COMPARISON OF NIGHT and UNDER A CRUEL STAR
The early 20th century saw the development of the totalitarian formof government and society. This form of government appeared after WorldWar I and remained for nearly 70 years. Two of the most brutaltotalitarian regimes took place in Germany under Adolph Hitler and theSoviet Union and the communist block under Joseph Stalin. Becausesurvivors of these regimes had the courage to create literary accounts oftheir experiences as a citizen of these regimes, we are provided insightinto the world of the tortured "individual" and are given the opportunityto understand the role the individual plays in these societies. In Under aCruel Star: A Life in Prague1941-1968, Heda Kovaly takes us along with heras she tells the story of the life of the individual in the Nazi campsthrough the development and implementation of communism in Prague. ElieWiesel provides us with a detailed account of life in the Nazi camps ofAuschwitz and Buchenwald in his book Night. Through their books, Kovalyand Wiesel show us how the totalitarian government strives to void allaspects of individuality, even the human spirit. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the definition of
" 3 This passageprovides the reader with the understanding that for Kovaly the individualspirit can outlast the totalitarian regime. Hisaccount of the role of the individual in the totalitarian regime covers thespan of the years he was a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps andfocuses more on the individual's daily life. Wiesel tells thereader his thoughts on how the Occupation could be happening and of howthis caused his struggle with his faith in God. to, being, or imposing a form of governmentin which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized controlover all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, andopposing political and cultural expression is suppressed. Wiesel on the other hand, does not discuss the transformation fromlife in Hungary to life under Hitler in the same detailed manner. From Wiesel, we learn howtotalitarianism can own all individual possessions. NewYork: Penguin Books, 19864 Wiesel, Eile. Then I too would life my head because, for thatshort moment, I would know for certain that love and hope are infinitelymore powerful than hate and fury, and that somewhere beyond the line of myhorizon there was life indestructible, always triumphant. Both Kovaly and Wiesel provide the reader with amazing accounts ofpersonal strength and triumph. Why, but why should I bless him' In every fiber Irebelled. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. "Thousands of voicesrepeated the benediction; thousands of men prostrated themselves like treesbefore a tempest.
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