Kaposvar, Hungary - July 3-July 9 1977
I found it interesting that her daughter and one of her sons (the only ones with family names) had recurring nightmares as children. Mr.Hayashida also talked about something of a curse.. Could this be the same type of thing? They also say that the disposition of a child is somewhat determined by the state of the mother during those 9 months before birth -- Surely Jutka was stressed.. Could this have also lead to their nightmares?
I know how strong Jutka is, but I still found it amazing that she was able to go back there and laugh with friends about old times, walk the streets without weeping incessantly, and walk through the homes of the friends and family she once adored and know that essentially nothing remained of their possessions or personal touches that had added to the house it once was. I found it interesting how that one song being played in a restaurant set off that internal tumult, as if attending her father's funeral. She has seen so much death and yet the memory of her Papa still brings so much pain to her heart.
Another thing that I've noticed about this book is that they think of family in a much different way than we do now. They died for eachother, protected one another, and did everything that was possible to keep eachother going. That entire family, and most of the families around them, were completely selfless, and that's a beautiful thing. Most of this generation can not look eachother in the face and say that they would die for their mother, brother, sister, uncle, even a grandparent's safety. We would probably say that we would try to help them, but how does that compare to what Jutka and her family did on a daily basis. They risked everything they had just to get a better meal that day. They would barter off bits of bread to make someone's outfit look or feel more like it would have at home. A lot of us don't know that kind of selfless giving, and probably won't until something ultimately changes our lives so dramatically that anything even remotely negative towards those we love will seem totally foreign. We as a nation, and a generation, need to treasure those around us and take nothing for granted. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen, but I'm looking forward to a day when I can honestly say that I am one of those people, without having any reserves. It will be a remarkable day when someone in power can say that as well.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Chapter 13 - My American Captain
Leipzig, Germany - May 15- July 3, 1945
Aww! I didn't think I'd like Ike at first, but he turned out to be super sweet and caring and affectionate and aww... It will be good for Jutka to not have to worry about death or starvation or anything that doesn't involve being happy for a while now. I know that she won't be able to forget what has happened in the past couple of years, but it won't be at the forefront of her mind anymore. Peti probably wasn't going to work out in the long run, anyways. He was a platonic love interest, kept in Jutka's mind only by his poetry, which she no longer recieved in the camps. She probably used his image and the idea of his love to get her through some situations, but I don't believe that he had much other influence on her life.
Go Ike <3
Aww! I didn't think I'd like Ike at first, but he turned out to be super sweet and caring and affectionate and aww... It will be good for Jutka to not have to worry about death or starvation or anything that doesn't involve being happy for a while now. I know that she won't be able to forget what has happened in the past couple of years, but it won't be at the forefront of her mind anymore. Peti probably wasn't going to work out in the long run, anyways. He was a platonic love interest, kept in Jutka's mind only by his poetry, which she no longer recieved in the camps. She probably used his image and the idea of his love to get her through some situations, but I don't believe that he had much other influence on her life.
Go Ike <3
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Chapter 12 - Liberation in Leipzig
Leipzig, Germany - Spring 1945
So the Americans have freed them from their latest prison, but they're not quite out of the hole yet. It's just their luck that as soon as they find some real food, the stomachs that have sustained themselves on mere scraps for months can no longer tolerate such rich morsels.
I was also mildly surprised that the liberated actually raided a factory. I guess that I suspected the camps would have instilled a near permanent sense of... almost humbleness, but not quite. More like helplessness. Or maybe it was just that sheer need to survive. At least some of the scavengers found new clothing. It was well deserved.
So the Americans have freed them from their latest prison, but they're not quite out of the hole yet. It's just their luck that as soon as they find some real food, the stomachs that have sustained themselves on mere scraps for months can no longer tolerate such rich morsels.
I was also mildly surprised that the liberated actually raided a factory. I guess that I suspected the camps would have instilled a near permanent sense of... almost humbleness, but not quite. More like helplessness. Or maybe it was just that sheer need to survive. At least some of the scavengers found new clothing. It was well deserved.
