Amazing year!

I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to be part of such a great class. I give thanks to the English Department, specially Mr. Calderón and Ms. Lydia for their support in everything. Debate was an excellent chance for improving my skills, making me feel proud of having participated in it, and also, making friends. Also, I liked very much how do the classes focused the literature, teaching the historical context of the novels and how to read between the lines. Of course, everything ended with the History Channel event, that was really awesome. It was a pleasure to participate so many activities during this year, and hopefully I can repeat this during the next year and learn as much as possible. As Ms. Pizarro said once, "Heaven is the limit". And I won't stop, till I reach it.

Fatelessness - Chapters 8 & 9

Now, I'll answer some few questions about these two chapters, the final ones.

1. What was the setting in this Chapter ?
A Revier (similar to a hospital) in Buchenwald. The mood could be caring/taking care of the people in there.

2. How was  George’s treatment  when  he was recuperating ?Were the medics and nurses kind to the prisoners?
They treated him as if he wasn't a prisoner. They were kind with most of the patients, I'd say.

3. Why do you think that the author concentrated this Chapter in George’s treatment?
It must have been an important part for the author, during his life. He might have realized things that he hadn't realized before.

4. What were George’s feelings when the camp was liberated?
He felt free - for the first time in all his life.


5. What were the people reactions in George’s hometown when he came back ?
Mainly, curiosity. They asked about the exterminations and all the bad stuff that they knew that had happened in there.

6. When  the journalist offered George a job of  confessing what he had seen  in the concentration camp, how does it relate to the authors life ?
The author ended in writing a book, telling his story to the world, just the same as what the journalist wanted to do.

7. What did  George  realize at the end of the story? 
That it wasn't a bad experience to be in the camps. He made his best friends in there, and probably, it was one of the best moments of his life, at least, until then.


I really enjoyed this book, altough it was much more difficult than the last novel we read ("To Kill a Mockingbird"). But the difficulties are just part of the reading, but the important thing is to enjoy the book, and keep reading. And that's what I made, so I'm very pleased with it. It was a great experience to internalize some aspects of the Holocaust that I'd never thought before.

Fatelessness - Chapters 5 & 6

As usual, I'll start analyzing these chapters, with some quotes and a brief explanation of them:

1. "We'll soon be getting some hot soup" (Page 103). 
This was a rumour that circulated through the concentration camp, in which we can clearly appreciate the sense of hope that people still had.

2. "Clothes do not make the man" (Page 103). 
This was said because Georg saw a guy that, at first sight, was clearly a well-dressed guy, probably a person that was taking care of people, but then he realized that he was there just because of his way of thinking.

3. "We learn from life not school" (Page 113).
Georg said this, when he realized that nothing that he was taught in the school was necessary in real life.

4. "It's obvious that you must have been tied to Mummy's string up till now" (Page 134). 
Bandi Citrom told Georg this, after a naive question that he made about a particular object. This means that he was never left alone to do things by himself.

5. "We are becoming split up all split up" (Page 142).
Bandi Citrom also said this, in allusion to what he felt: there were no recognizable faces for him in Zeitz. They were all being split up, as he said, perhaps, because big groups may cause some trouble.

And now, I'll answer a couple of questions, also very brief answers, to help you to have an idea of what happened in this chapters.

1. What are the settings in these two chapters?
At first, he was at Auschwitz-Birkenau, then was transferred into Buchenwald, and finally, into Zeitz. Of course, the mood wasn't a happy one, but I could say that in the first one, he was probably better, in some sense only, because he knew some people in there. But when he was transferred, he had to "start" all again, and then had to make new friends.

2. What were the feelings of the main character when he arrived in the extermination camp?
He was shocked because of the gas showers that killed some people. He felt that school hadn't taught him anything of real importance.

3. What was his reaction when he found out what was done to the prisoners in the camp?
He felt sadness and astonished for people that he had saw some minutes ago alive, and now were dead; people of his own religion and culture.

4. How was Georg's relation with his companions in the camp?
I'd said that it was mainly a good relation with the people that he knew. But when he was transferred, he wasn't that sociable with everyone.

5. Was there a twist of mood when they changed concentration camps?
Yes. First, in Auschwitz-Birkenau, he felt hopeless. In Buchenwald, comfortable, and in Zeitz, lonely.

6. What was Georg's reaction when he was rejected for not speaking Yiddish?
He felt as a nonperson, as thin air, and nothing more. He tried to get accepted, but they didn't let him. 

7. What evidence of discrimination can you find between the groups of prisoners in the concentration camp?
When he didn't speak Yiddish, or the Muslims' discrimination.

8. Explain, from what you read, if Georg had the capacity to overcome the hardships, for example, hunger or when a guard beat him.
When he dropped the sack, he was beaten by the guard. But he realized this mistake, and never committed it again. Also with hunger, he saved a piece of bread, in case he didn't have food afterwards. 

9. Why do you think the Rabbi did The Kaddish (Prayer for the dread)? What kind of emotions arose in Georg after hearing this prayer?
Because, often people in situations like this, are too vulnerable to anything that happens, and they need to trust in God, that He will save them. For Georg, in one part of him, he felt the necessity of praying, perhaps because of the emptiness he had. But, in the other hand, he said that no matter any prayers, they couldn't do something: to provide him food.

10. Explain in your own words what "values" did the character and prisoners learned in the concentration camps.
I'd say that he was perseverant, as when he was alone, he had to continue living and working. He is a great example of a person that doesn't surrender never.

Fatelessness - Book Trailer

We did it! It was a tough day, but finally we could record and edit magnificently the Fatelessness video trailer we wanted to do! I want to thank Mr. Gré and Mr. Reynolds for their performances and ability to edit the tapes. It was really an incredible experience, and a better result!

Mankind: The Story of All of Us

That's right, the title you can see above is the name of a History Channel show. But I'm not trying to steal the name or something like that. I just want to post that it was an incredible job the live show they did. Ghana and Pakistan where just a couple of all the countries they video-taped. And of course, Chile! And not any place in Chile, but our school, The Mackay School! It was really marvelous to be in the show in live, with Miss Lydia, and my friends Thomas Reynolds and Mingi Park. It was something very fun to prepare, even if I got a little nervous. Having contact with real, specialist people that were the ones that practised and helped us to do a perfect job, was really entertaining. Finally, I think we did a great job, and for that, I wanted to thank everyone that was present, specially the people of History Channel that made all this possible, and of course, Miss Lydia and my friends!

P.S.: In the next link, you can check the Mackayzine post, that will allow you to comment and also it will lead you to the History Channel webpage, were you can watch the show!

                             Mackayzine - History Channel