The Capricious Camera
analytical Essay
2721 words
The Capricious Camera
In the years between 1933 and 1945, Germany was engulfed by the rise of a powerful new regime and the eventual spoils of war. During this period, Hitler's quest for racial purification turned Germany not only at odds with itself, but with the rest of the world. Photography as an art and as a business became a regulated and potent force in the fight for Aryan domination, Nazi influence, and anti-Semitism. Whether such images were used to promote Nazi ideology, document the Holocaust, or scare Germany's citizens into accepting their own changing country, the effect of this photography provides enormous insight into the true stories and lives of the people most affected by Hitler's racism. In fact, this photography has become so widespread in our understanding and teaching of the Holocaust that often other factors involved in the Nazi's racial policy have been undervalued in our history textbooks-especially the attempt by Nazi Germany to establish the Nordic Aryans as a master race through the Lebensborn experiment, a breeding and adoption program designed to eliminate racial imperfections.
This other side of the story, so to speak, is evident in Nazi photography, but is not easily accessible or even immediately apparent to viewers. The photograph Mounted Nazi Troops on the Lookout for Likely Polish Children would not be so shocking or historically suggestive without the caption to describe its significance. Who is this young white girl surrounded by armed soldiers? Is she being protected, watched, persecuted? It would be easy enough to assume that she is Jewish, but unlike photos documenting the Holocaust, with this image the intent is uncertain. In our general ignorance of the events surrounding th...
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...saw the image as artistic, subsequent events compel us to try and see the image of the Polish girl with Nazis as journalism. In this endeavor, we must uncover as much as possible about the surrounding context. As much as we can, we need to know this girl's particular story. Without a name, date, place, or relevant data, this girl would fall even further backwards into the chapters of unrecorded history.
Works Cited
"Mounted Nazi Troops on the Lookout for Likely Polish Children." Clay and Leapman.
Clay, Catrine and Michael Leapman. Master Race: The Lebensborn Experiment in Nazi Germany. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1995.
Milton, Sybil. "The Camera as Weapon: Documentary Photography and the Holocaust." Multimedia Learning Center  Museum of Tolerance. The Simon Wiesenthal Center. 1999<http:// motlc.wiesenthal.com/resources/books/ annual1/chap03.html>.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how milton recognizes the possibility that the photograph was taken by a soldier seeking to document the work in poland for his own interests.
- Analyzes how clay and leapman's book, master race, focuses on the concept of racial purification.
- Analyzes how hitler's quest for racial purification turned germany at odds with itself and the rest of the world.
- Analyzes how eugenics improved humankind by eliminating undesirable genetic traits and breeding those that were considered superior.
- Analyzes how the image of the polish girl with nazis was interesting, but ambiguous. labeling two figures who appeared unrelated changed the mood, intent, subject, and purpose.
- Explains clay, catrine, and michael leapman's master race: the lebensborn experiment in nazi germany. milton, sybil. the camera as weapon: documentary photography and the holocaust.
Related
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- The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victimsexplanatory essay"A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust-Victims." A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust-Victims. University of South Florida. Web. 19 May 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how adolf hitler promised germany a new age, an age of prosperity, and that his 'perfect race', the aryans, would be dominant in cultural sense.
- Explains that the germans identified each group with a triangular patch sewn onto the people’s clothes. they also placed letters on the patches showing the country of origin of each person.
- Explains that the roma gypsies, like the jews, were chosen for complete genocide based on their respective race. they were not respected throughout history and denied certain basic rights within countries.
- Explains that the pols were part of a larger group of people known as the slavs. they were not characterized by religion or physical trait, but because of the area of their birth.
- Explains that when the nazi party came to power, the members of the communist and socialist parties resisted its takeover. the nazis sent most of them to concentration camps where they were considered political prisoners.
- Describes how the 'euthanasia project' was secretly used by the nazis to kill the mentally and physically handicapped in the holocaust.
- Explains that jehovah's witnesses were persecuted based on religion, like the jews. they refused to salute flags, raise their arms to hitler, and serve in the german army.
- Explains that hitler's view of a perfect world, homosexuals were not part of it and deserved to be killed.
- Explains that african-german people were persecuted based on their skin color and lineage. during world war i, germany brought in africans to help fight the war.