Chapter 11 - Seed of Sarah
Hessisch Lichtenau and Weimar, Germany - 1944-45
Ah, resourcefulness was just mentioned in class. Mama and Magdar have been risking so much to help feed eachother... And you know they're starving when Jutka ends up digging through trash and becoming greedy for a moldy carrot. It's things like this that make me wonder if I would be able to live like that... I suppose that if I were starving in a camp like that, I would be digging through trash just as she was, but it's a difficult thought.
The guards are very bitter people. You would think that if they were carrying out what they thought to be "right," then they would be a bit happier. But no, they feel the need to go on rants about how these poor women will never see a man again, never have sex, etc. Was she jealous of their prospects? (kidding...) Jutka was just standing there thinking, and she automatically gets accused of lusting for a man she's never had more than a breif conversation with. These guards pretend that they have control over every aspect of these soul's lives, but in reality, they just control what they eat (to some degree) and where they work. No matter how hard they may try, they will never control their thoughts, their will, or their bonds with eachother. That broken family of three has done everything they thought possible to keep eachother alive, and have come out successful.
Even on their way to a new camp, they sit together and exchange recipes. They might never be able to use those recipes, or even see something of that sort again in some cases, but that's how they make conversation and entertain themselves without losing their sanity as so many before them have.
Ah, resourcefulness was just mentioned in class. Mama and Magdar have been risking so much to help feed eachother... And you know they're starving when Jutka ends up digging through trash and becoming greedy for a moldy carrot. It's things like this that make me wonder if I would be able to live like that... I suppose that if I were starving in a camp like that, I would be digging through trash just as she was, but it's a difficult thought.
The guards are very bitter people. You would think that if they were carrying out what they thought to be "right," then they would be a bit happier. But no, they feel the need to go on rants about how these poor women will never see a man again, never have sex, etc. Was she jealous of their prospects? (kidding...) Jutka was just standing there thinking, and she automatically gets accused of lusting for a man she's never had more than a breif conversation with. These guards pretend that they have control over every aspect of these soul's lives, but in reality, they just control what they eat (to some degree) and where they work. No matter how hard they may try, they will never control their thoughts, their will, or their bonds with eachother. That broken family of three has done everything they thought possible to keep eachother alive, and have come out successful.
Even on their way to a new camp, they sit together and exchange recipes. They might never be able to use those recipes, or even see something of that sort again in some cases, but that's how they make conversation and entertain themselves without losing their sanity as so many before them have.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Chapter 10 - Options
Hessisch Lichtenau, Germany - Autumn 1944
I can see where she had assumed that rape was in store for her, what with the news from the Russian front and the rumors of concumbines floating around. I fully agree with a statement that she made before discovering this, though, because it emphasizes that rape is not a new addition to war, or to history in general, in any way. "'My plight is not unique,' I told myself, 'I'm caught in an ancient rite of sex and war.'" (pg 90). She again shows how brave she can be by not giving in before stepping into the house, by looking the woman in the eye and listening to her orders before realizing what "clean girl" meant. She is still a young woman and yet she is one of the bravest of the lot. I find it hard not to admire her character and perserverance.
It seems that the kapo has been looking out for them as of late. Judit doesn't really explain how she knows certain things, but she saved all three of them from imminent death. Why couldn't they have set Magdar's finger instead of cutting it off? she might have still had use of it when it healed... maybe...
I can see where she had assumed that rape was in store for her, what with the news from the Russian front and the rumors of concumbines floating around. I fully agree with a statement that she made before discovering this, though, because it emphasizes that rape is not a new addition to war, or to history in general, in any way. "'My plight is not unique,' I told myself, 'I'm caught in an ancient rite of sex and war.'" (pg 90). She again shows how brave she can be by not giving in before stepping into the house, by looking the woman in the eye and listening to her orders before realizing what "clean girl" meant. She is still a young woman and yet she is one of the bravest of the lot. I find it hard not to admire her character and perserverance.
