Chapter 9 and 10 Question (Sarah)

On page 101, Szpilman and his family, along with many other families are all waiting to be sent to a labor camp or at least thats what the Germans told them. Some of the people thought that they were just being sent to their death and that the Germans were lying about a labor camp. Would you believe the Germans or would you think that they were just going to kill you at the place you were being sent to? Also, some of the people were talking about joining together to fight back against the Germans. Would you choose to fight back or just go along with what they told you to do in fear of being killed?

Chapter 8 Question

If you were Szpilman and you watched all the other people in the ghetto slowly have to pack up and be deported, what would you think. would you be scared? and when in the book it says "our turn came a selection had been carried out at the collecting center, and only Henryk and Halina were passed as still fit to work. Father, Regina, and I were told to go back to the barracks. Once we were there the building was surrounded, and heard the whistle in the yard. It was no use struggling any more. I had done what i could to save my loved ones and myself. It had obviously been impossible from the start. Perhaps at least Halina and Henryk would fare better than the rest of us." (97) If you were Szpilman would you think you think your a "failure" for not protecting your family? if so why or why not?

Chapter 6 & 7 Question (Steph)

Throughout the two chapters, we see that Szpilman is trying to forget about the war by distracting himself, when he suddenly finds himself in the hospital wit appendicitis. With all of these events going on at one time how would you manage to cope with all of it? And furthermore, how would being in the hospital make it worse during this time? better?

Chapter 5 Question (Sarah)

When things started to get worse for the Jews, some people cried but others thought that somehow everything would turn out okay. What thoughts would be going through your head if you were a Jew and noticed that the Germans were doing worse things?

Chapter 4 Question

If you had the chance to leave and go to Russia would you, like that man who tried but didn't succeed. Also what would you do/think if there was speculation that your family may be sent to a ghetto.

Chapter 3 Question (Steph)

On page 38, the mayor of Warsaw is described, "He was disheveled and unshaven, and his face wore an expression of deathly weariness. He hadn't slept for days. He was the heart and soul of the defense, the real hero o the city." Put yourself in his situation, would you be as helpful as him, or run away to defend your yourself? How would you react; the same? Differently?

Chapter 2 Question (Sarah)

When Wladyslaw Szpilman and the others in his town first heard about the Germans attacking, they went on with their everyday lives normally. When he was also told that the Germans were advancing on Warsaw, he decided to stay at his house and not leave to try and find a safer place. If you were in this position would you have reacted the same way as Szpilman and the others in his town? In what ways would you have reacted differently?