europe. Greece had slave markets."
Abstract By using examples and sources from the Bible, the author of this paper shows God's intentions for his followers on issues relating to the environment. The paper shows that Christian Environmentalists believe that the earth was given to Man as a gift with certain conditions and that Man is not fulfilling these conditions by destroying the earth and annihilating species.
From the Paper "There are many examples in the Bible of Christianity's environmental concerns. There is a broad belief in taking care of all of God's creations, and we, as humans are to be the caretakers. God put the responsibility of caring for the earth with man. Man is required to take care of the resources God put on earth. The Bible warns us that those who destroy the earth will be destroyed themselves. God has put man to watch over his creation and it is our commitment to do so that portrays the ideas about nature in Christian beliefs."
Abstract This paper provides a compare and contrast analysis of "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen and "Death Of A Salesman" by Arthur Miller. It discusses how both plays are about fallen families and how, in both cases, the fall occurs in proportion to the deception that the family members opt for themselves. It examines how both families try everything to tune up with society's expectations and their own wishes and dreams and how both plays tell us that most of us choose to play roles and deceive, not only those immediately and distantly around us, but also ourselves. Although the two plays end with voluntary self-annihilation, or suicide, they also end in the characters? getting released. It is only their respective deaths that put an end to their inner torments.
From the Paper "There is greater ease in reading "Death of a Salesman" than ?A Doll's House.? In the former, the struggle is towards confronting the reality of failure and compensating for it. Although Willy destroys himself to enable his son to have the money that can insure his own success, his suicide results in the release of everyone in the family, including himself, from the brunt and pain of unfulfilled ambition and financial lack. As Linda, his wife, says at the end of the play: "We"re free...? She feels redeemed from the clutches or Willy's all-consuming desire to be economically comfortable and free of unpaid-bills. His death even comes directly to pay those debts and make possible the wife's and sons? making it better in their own pursuits."
Tags: families, deception, suicide, wishes, dreams, society
Abstract The paper looks at the way the different religions view life after death. The paper discusses the Jewish view of the World To Come, in the Garden of Eden and it follows the four paths humans must follow after death in Hinduism in order to achieve reincarnation. The paper also examines the Buddhist position which falls between reincarnation and absolute annihilation, the Christian concepts of resurrection and hell and Islamic afterlife. It also looks at the common threads among the different religions' views.
From the Paper "Human belief in an afterlife, life after death, is found in belief systems from ancient tribal people to the UFO cult groups of today. Some fear the after-life, while others look forward to it. There are as many visions of the afterlife as there are belief systems. Some believe that when one dies, he will be met by a hoard of virgins, others believe pearly gates and streets of gold await. Humans are obsessed with theories of what exist on the other side of death, if anything at all. However, the belief in the spirit, the soul, the spiritual thread connected to God, keeps humans convinced that life continues after bodily death. Many seek proof through mystics, by trying to send and receive messages from a departed loved one. There are television programs, seminars, and volumes of books devoted to the notion that the dead can communicate to the living. Moreover, many feel and see the presence of the dead in their homes, thus, enlisting the aid of a psychic or priest to cleanse or exorcise the premises, to send the departed restless souls to God. Humans? belief in the afterlife is the basic foundation for religions and spiritual belief systems."
Tags: reward, punishment, soul, spirituality, nirvana
Abstract This paper examines how a history of cultural annihilation and commercialization, of economic repression and segregation and finally of an astounding lapse in communication has left the current generation of African-Americans with a race and class crisis. It debates whether the concepts of affirmative action solve this and whether a better solution would be to soundly and reasonable work out a way to promote a fuller integration of places of education and employment. It evaluates how a total resolution to this conflict would rely on increased education and services at the most basic levels, increased communication and coordination at higher levels and above all a willingness on both sides to come to the table and make peace.
