Horrible Impact of Nazi Concentration Camps - Term Paper Example

The Verity of Fear and Pain Introduction: In order to examine the extent of pain or fear felt by a survivor of any of the Nazi concentration camps,it is essential to understand the political clime in which the events took place. Along with this, what is required is a delving into the psyche of not just the person who suffers the pain, but the psyche of those who are inflicting it. The underlying essence of the account given by Jean Amery forces the reader to look closely at the reasons behind the torture program that went on in all concentration camps. A further insight into the life of Jean Amery reveals that he did not want to dwell on his victimhood for long. He believed that his time in Auschwitz was a part of life, albeit one that he needed to put behind him. The author makes a valiant effort to look at a torture victim through the eyes of a person who is perpetrating the torture. He finds that there is nothing else there other than an all-consuming urge to subjugate a fellow human being completely, taking control of the very life force of another. The line that is to be analyzed is: "But in addition they tortured with the good conscience of depravity" (Amery, 1980). This is a clear indication of the fact that the captors were self-righteous about their acts of torture and had no doubts in their minds that they were completely in line with the tenets of Fascism - unfortunately, something that they were extremely proud of. At Breedonk: Jean Amery being a member of a partisan anti-Gestapo group was a prime catch for Hitler's men. He was found with incriminating evidence that left no doubt in the minds of the captors about his political affinities. When he was finally brought to Breedonk, Amery had absolutely no illusions about what the Gestapo could do - but then, nothing really prepares you for the actual act of torture. It was at Breedonk that he actually understood the meaning of the word torture, which originated from the French word: torquere, which means 'to twist'. Left hanging by his captors, his arms dislocated, he lost all sense of reality, the pain that he felt could not be described at all. It was indeed quite difficult to quantify the level of pain that he felt at the hands of his torturers. The psyche of a torturer: To begin with, there is no marked difference in the behavior exhibited by a Nazi torturer and another of any other organization. The psychological changes that occur in the minds of a torturer are impacted by various factors. Primarily, it is the belief he has in the cause that he is either fighting for or believes in. When there is no doubt at all in his mind that his cause is a noble one he believes that anybody who does not share his views needs to be brought around to his way of thinking, preferably by force. A study done by American psychologist Philip G. Zimbardo reveals how people who are otherwise of fairly good and peaceable nature can turn violent, dominating and oppressive, when playing the roles of a subjugator. The study conducted at Stanford University had two groups of people who were called upon to play two roles - guards and prisoners. It was found that the 'guards' when dressed as guards - that is de-individuated - behaved in an excessively brutal manner (Zimbardo et al, 1973). A number of other studies support these general findings - that anonymity allows an increase in aggressive antisocial behavior. These people are completely convinced that their role as oppressor is one that has to be played out with perfection, merely because it is what is expected of them at that particular point in time. They are unable to even think of the consequences or the sufferings that need to be endured by their victims. There is almost a missionary zeal in their performances as torturers as they cease to believe in the wrongness of the acts that they choose to commit. In the case of Amery's torture, they feel justified in their act mainly because they have apprehended a person who has political leanings that are totally out of sync with theirs. There is no doubt at all in their minds that such a person needs to be tortured and information extracted from him. Should he die in the process, it would mean nothing noteworthy to them at all. He would be just another statistic, a proof of their supremacy and domination. A reaffirmation: After reading through the account of Amery there is a reaffirmation of sorts that takes place towards the end of the essay. On the one hand, there is an almost clinical view that Amery has of his oppressors. He is trying to come to terms with his incarceration and at the same time wondering how he would be able to cope with the scars of this terrible experience. The torture has left an ineffaceable mark not just on his body, but on his mind as well. In spite of this, he has no intention of dwelling on it for longer than is necessary. He would not want to go through the rest of his life brooding on the terror that he experienced at Breedonk. He would like to put it behind him and get on with his life, rather than let the incident cloud his judgment of humans in general and Germans in particular. In this sea of confusion, where is the question of 'reaffirmation', one might ask; reaffirmation of personal beliefs in the tenacity of a human being; reaffirmation of beliefs in the general goodness of mankind, and above all a reaffirmation of the self. There is no doubt that Jean Amery would not hesitate to close his mind's door on all the sufferings he has endured because of just one reason - his irrepressible belief in himself. Processes & Conclusions: Since this entire account of Amery is based on the psyche of the various people involved, it is necessary to use a psychoanalytical process for reaching these conclusions. The psychological malfunctioning that is manifested in the sadism that is exhibited reaffirms one's belief in the fact that the person who perpetrates violence on another does it because he believes he is doing the right thing. The text in its effort to reconstruct the psychological impacts experienced by the perpetrators, present the reader, an opportunity to go through the same. This has certainly impacted on the thought process of the reader too. In an effort to preserve the truth for posterity there are museums and halls of infamy that chronicle the barbaric acts of terror and torture that one group of people has inflicted on the other. There is a palpable fear in the minds of the observer as he passes through these places, witness to acts of subjugation carried out by people who were completely convinced about the correctness and sanctity of the acts that they performed. Whether it was to showcase the power that was wielded or whether it was to ensure that others towed their line, these violent demonstrations only accentuated the fact that human behavior could descend to almost sub-human levels. The text reaffirms and confirms that people behave under psychotic pressure particularly when they act as a mass. My thoughts on mass frenzy are no different from what has been presented in the text. There is no reason to doubt the veracity of the statement that the torturers are depraved. Right through the essay, this thought is reaffirmed. To be able to understand the psychological changes that characterized the behavior of a torturer in one of these concentration camps, there is an urgent need to find the exact meaning of the word: 'normal'. To the Gestapo men, their own behavior was completely normal, leaving no room for doubt, whatsoever. When we are forced to look back on one of mankind's worst nightmares, we cannot help but conclude that these same men were very far from what we consider normal. The depravity of these men is what sets them apart from the rest of the world. The fact that they believe that they are right in their behavior makes it all the more unforgettable - a mark on mankind's collective conscience that can never be wiped away. (Word count: 1325) References: Amery, Jean. At the Mind's Limits. Contemplations by a survivor on Auschwitz and its realities. Bloomington. Indiana University Press. 1980 Zimbardo, P.G., Banks, W.C., Craig, H. and Jaffe, D. A pirandellian prison: the mind is a formidable jailer. New York. New York Times Magazine. 1973 Read More