873 wordsRead More - The Mischlinge: The Forgotten Victims of The Holocaustanalytical essayThose of half and quarter Jewish descent remain largely forgotten in the history of the Third Reich and genocide of the Holocaust. Known as Mischlinge, persons of deemed “mixed blood” or “hybrid” status faced extensive persecution and alienation within German society and found themselves in the crosshairs of a rampant National Socialist racial ideology. Controversially, these people proved somewhat difficult to define under Nazi law that sought to cleave the Volk from the primarily Jewish “other”, and as the mechanization toward Hitler’s “Final Solution” the Mischlinge faced probable annihilation. The somewhat neglected status of Mischlinge necessitates a refocusing on German racialization as well as reconsideration of the implications wrought by the alienation and ultimate persecution of the thousands of half and quarter Jews subjugated in Nazi Germany.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that mischlinge, people of mixed blood or hybrid status, faced extensive persecution and alienation within german society and faced probable annihilation.
- Analyzes how the use of mischlinge and other labels intended to denote mixed blood evolved out of well-established racial conceptions central to germany and the third reich ideology.
- Explains that anti-semitism and xenophobia fuelled german nationalism and the idea of pure racial solidarity.
- Explains that the nuremberg laws of 1935 decreed that german citizens with two jewish grandparents were first degree mischlinge, and those with a single jewish grandparent were considered second degree verteljude.
- Explains that mischlinge under nazi law applied to a significant portion of german society as well as social and ethnic groups.
- Analyzes how nazi racialization of jews was deeply pervasive of vital aspects of german citizens' lives.
- Explains that the nazification of schools meant a large part of social segregation and as the discrimination against full-jews escalated, the hounding of the mischlinge intensified.
- Explains that mischlinge and full-jews maintained their professions in the business sector because the priority was to revive the economy and reduce unemployment. good business at the cost of racial pollution undoubtedly warranted legal exceptions.
- Analyzes how the mischlinge were forced to live quasi-integrated in the society that was persecuting them as the total subjugation of jewish influence escalated toward hitler's "final solution."
- Explains that the wannsee conference of 1942 dealt with the purported "final solution" and the fate of european jews was sealed.
- Explains that the mischlinge's case was deferred until the end of the war, but certain subcategories were held directly accountable to the "final solution".
- Explains that the mischlinge were rounded up by the gestapo for forced labor at the end of the war. they were set for the exact same course as countless other jews already being systematically murdered.
- Opines that the overarching fate of the mischlinge ended not in death camps, as the germans surrendered on may 8, 1945 and ended the european front of world war ii.
- Analyzes how the mischlinge were torn between half identities and a society that contradicted itself in allowing their sustained citizenship while maintaining their status as pariahs. their duality in history serves as irrefutable testimony to the vast reach of nazi ideological brutality.
- Cites ehmann, annegret, and glasser, ingeborg. the dance of the panther: a memoir of love and terror in nazi germany.
2520 wordsRead More - The Holocaustanalytical essayPrior to the beginning of the Holocaust, prejudice tensions were booming across the European continent. Germans, especially, turned their tide of emotions against one another after loosing World War I. Hitler’s authoritative perspective pursued the Germans hatred in the direction of a specific sectional group – civilians of the Jewish religion. Rising from their sharp distaste of Jewish lineage, Germans instilled a government policy that permitted such segregation and the inferior treatment of a particular group of humanity. The Nuremberg Race Laws, passe...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how anne frank's quote signifies the essence of the holocaust’s legacy. the holocaust marked a significant point in the history of world war ii because it influenced the modern-day outlook.
- Analyzes how prejudice tensions were booming across europe prior to the holocaust. hitler's authoritative perspective pursued the germans hatred in the direction of a specific sectional group — civilians of the jewish religion.
- Analyzes how the germans hoped that by confining jews in unsanitary housing conditions and restricting their daily nourishment, they would cease to exist.
- Explains how hitler's "final solution" eliminated all ghetto development through artillery fire or deportation to concentration camps.
- Analyzes how the holocaust signified the incomprehensible ability of one political leader and the effects of his unforgivable beliefs that ultimately led to the massive destruction of millions of people.
745 wordsRead More - The Holocaustexplanatory essayGoldhagen, Daniel Jonah. Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust. New York: Vintage, 1997. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide was approved unanimously in 1948.
- Explains that adolf hitler gained support by promoting anti-semitism with charismatic oratory and propaganda and transformed the weimar republic into the third reich, a single-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of nazism
- Describes heinrich himmler's role as reichsführer of the ss, a military commander, and leading nazi party member. he oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the gestapo.
