The Fake Truth About Oskar Sch

A detailed Summary of The Fake Truth About Oskar Sch

It is easy to believe what you have not seen, and even easier to believe what lies before you eyes. Steven Spielberg's historic film Schindler's List has undoubtedly affected and persuaded millions of viewers into accepting Oskar Schindler as a hero. Through the memories of those who knew him, along with historic documents and facts, the film can be said to possess a factual recollection of this historic figure. Although there are minor discrepancies between the historical facts, the novel, and the film, Spielberg's version concerning Oskar Schindler is a reliable source for the truth behind this mysterious man. Even though the novel and the film are fiction, they present a reliable truth about Schindler's life and his actions during the Holocaust.

The film is based on the novel written by Thomas Keneally. This strips the film of its credibility as a documentary because both film and novel present fictional dialogue. However, both Keneally and Spielberg interviewed witnesses in an effort to make Schindler's story as historically correct as possible. In the novel, Keneally states in his author's note:

I have attempted ... to avoid all fiction, since fiction would debase the record, and to distinguish between the reality a

nd the myths which are likely to attach themselves to a man of Oskar's stature. It has sometimes been necessary to make reasonable constructs of conversations of which Oskar and others have left only the briefest record. But most exchanges and conversations, and all events are based on the detailed recollections of the Schindlerjuden (Schindler Jews), of Schindler himself, and of other witnesses to Oskar's acts of outrageous rescue. (Qtd. in Fogel 315)

In the novel, however, "Schindler [...] comes to identify himself with the Jews he saves, not exactly as a fellow victim of the Nazis but as a fellow prisoner of an abominable system" (Gourevitch 51). Whether he wanted to escape the system, or simply do what was right by saving Jews, the fact remains that Schindler was in fact a hero. In the film, Schindler said, "I've done what I came here for. I've got more money than any man can spend in a lifetime" (Schindler's List). Even though he had accomplished his primary goal, he still decided to spend all of his money on rescuing his Jewish friends. He was, consequently, bankrupt by the end of the war.

Through the wars ending months, Schindler harbored as many Jews as he could in his artillery factory. Furthermore, he made sure that every piece of artillery manufactured in his factory would be faulty and useless to the German Army. Because he had Jewish slaves as laborers, his factory was under the supervision the SS Generals. Even so, "at considerable cost and risk to himself, Schindler's factory became a haven for Jews" (Furrow 219). At this point, Schindler had already realized that it was up to him to save innocent families from a senseless death. As one of Schindler's Jews, Bernard Scheuer, recalls: "when he saw cruelty, he didn't like it" (Qtd. in Ottenhoff 164). This shows that Schindler had a human heart beating inside his chest. Contrary to the many Nazis responsible for the atrocities in the Holocaust, Schindler recognized the Jews' right to live.

As the film progresses, Schindler begins to gain a better understanding of the Jews' struggle. He slowly becomes more sympathetic towards the people in his factory, especially his accountant. When his accountant is taken by mistake, "Schindler goes to some length to personally retrieve him" (Furrow 216). The movie shows Schindler desperately trying to convince the soldiers that they must free his accountant before the train takes him to the concentration camp. This act alone is noble and praiseworthy, but Schindler retracts his kindness by telling his accountant, "What if I got here five minutes later, then where would I be" (Schindler's List)? Schindler makes his accountant believe that the rescue was for his personal well being, disregarding the danger that awaited his Jewish accountant at the train's last stop. Even so, from this point forward, Schindler's actions serve to help his workers at the expense of h

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Approximate Word count = 1957
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History