Homework: The Holocaust
Instructions
For this homework, select one of the following options.
Option I: Poetry
Select any 2 poems about the Holocaust. You can select from the following list of poets/poems or conduct additional research on Holocaust poetry. Make sure to get approval from your instructor if you are selecting something not on the list. Click on the link to see the list:
List of Poets/Poems
1. Bronislawa Wajs: Tears of Blood
2. Primo Levi: Buna
3. Chaim Nachman Bialik: After My Death; On the Slaughter
4. Martin Niemöller: First They Came for the Jews
5. Mary Elizabeth Frye: Do not stand at my grave and weep
6. Carl Sandburg: Grass
7. Miklós Radnóti: Postcard 1; Postcard 2; Postcard 3; Postcard 4
8. Bertolt Brecht: The Burning of the Books; Parting; The Mask of Evil
9. Ber Horvitz: Der Himmel [The Heavens]
10. Yala Korwin: Passover Night 1942; The Little Boy with His Hands Up
11. Michael R. Burch: Something
12. Paul Celan: Death Fugue; O, Little Root of a Dream
Write an analysis of each poem, including the following information:
1. Explain the background on the author, especially in relation to the Holocaust.
2. Explain the content of the poem - what story or message is it trying to tell?
3. How does the poem relate to the bigger picture of the Holocaust?
4. How effective is the poem in relating the Holocaust to readers?
Option II: Art
Select any 2 of works of art about the Holocaust. You can select from the following list or conduct additional research on Holocaust art. Make sure to get approval from your instructor if you are selecting something not on the list. Click on the link to see the list:
List of Artists/Artworks
1. Morris Kestelman: Lama Sabachthani [Why Have You Forsaken Me?]
2. George Mayer-Marton: Women with Boudlers
3. Bill Spira: Prisoners Carrying Cement
4. Jan Hartman: Death March (Czechowice-Bielsko, January 1945)
5. Edgar Ainsworth: Belsen
6. Leslie Cole: One of the Death Pits, Belsen. SS Guards Collecting Bodies
7. Doris Zinkeisen: Human Laundry, Belsen: April 1945
8. Eric Taylor: A Young Boy from Belsen Concentration Camp
9. Mary Kessell: Notes from Belsen Camp
10. Edith Birkin: The Death Cart - Lodz Ghetto
11. Shmuel Dresner: Benjamin
12. Roman Halter: Mother with Babies
13. Leo Breuer: Path Between the Barracks, Gurs Camp
14. Leo (Lev) Haas: Transport Arrival, Theresienstadt Ghetto
15. Jacob Lipschitz: Beaten (My Brother Gedalyahu)
16. Norbert Troller: Terezin
17. Anselm Kiefer: Sternenfall
Write an analysis of each artwork, including the following information:
1. Identify the title, artist, date completed, and medium used.
2. Explain the content of the artwork - what do the images show?
3. How does the artwork relate to the bigger picture of the Holocaust?
4. How effective is the artwork in relating the Holocaust to viewers?
Option III: Video
Watch the following video:
Video: "The Holocaust" (35:00)
Write a paper on what you learned about peoples' experiences and intentions during the Holocaust:
1. What were the Nazis thinking of when they made these decisions?
2. What were the otherwise good people of Germany thinking when they allowed it to go on?
3. What were the victims of this genocide thinking and feeling as they went through this terrible process?
4. Describe at least one part of the video that had the greatest impact on you.
5. How effective are the writings/images in the video in relating the Holocaust to viewers?
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
1. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
References
Faison, H. (Director), & Faison, H., Maguire, J., Cotton, E., & Nathan, L. (Producers). (1985). The Holocaust [Video]. Guidance Associates. Academic Video Online.