From the Paper "Historically, blacks in America have faced far more discrimination than any other people. They were brought to this land as slaves, and underwent generations of systematic de-culturalization before finally being released from official slavery into an often more difficult economic and cultural slavery. Yet despite these overwhelming odds, black culture has transformed America and in many ways become an integral part of it. Blacks have made invaluable contributions in every area of modern American life, from peanut butter to rock?n?roll, from civil rights legacies to sports legends. Unfortunately, the gap between the lives of white and black Americans has decreased far less than one might have hoped. While black culture seems to have been largely integrated into the fabric of American life, one also sees a startling degree of ghettoization as well. There are many black individuals in business, for example, and yet few in management positions. There are many black entertainers, but few blacks exercise any control over the giant media conglomerates."
Tags: african, americans, education, discrimination, race, class
Abstract This paper examines the history of the Acadian peoples in eastern Canada and provides a thorough discussion of their struggle for independence from the racist and imperialist assaults of the dominant English and French political factions. The Acadian peoples of the Maritimes are also compared to the Metis of the Western Prairies. Both cultural groups share common histories of persecution by British authorities. However, the endurance of the Acadians is outlined in comparison to the gradual annihilation of the Metis.
Abstract This ten-page graduate paper analyzes two cultures. Culture is a distinctive phenomenon that has an even more distinct ways of progression. Culture can be literally defined as tradition; custom; way of life of a people belonging to a certain origin. As much as its origins are indescribable, the numerous factors that are involved in their development, fading away, merger, or their resistance to hostile elements are also not very easily understood. However, the forces that lead to cultural development, amalgamation, are positive changes that are part of the evolutionary development of nations. Whereas, the nations that are subjected to hostile forces over a long period of time develop a sense of vehement resistance, an unwavering spirit to withstand all oppressions and antagonisms that rise to power in order to annihilate them as a nation.
An examination of the life of the American settlers in the early 1800s who followed the belief of the Manifest Destiny, believing that the exploration and conquest of the rest of the country was their divine right as American people.
Abstract This paper discusses the life of the settlers during this period who believed that it was their God-given right to settle America. It looks at how this attitude affected relationships with the Native Americans and the rest of the people living in the country at the time. It also examines the hardships they encountered and a glimpse at the life they lead.
Introduction
Effects of Manifest Destiny
Annihilation of the Buffalo
Settlers and Native Americans
Moral Considerations
Religion and the Puritans
Alternatives for Change
Native Americans and Their Land
Personal Beliefs
Conclusion
From the Paper "There were both positive and negative effects of manifest destiny and the move westward. On the positive side, many of the ideals of the east were brought out to the west. Some of these included government, religion, culture, and democracy. These were good things that the settlers brought with them, and they became very important in founding colonies, cities, and towns in the west. Having more land also gave the United States more trading power with countries such as Asia, and the manufacturing that developed in the west made America more efficient and self-reliant. The settlers could obtain or make many goods that had previously been obtained only by trade with other countries (Manifest Destiny, 2003)."
Abstract This paper discusses how much of the Western military legacy came from the Greeks, especially Alexander the Great, and looks at how, through his military genius and force, Alexander eliminated all dynastic rivals and promising monarchs in his first two years. In the next eight years, he annihilated the Persian Empire and expanded the Greek region 3,000 miles to the East. It analyzes his army, tactics, and use of weapons, such as the use of catapults, which made as much of an impact as assault artillery in the late 20th century.
From the Paper "The 20-year-old Alexander set the stage for victory with the destruction of Thebes. At Grancius, his first major attack following his father's Persian invasion, he developed a model of military strategy for his subsequent wins at Issus, Gaugamela, and Hydaspes. This approach consisted of adjusting to a difficult battle topography, personally leading his men into an attack with no concern for his own safety, and focusing on a vulnerable spot in the enemy's flank, attacking the startled foe with the advancing phalanx and destroying the field troops with the goal of complete eradication. Like his father Philip, before him, Alexander stressed that war did not bring negotiations. Rather, it meant the total destruction of the enemy and its culture (Durant, 541)."