It seems that the kapo has been looking out for them as of late. Judit doesn't really explain how she knows certain things, but she saved all three of them from imminent death. Why couldn't they have set Magdar's finger instead of cutting it off? she might have still had use of it when it healed... maybe...
Chapter 9 - Alone With the Kommandant
Hessisch Lichtenau, Germany - August 1944
Oooh.... so she and her aunt and mother all snuck onto the laborer's train. It's interesting how learned helplessness seeps into every aspect of their lives and thinking. This group of people, once living in houses such as those they saw, are now awestruck by the sheer thought of even residing in a house, sleeping on a bed, and having privacy.
Judit has to have the worst luck of any person I have ever read about. Death would have been an easy(-ier) escape than what she is faced with now. How could she even continue walking, knowing what lay ahead of her? Maybe if she had collapsed on the ground he would have spared her in some way... I don't know, I just know that this probably won't end well.
Oooh.... so she and her aunt and mother all snuck onto the laborer's train. It's interesting how learned helplessness seeps into every aspect of their lives and thinking. This group of people, once living in houses such as those they saw, are now awestruck by the sheer thought of even residing in a house, sleeping on a bed, and having privacy.
Judit has to have the worst luck of any person I have ever read about. Death would have been an easy(-ier) escape than what she is faced with now. How could she even continue walking, knowing what lay ahead of her? Maybe if she had collapsed on the ground he would have spared her in some way... I don't know, I just know that this probably won't end well.
Chapter 8 - Stay Together!
Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland - July 1944
Such an act of rebellion! She was right to avoid the transport at all costs, and I'm glad that she had the courage to do so. I'm just wondering how her mother escaped? And where did they go after avoiding gunpoint? They just seemed to plop down in some location and sigh in relief. I suppose they'll expand on this next chapter, but I thought I'd say something about it now.
Such an act of rebellion! She was right to avoid the transport at all costs, and I'm glad that she had the courage to do so. I'm just wondering how her mother escaped? And where did they go after avoiding gunpoint? They just seemed to plop down in some location and sigh in relief. I suppose they'll expand on this next chapter, but I thought I'd say something about it now.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Chapter 7 - A Hostile Planet
Aushwitz-Birkenau, Poland - July 1944
The girls at the latrine had a point -- You need to be strong to survive more than a short while there. The stew might be made of twigs, but at the very least they're feeding them. The poison puddle was also crafty... Who would have thought to lure people out with a necessity, only to have it be their downfall? And it worked so easily with the crowd...
Ah, the mysterious Mrs. Paskusz... Is she friend or foe? She produces news and sermons, but who is to say that she isn't one of the guards in disguise? That she isn't another Kapo in a kinder shell? There are those to trust while in the camps, and those to be cautious of. I suppose we'll have to see where her kindness leads.
The girls at the latrine had a point -- You need to be strong to survive more than a short while there. The stew might be made of twigs, but at the very least they're feeding them. The poison puddle was also crafty... Who would have thought to lure people out with a necessity, only to have it be their downfall? And it worked so easily with the crowd...
Ah, the mysterious Mrs. Paskusz... Is she friend or foe? She produces news and sermons, but who is to say that she isn't one of the guards in disguise? That she isn't another Kapo in a kinder shell? There are those to trust while in the camps, and those to be cautious of. I suppose we'll have to see where her kindness leads.
Chapter 6 - Arrival
Kaposvar, Hungary and Auschwitz, Poland - July 5-July 8, 1944
The lies they tell people.... It was probably to make things go more smoothly, but why bother with that when you're throwing people out of a train, and the old & insane people onto a funeral pyre to be set on fire? It's sad that they'll never see Nana again, though...
The lies they tell people.... It was probably to make things go more smoothly, but why bother with that when you're throwing people out of a train, and the old & insane people onto a funeral pyre to be set on fire? It's sad that they'll never see Nana again, though...
NEED TO KNOW FOR S.O.S.
This is what Mrs. Gunn told us to type out for you guys.