- Explains reinhard heydrich, a high-ranking german nazi official, chaired the wannsee conference in 1942, which discussed plans for the deportation and extermination of all jews in german-occupied territories.
- Explains that adolf otto eichmann was a german nazi and ss-lieutenant colonel and one major organizers of the holocaust. he was charged with the task of simplifying and managing the logistics of mass deportation of jews to ghettos and extermination camps in german-occupied eastern europe.
- Explains that richard glücks was a high-ranking nazi official directly responsible for the forced labor of the camp inmates.
- Describes rudolf ferdinand höss, a ss-lieutenant colonel, who was the first commandant of auschwitz.
- Explains that christian wirth was a german police and ss officer during the program to exterminate the jewish people of poland during world war ii.
- Explains that germans blamed the jews for all their misfortunes, including their lack of food, their defeat in world war i, and high interest loans on the government’s purchase of weaponry.
- Explains that jewish teachers were fired regardless of their education, teaching ability or accomplishments. the nazis warned that the jews were threats to germany and world peace, which made the schools a hostile place for the jewish students.
- Explains that the treaty of versailles installed a democratic government called the weimar republic, unaccustomed to democracy; many germans had little faith in their president and elected reichstag.
- Explains that jews were not allowed to participate in politics, nor had professions like doctors or lawyers. they were initially in the ghettos, where they were isolated from the society.
- Narrates how jewish homes and businesses were vandalized, doors and windows broken, about 800 were destroyed, and synagogues burned to aches. insurance companies did not cover the costs for repairs.
- Explains that concentration camps and extermination camps were built by germany in their territory or in occupied territories. the number of camps increased during the years 1939 to 1943.
- Cites buignion, françois (2002-11-05). "dialogue with the past: the icrc and the nazi death camps".
- Explains bartoletti, susan campbell, and hitler youth.
- States that dwork, deborah, and r. j. van pelt. holocaust: a history. new york: norton, 2002.
- Analyzes samantha power's "a problem from hell": america and the age of genocide.
- Describes gottfried, ted, and stephen alcorn's deniers of the holocaust. brookfield, ct: twenty-first century, 2001.
- Explains goldhagen, daniel jonah, hitler's willing executioners: ordinary germans and the holocaust.
- Explains the term anti-semitism, which refers to the prejudice or hostility against the jews.
- Explains that anti-semitism became a political force in germany after the historian heinrich von treitschke's article stating that "the jews are our misfortune". nazi propagandists used propaganda to create external and internal enemies.
- Explains that the sanctions of the treaty of versailles in 1919 forced germany to relinquish its territories and pay an enormous sum of money as reparations for war damages.
- Explains how hitler established an absolute dictatorship, requiring officers and men to take an oath of allegiance to hitler. hitler invited the austrian chancellor, kurt von schuschnigg, to bertesgarden and forced him to sign an agreement.
- Explains that the reichstag members approved hitler's request to suspend civil rights, including the sanctity of the home, the privacy of mail phone conversations, and the freedom of speech, press and assembly. anti-semitism became a nazi government policy in 1935.
- Explains that the évian conference was held in 1938 to free jews from their persecutors, but internal situations in those countries did not allow them to get results. the international committee of the red cross did little to save jews during the holocaust.
- Opines that society has to remember the events in the world during the nazi dominion and to avoid events like the spanish inquisition, napoleonic wars, world war i, especially the holocaust.
2615 wordsRead More - David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedarsanalytical essayGesensway, Deborah and Mindy Roseman. Beyond Words: Images from America's Concentration Camps. London: Cornell University Press, 1987.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how kabou miyamoto in david guterson's snow falling on cedars could easily have been presumed guilty of murder simply because of his japanese ancestry.
- Analyzes how 93 percent of americans supported the evacuation of alien japanese, and 59 percent supported removal of japanese-americans who were citizens.
- Narrates how fbi agents broke through george akimoto's house with sub-machine guns and took his father to jail. many japanese-american families were in the same situation during this time.
- Explains that japanese families were sent off to internment camps in april 1942, and many lost valuable possessions they had earned after long years of hard work.
- Explains that even after the dramatic relocation of all americans of japanese descent brought about by executive order 9066, most people still resented the japanese and felt the actions were justified.
- Narrates how the japanese were filled with joy in anticipation of their freedom, but soon realized they were returning to an unchanged society. the american legion removed the names of nisei servicemen from the town's honor roll.
- Narrates how senator daniel inouye received heartless postwar treatment after he spent two years in recovery from wounds obtained in combat.
