Schindler's List

Schindler's List

The list is life. Famous words spoken by a large number of Schindler's Jews. When Thomas Kineally composed Schindler's List he did more than just write another biography, he told of the greatest humane figure, amidst the unspeakable horrors of the holocaust. In his novel Kineally artistically portrays the story of Oscar Schindler, an alcoholic, a member of the Nazi party, and a shameless womanizer of the worst sort.

Schindler is first viewed as a man only out for money, sex, and himself; which is a very accurate statement for the time. However, throughout the novel as depictions from the most horrid death/concentration camp, Auschwitz are shown, Schindler begins to feel sympathy for the Jews. The entire span of WWII, Schindler spends his time bribing Nazi officers for more Jews to be sent into his camps, and trying with his life at stake to save as many Jews lives as he possibly can. By the end of the war Schindler has fallen in love with his children and feels extreme sorrow because he could not save more.

This book explores the moral values of human life. Adolph Hitler set out to completely exterminate the Jewish race from the earth. He believed that he was doing the work of the Lord, and it was his duty to create the perfect race. Schindler, was a business man. He didn't care about how he made his money as long as he made it. After he was appalled by the constant torture and brutality towards human life something in him changed. He began asking himself certain questions. What gives Hitler the right to desecrate human life with such impunity? Who on earth can dictate the God given right to simply live? Schindler had completely contradicted his entire life's beliefs when he began salvaging the Jews and going against his country. Schindler looked deeper into his own human soul and realized that there was more to life than merely pleasure. Schindler decided that since he had the power, it was also his duty to prolong life. With his new found philosophies, Schindler believed he was obligated by freedom and love for life to deceive the Nazis.

As a result of the risks Schindler took many generations of Schindler-Jews have since been born. If he had not questioned the preaching's of Hitler and the Nazi party, eleven hundred more people would have been savagely murdered, and thousands more would never have been born.