In Part 4 of Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State, we hear from several Sonderkommandos about the experiences of prisoners who were forced to remove bodies out of the gas chambers and transport them to the crematoria. Lily Brett was born in Germany after World War II but grew up in Australia. Thus she did not have direct experience in the camps. As a poet, however, she chose to write a poem about the Sonderkommando.
Source: From The Auschwitz Poems by Lily Brett. Melbourne: Scribe Publications Pty Ltd, 1986. Used with permission of the author.
The Sonderkommando
those prisoners
known as
the Death Squad
merely
shuffled
death around
re-arranging
and
re-packaging
the components
they
herded
crowds
into the showers
pulled
them
out
gassed
hosed
them
to get rid of
the crap
hooked
the slippery bodies
with
thongs around the wrists
and
piled
them
into
the
elevators
for
the
ovens.
* Look at the form of the poem. Why do you think Brett chose to use such short lines and so little description? What effect does this have on the reader?
* According to the poem, what did Sonderkommandos have to do?
* What tone does Brett use to describe the work of the Sonderkommandos? What effect does this tone have on the reader?
* Why do you think the Nazis chose Jews to do this task?
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Brett most likely chose to use small, short lines to give the reader's imagination a single pause to imagine the scene of which she is telling of. It lets the words sink in and not overload the brain with to much horrible yet sad information. The Sonderkommandos job as described in the poem was hard but necessary, they helped their people keep calm and at peace for as long as it was possible to give them just that little bit of happiness before they were sent to their death. The Nazis themselves chose Jews to do this because this was one of their ways to keep their soldiers and personal human.
ReplyDelete1- I think he shows to write his poem in that mannor to give a bigger ampact to the reader.
ReplyDelete2- Hose down the prisoners, transport their bodies, and put thongs around their wrists
3-He uses a negative tone towards them, it makes the reader thin negative towards the things they did
4-Because it was to hard for the Nazis to do it and it made the prisoners not panic.
1. I think he used short lines to add to the emotion I think it makes everything more dramatic.
ReplyDelete2. They had to send people to the "showers," and get rid of the dead bodies after the gassing
3. He kinda gives a negative tone to describe the work. The effect is almost like how could you do this its inhuman.
4. I think they chose Jews because its their people and they help calm the prisoners down.
I. i say that it has a more meaning full afect that they will graph every word
ReplyDeleteII. to send the people to the show or gas caber to be killed
III. he gives a depressing tone for the work
IIII. they might feel more contrble around a person of there own history
1. I think that Brett used short lines to make more of an impacted on the reader.
ReplyDeleteIts give the poem more of a dramatic feel, it makes you think.
2. The Sonderkommandos led the other prisoners into the “showers” to get gassed than after they had do dispose of the bodies.
3. The poem gives off a negative or upsetting tone to the work, it makes you think that if they know its wrong why are they still helping kill innocent people
4. The Jewish were chosen to do this because it would calm the prisoners and make them think that nothing to bad was going to happen to them
intesly dramtic
ReplyDeleteThe Sonderkommandos brought the people to the showers then take care of there bodys after
he gives a negaitve or hurt tone like if ou know what is happening why are you still doing it
i think to frist keep the other jews calm and then afterwords to degreat them even more by making them get reaid of the bodys i think that they just short lines to make it
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ReplyDeleteAns. #1- That the reader doesn't have to know as much.
ReplyDeleteAns. #2- They had to take care of the bodies and wash them down to get rid of the smell of the gas.
Ans. #3- I think it has a meaningless tone to it. That the reader should get a better understanding on what's being said.
Ans. #4- They had a more better understanding and they have better knowledge.
1. To lead there people to the death, then had to care the body out, wash them and burn them.
ReplyDelete2. That the Sonderkommandos did not like what they were doing but they had no chose.
3. The Nazis had other Jewish people do to further the torch on the Sonderkommandos
1. to make it more drmatic by seperating everything
ReplyDelete2.they had to transport and load everyone into the gas chambers and the death places
3.so they wouldnt have their soldiers suffer from seeing the people being killed. those soldiers who had to do that in the begginning ended up being mental and very disturbed.
Brett chose such short lines and so little description to give the reader the image of an emancipated holocaust prisoner. The effect this has on the reader is to give them the image of the atrocity. Sonderkommandos had to throw the bodies and burn them. Brett uses a tone of sadness
ReplyDelete* Why do you think the Nazis chose Jews to do this task?