- Analyzes how the historical events discussed in the previous paragraphs explain the social atmosphere surrounding the trial in snow falling on cedars by david guterson.
- Analyzes how the coroner, horace whaley, is an accurate representation of how many americans jumped to conclusions concerning japanese-americans.
- Explains that sheriff art moran is also guilty of prejudice towards kabou, primarily because he is japanese. he suspects kabuo because of mrs heine's motive due to the land dispute and horace’s opinion.
- Analyzes how alvin hooks uses the pre-conception the jury has for japanese-americans to sway them into assigning kabou a charge of guilty.
- Analyzes hooks' hopes that the jury will look at kabou and see a jap, the enemy. many of the town people see kabuo in this way as did most americans for many years following pearl harbor and the war.
- Analyzes how kabou's fate was sealed before the trial began, despite the common belief in american justice that you are innocent until proven guilty.
- Cites gesensway, deborah, and mindy roseman. beyond words: images from america's concentration camps.
1730 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Anna Bikont's Book 'Neighbors'analytical essayIt is easy to get caught up in the details of the event itself, however, it is a challenge to look past the cover of the controversy and really understand the underlying importance of this event. Yes a massacre of Jewish residents took place in 1941, yes it was a horrific event, yet even as horrific as it was it changed the history of Polish and Jewish relationships forever. This history between the two groups have been overlooked for years and these books now give the opportunity to uncover another aspect of World War ll history in reference to Polish character and Jewish
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how jan t. gross' book 'neighbors' has contributed to the scholarly evolution of insight into the polish crimes committed against the jewish during world war ll.
- Analyzes how antony polonsky and joanna michlic use their book 'neighbors respond' to teach the public about polish history during world war ll and the cultural background leading up to the massacre in jedwabne
- Analyzes how anna bikont's book is more than a book of memory, but it is also about forgetting, about the conflict between the easy, convenient truth and the awkward, hard truth.
- Analyzes how gross's book, 'neighbors', has allowed insight into not just the horrific details of the event, but the bigger picture about the history of these two ethnic groups.
- Analyzes how bikont, polonksy, and gross's books reveal polish character and jewish cruelty in relation to world war ll.
1384 wordsRead More - Maus I & IIanalytical essayAs mentioned before, graphic novels can be great tools for some, if not all, readers. As well the holocausts can be a difficult subject, not always easy to read about. Using graphic novels, which often is associated with children, to represent a traumatic event can be problematic: “The enormity of atrocity is such that the very act of representing it risked trivializing or over-dramatizing it,”(2). In other words, the author has to be very cautions when writing serious graphic novels not to get too creative and dramatize the situation even more than what already was. Spiegelman presents his vision of the legacy of the Holocaust in a new and innovative way—through images and words simultaneously.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that graphic novels are ideal for visual learners, inexperienced or unenthused readers, and anyone else who may not find traditional print books enticing.
- Opines that graphic novels can be great tools for some, if not all, readers, but the holocausts are a difficult subject, not always easy to read about.
- Analyzes how spiegelman uses different strategies to keep his graphic novel unlike the others while still remaining true to the subject.
- Analyzes how maus ii depicts mice being undressed, beaten, and threatened. the text gives a description to the frame in telling what was going on as well as what people were saying.
- Analyzes how maus ii uses graphic novels to take on a serious subject.
- Analyzes how maus ii depicts the underweight and skinny mice in a line with two areas on the sides of them.
- Analyzes how spiegelman creates a bonding relationship between the image and the text unlike any other graphic novel of his time.
- Describes the sources of information on graphic novels in schools and libraries.
1119 wordsRead More - The People Who Survived The Holocaustanalytical essay1st Part Hall, Allan Incredible Stories of young Jews who hid in the heart of Nazi Berlin The Daily Record 23 March 2013 www.dailyrecord.co.uk Rolf
In this essay, the author
- Explains that millions of jews lost their lives because of who they were, but many hid and survived this dark event in history.
- Narrates how rolf and alfred watched as nazis rounded up friends, classmates, family, and each other.
- Narrates how rolf weighed less than 98 pounds and was taken to a jewish hospital, not wanting to spread the supposed disease. he jumped from the second floor and dragged himself to where alfred was hiding.
- Narrates how the russian soldier took the brothers to his commanding officer who happened to be jewish and asked them to pray in hebrew.
- Analyzes how rolf fought through every thought to give up, every notion to stop fighting. rahel renate mann found safety in the basement of a church until the age of seven.
