Chapter 7, Stereotypes Summary and Analysis

Of those who go through harsh experience, some are shamed into silence and some talk to bear witness, out of sheer relief, for prestige, or because they are invited to share their unique perspective. Few are historians or philosophers, able to provide simple answers. Inevitable are questions about escape, rebellion, and avoiding capture "beforehand." In places where people no longer grub an existence, freedom is considered a "natural and obvious right," and if one is denied it, one has a moral obligation to escape or rebel. This alone wipes out the shame of imprisonment. Literature and films glamorize escapees, but Lagers are filled with the "demoralized and depleted." Having been stripped of citizenship, property, and relatives, Jews have nowhere to run, even if they should survive the barbed wire, electrified grill, patrols, and dogs. Nazi propaganda has made young...