Judit/Jutka - other names for Judith
Dr. Biczo - her favorite teacher
Ilona - Judith's best friend
Jani - Her father
Rozsi - Her mom
Anti - childhood sweetheart
Magda - Her favorite aunt
Peter (Peti) Hanak - her first "serious" boyfriend
"interesting things"
- Magyar - ethnic group known as the Hungarian people. The name Magyar is considered very patriotic
- The Jewish laws that were mentioned - laws that were "negotiated" between Germany/Hungary to suppress Jewish culture --- In return, Germany "agreed" not to invade Hungary... Right. Cause that just lasted so long.
- Gentile - Someone who is not Jewish
- Anti-Semite - someone/something who is against Jews or Jewish culture
- Aryan - anyone descended from northern Europe.... usually blonde hair/blue eyes
Judit/Jutka - other names for Judith
Dr. Biczo - her favorite teacher
Ilona - Judith's best friend
Jani - Her father
Rozsi - Her mom
Anti - childhood sweetheart
Magda - Her favorite aunt
Peter (Peti) Hanak - her first "serious" boyfriend
"interesting things"
- Magyar - ethnic group known as the Hungarian people. The name Magyar is considered very patriotic
- The Jewish laws that were mentioned - laws that were "negotiated" between Germany/Hungary to suppress Jewish culture --- In return, Germany "agreed" not to invade Hungary... Right. Cause that just lasted so long.
- Gentile - Someone who is not Jewish
- Anti-Semite - someone/something who is against Jews or Jewish culture
- Aryan - anyone descended from northern Europe.... usually blonde hair/blue eyes
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Chapter 5 - Humans and Apricots
Kaposvar, Hungary - June 1944
So the time for deportation has arrived... When Jutka was talking about the fruit, was she talking of her virginity or being as a whole? Her body will physically will rot in the coming conditions, but the former can and most likely will be taken from her in the coming days or weeks... When there was mention of poison earlier in the book, were they carrying it for themselves should rape be imminent, or were they going to attempt to poison their attackers?
There was so much death being discussed that day... Of fathers committing suicide, of grandfathers dying while in a coma, and of spirits taking a toll.
The young doctor and the old spinster... Married in a stable, making love in the stalls, while four other people inhabit that same small space. 5 THOUSAND witnesses to every sound made. I know they're trying to make the best of a horrible situation, but is it entirely necessary to have sex that often? And that poor old man... Blinded and broken because of a coin collection. These people are taking over a continent, and they feel the urge to torture innocent men and women further than they already intend to do for a few coins? That doesn't even to fit into their "reasons for war" list. The nazis are ruthless in their "motives" and actions. They're already putting these innocent people into concentration camps, raiding their homes, bombing their towns, and sending cartloads of young girls off to be raped and killed by their soldiers. And I know that it seems out of place for me to be talking about a man defending his coin collection while hundreds upon hundreds of young women are being raped, but rape is a part of every war... Every nation has participated in it, whether or not their like to admit it... Stripping people of their dignity seems to be a favorite of war.
So the time for deportation has arrived... When Jutka was talking about the fruit, was she talking of her virginity or being as a whole? Her body will physically will rot in the coming conditions, but the former can and most likely will be taken from her in the coming days or weeks... When there was mention of poison earlier in the book, were they carrying it for themselves should rape be imminent, or were they going to attempt to poison their attackers?
There was so much death being discussed that day... Of fathers committing suicide, of grandfathers dying while in a coma, and of spirits taking a toll.
The young doctor and the old spinster... Married in a stable, making love in the stalls, while four other people inhabit that same small space. 5 THOUSAND witnesses to every sound made. I know they're trying to make the best of a horrible situation, but is it entirely necessary to have sex that often? And that poor old man... Blinded and broken because of a coin collection. These people are taking over a continent, and they feel the urge to torture innocent men and women further than they already intend to do for a few coins? That doesn't even to fit into their "reasons for war" list. The nazis are ruthless in their "motives" and actions. They're already putting these innocent people into concentration camps, raiding their homes, bombing their towns, and sending cartloads of young girls off to be raped and killed by their soldiers. And I know that it seems out of place for me to be talking about a man defending his coin collection while hundreds upon hundreds of young women are being raped, but rape is a part of every war... Every nation has participated in it, whether or not their like to admit it... Stripping people of their dignity seems to be a favorite of war.