- Narrates how rahel recalls the horrors of the war and how soldiers came to her rescue after spending more strenuous months in the cold room.
- Explains that belgium was supposed to be neutral, but the king of brussels feared that his country would be overcome by outside forces, so he decided to help hitler. jeannine and her family foresaw everything that was to come.
- Narrates how they lived in this home for two years and never felt love. they wish they could go back and thank the lady who hid them.
- Explains that jeannine was allowed to go outside into the backyard just to keep her sanity. the nazis loved to parade, forcing everyone to open their doors and watch.
- Narrates how a cat ran across the backyard while she was hiding, and she grabbed it up to protect it from the soldiers.
- Analyzes how the skostag family helped traffic escaped jewish families and people to safety.
- Narrates how a mother and father were being guided through the forest late one night and the germans were hot on their tails. the mother tried to warm the baby but he soon began to cry again.
- Opines that everyone has a will to live, death is not something people look forward to or want especially with the anxiety and fear the jewish race went through.
- Cites allan incredible stories of young jews who hid in the heart of nazi berlin. rahelmenzer, john jeannine burk, and scandinavia personal stories.
1327 wordsRead More - Didi-Hubermananalytical essayAn important part of this research comprise pictures taken by Jewish victims. French philosopher and art historian Didi-Huberman, who analyzed the images of Sonderkommando at Auschwitz, described these photographs as the “images in spite of all,” since they reflect the resistance of the Jewish victims. In Lithuania clandestine pictures were taken in the Kovno ghetto by George Kaddish, an amateur photographer. His photographs depicted the ghetto streets and portraits of the Lithuanian Jews. The work suggests that Kadish, while recording the life in the ghetto with his camera, resisted the Nazi regime that wanted to completely erase not only the Jews but also any traces of their existence. In contrast to the Nazi imagery, he depicted the Jews
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how photographs taken by jewish victims reflect the resistance of the jews in auschwitz. kaddish's photographs depicted the ghetto streets and portraits of lithuanian jews.
- Analyzes how the memory of the holocaust in lithuania has been gendered through different media. the representation of a jewish woman as an object of sexuality in the single lithuanian feature film ghetto and the use and abuse of child narratives are examined.
408 wordsRead More - Different Perspectives of The Jewish Holocaustanalytical essayThe Holocaust tends to be a bitter memory and an unpleasant subject to discuss. Although this event took place many years ago, repercussions are still present in the twenty first century. Especially in Germany, the Holocaust not only influences patriotism, but it also influences education and immigration policies. In contrast to other countries where nationalism is common, Germany has been forced to lessen the sense of nationalism in order to dispose false beliefs some individuals have of German racism. By allowing people from other countries to become German citizens, Germany avoids transmitting the sense of being a better and a cleaner race. A further sector influenced by the Holocaust is the education system. Approaches to teach about this event are difficult since the Holocaust is a sensitive issue and continues having vital importance in numerous families. Although the Holocaust continues conveying negative influences, the Holocaust also led to positive medical and technological improvements. In fact, numerous improvements are unknowingly implemented in societies today. Therefore, the Holocaust is one of the most horrific and influencing events in history whose repercussions are still felt in Germany today. However, in spite of the horrific occurrences, the associated medical findings and technological improvements make it intricate to look at the Holocaust as plainly evil. Thus, societies should view the Holocaust with a broader perspective.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the holocaust influenced patriotism, education, and immigration policies in germany. it also led to positive medical and technological improvements.
- Explains that the nazi party's main purpose was to abolish communism, but its focus shifted to racial and ethnic purity in order to create a perfect race known as the aryan race.
- Analyzes how lindquist describes teaching the holocaust as a complex process which can frustrate and intimidate educators.
- Analyzes how hollywood's versions of the holocaust alter the events into a simple story of triumph over tragedy. sterritt compares shmuel to real holocaust children.
- Analyzes how the holocaust's effects are mirrored on societies today. the holocaust has influenced germany to refuse chemical and nuclear weapons, asylum, immigration, and citizenship.
- Analyzes how the nazi party provided benefits to the aryan race, including the creation of highways, and the promotion of health awareness.
- Analyzes the impact of history and memory in the federal republic of germany. lutz, felix philipp and omnifile full text mega.
- Analyzes reading, anna, and reich, warren t., "the care-based ethic of nazi medicine and the moral importance of what we care about".
1631 wordsRead More