Background Information
Schindler's List is a Booker prize winning, biographical novel written in 1982 by Thomas Keneally. Thomas Keneally was born in New South Wales, Australia in 1935. Keneally taught high school and college for several years before starting his writing career in 1964. Having written over twenty novels along with numerous plays and dramas, Keneally became one of Australia's leading authors. His writing often focuses on historical events and centers around the theme of morals. In 1983, Keneally was awarded the Order of Australia for his contributions to Australian literature. Keneally was inspired to write Schindler's List when he met Poldek Pfefferberg (a Jew rescued by Schindler during the Holocaust) while shopping at a luggage store in Beverly Hills. In 1993, this novel was made into a successful Academy Award winning film. Other well-known novels also written by Keneally include The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Confederates, and Gossip from the Forest.
The HOLOCAUST
The Holocaust refers to a horrific period of genocide that lasted from January 1933 to May 1945 in Europe. It involved the oppression and mass extermination of Jews by the Nazis. It began with the Jewish people losing their citizenship, property, and civil rights. After this, they were forced into overcrowded ghettos. Through brutal police actions, the ghetto populations were mostly eliminated. Those who managed to survive were forced to work in severe labour camps or were sent to be killed in concentration camps. Over six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis along with five to eight million other people considered "inferior" (which included Gypsies, gays, and the handicapped). It was at this dreadful time that Oskar Schindler began his heroic efforts to save the Jewish race from the Nazis.
Summary
Schindler's List is about the true story of how Oskar Schindler (a German war profiteer) became the saviour of thousands of Jews at the time of the Holocaust during WWII in Germany-occupied Poland and Czechoslovakia. Oskar transformed from a self-centered man to a compassionate hero as he was truly exposed to the horrific persecution of the Jews around him. He used his power and wealth to turn his enamelware factory called DEF in Cracow, Poland into a haven for Jews. Even as he was forced to relocate his factory to Brinnlitz in Czechoslovakia, Oskar continued to use his cunning methods to save as many Jewish lives as possible. Through his powerful list, he gave the most valuable gift of all—the chance for thousands of Jews to live freely once again. This novel explores the lasting impact one person can have on a world dominated by horrendous evil and corruption.