Chapter 4 - Our General
Kaposvar, Hungary - Spring 1944
Judith has proved to be an exceptional girl. She is unafraid where others tremble, instead of relinquishing her prized possessions, she finds temporary homes for them.
How much strength of will would it take for you to watch all of your possessions being taken away, those who you thought were friends threatening to steal your house and property from you, and dealing with bombings and constant fear all the while? Could any of us in this country truly say that we could repeat Judith's actions with our heads held as high as hers? I'm glad that her grandfather didn't have to go through the concentration camps at age 84... but it's sad that out of her entire family, that she's the only one who survived.
Judith has proved to be an exceptional girl. She is unafraid where others tremble, instead of relinquishing her prized possessions, she finds temporary homes for them.
How much strength of will would it take for you to watch all of your possessions being taken away, those who you thought were friends threatening to steal your house and property from you, and dealing with bombings and constant fear all the while? Could any of us in this country truly say that we could repeat Judith's actions with our heads held as high as hers? I'm glad that her grandfather didn't have to go through the concentration camps at age 84... but it's sad that out of her entire family, that she's the only one who survived.
Chapter 3 - Four Years
Kaposvar, Hungary - 1939-1943
It seems a bit inappropriate to me that Dr. Biczo has a "harem" of young girls... Instead of spending their time with other girls their age and, heaven forbid, their FRIENDS, this group of girls gathers at every break to talk in his office about different subjects, then carry his books to the next class. Why can't he carry his own books? Or even get a backpack? Perhaps a cart...
Speaking of carts... How can an entire society believe "rumors" like that to be made up? I had just heard about the girls being carted off before I finished the chapter, and I almost didn't believe it. Maybe that was the optimist (meh) in me... I guess I was wrong on that one. Very wrong.
It seems a bit inappropriate to me that Dr. Biczo has a "harem" of young girls... Instead of spending their time with other girls their age and, heaven forbid, their FRIENDS, this group of girls gathers at every break to talk in his office about different subjects, then carry his books to the next class. Why can't he carry his own books? Or even get a backpack? Perhaps a cart...
Speaking of carts... How can an entire society believe "rumors" like that to be made up? I had just heard about the girls being carted off before I finished the chapter, and I almost didn't believe it. Maybe that was the optimist (meh) in me... I guess I was wrong on that one. Very wrong.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Chapter 2 - Grandfather Escapes
Kaposvar, Hungary - December 1938
Their teacher was totally out of line when he went hunting like that. Yes, teachers have some authority over the students, and yes, people are allowed to voice their opinions (albeit inappropriate to do so in the presence of students,) combining those two liberties into a toxic concoction meant to bleed out the souls and beliefs of ones‘ students is amoral.
Along with her Grandfather’s death, Judith also witnessed the slow but steady decay of all she recognized. Her father lost his whistle, mornings lost their joy, and she was about to lose her life as she knew it. Indeed, grandfather escaped. He escaped the world he, and all other semites knew, was about to take a sharp and painful turn for the worst.
“Warte nur, balde, ruhest du auch -- Wait, soon, you too will rest.”
But this “rest” doesn’t seem close at hand. At the very least, not for Judith.
Their teacher was totally out of line when he went hunting like that. Yes, teachers have some authority over the students, and yes, people are allowed to voice their opinions (albeit inappropriate to do so in the presence of students,) combining those two liberties into a toxic concoction meant to bleed out the souls and beliefs of ones‘ students is amoral.
Along with her Grandfather’s death, Judith also witnessed the slow but steady decay of all she recognized. Her father lost his whistle, mornings lost their joy, and she was about to lose her life as she knew it. Indeed, grandfather escaped. He escaped the world he, and all other semites knew, was about to take a sharp and painful turn for the worst.
“Warte nur, balde, ruhest du auch -- Wait, soon, you too will rest.”
But this “rest” doesn’t seem close at hand. At the very least, not for Judith.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Chapter 1 - The hidden Crowd
Kaposvar, Hungary -- Spring 1938
So... this needs to be said. Her mom is GORGEOUS! I love that picture of her from 1926.
Judit has an immense love of poetry, and that is easily picked up on by her teachers... But she also has that almost naive, almost obsession, with the changing bodies of the girls around her, and her own. I didn't think that I'd hear a phrase such as God-given breasts in this book, but I suppose that that just adds to the realism of the memoir. 99.99999999999% of adolesents obsess at some point, and the book is just adding to the sense that the story is currently being told by a 13 year old.
"...when father turned on the forbidden voice of BBC from London," I found that interesting, as well. Why would she have a problem with London? Or did her parents teach her that political views such as those were best left for the older folk to worry about?
I am aware that there was a war going on, a horrid war, but what gives someone the idea to go to a SCHOOL PRODUCTION and insult a 13 year old child while she's trying to pay tribute to her country? I understand the dynamics of war, and how everyone involved strives to justify their actions, but what has someone pure of both mind and heart done to insult the indevidual, or provoke the country? There's no justification there, nor will there ever be.
So... this needs to be said. Her mom is GORGEOUS! I love that picture of her from 1926.
Judit has an immense love of poetry, and that is easily picked up on by her teachers... But she also has that almost naive, almost obsession, with the changing bodies of the girls around her, and her own. I didn't think that I'd hear a phrase such as God-given breasts in this book, but I suppose that that just adds to the realism of the memoir. 99.99999999999% of adolesents obsess at some point, and the book is just adding to the sense that the story is currently being told by a 13 year old.
"...when father turned on the forbidden voice of BBC from London," I found that interesting, as well. Why would she have a problem with London? Or did her parents teach her that political views such as those were best left for the older folk to worry about?
I am aware that there was a war going on, a horrid war, but what gives someone the idea to go to a SCHOOL PRODUCTION and insult a 13 year old child while she's trying to pay tribute to her country? I understand the dynamics of war, and how everyone involved strives to justify their actions, but what has someone pure of both mind and heart done to insult the indevidual, or provoke the country? There's no justification there, nor will there ever be.
Seed of Sarah - Preface- How can you smile?
This was a good lead into the story -- Gives you some of her more recent history along with brief mentions of her past. I'm anxious to hear the story that the girl with the braids asked about... Did she mean that she escaped the rape, or escaped the camp THROUGH rape? It's probably the former, but I thought I'd throw that idea out there.
"I must think about it. Yes, I'll certainly think about it."
I'm looking forward to seeing those thoughts on paper.
"I must think about it. Yes, I'll certainly think about it."
I'm looking forward to seeing those thoughts on paper.
Inside Sleeve - Seed of Sara
"This absorving tale moves deftly from the author's idyllic childhood in Hungary through her terrifying coming0of-age as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps and her subsequent marriage to an American intelligence officer.
"The lack of bitterness with which Judith Isaacson tells her story, coupled with her beautifully simple, straightforward prose style, adds power to what is essentially a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Faced with the dehumanizing ordeal of life in Auschwitz, the author and other women prisoners found that humor and make-believe could relieve the horrors of their imprisonment and help them cling to the hope that they could survive and once again be free."
I think this is going to be an interesting book, especially with mention of marriage after the camp. Her lack of bitterness surprises me, as I will most likely be filled with anger and resentment as I read through her life story. I'll continue with the first chapter later on.
"The lack of bitterness with which Judith Isaacson tells her story, coupled with her beautifully simple, straightforward prose style, adds power to what is essentially a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Faced with the dehumanizing ordeal of life in Auschwitz, the author and other women prisoners found that humor and make-believe could relieve the horrors of their imprisonment and help them cling to the hope that they could survive and once again be free."
I think this is going to be an interesting book, especially with mention of marriage after the camp. Her lack of bitterness surprises me, as I will most likely be filled with anger and resentment as I read through her life story. I'll continue with the first chapter later on.
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