The Ghetto Response

Marvin J. Pringle

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. Comp 102-117

26 March 2013

Response Essay

“The Ghetto (Unfinished)”

The film entitled “Ghetto” gives viewers a firsthand account of the lives of Jews in the Warsaw ghetto.  Although many scenes are staged by the Germans, this film documents the supposed “good life” and the actual reality of how Jews live confined to this ghetto. These are the conditions the Germans don’t want to show the outside world.  Without knowing the true nature of this film, viewers can only fathom it is intended to depict a differing view other than the truth. In reality Jews are living in atrocious conditions, have no freedom of movement outside the ghetto and appear to be living as caged animals.  After being relocated to the ghetto, Jews lose all their rights and are forced into overcrowded, undernourished squalor.  For example one witness states Jews are forced to live as multiple families in one home as her family is forced to live in one room of their own home while other families take over other rooms and their home is transformed into a multi-family home. These living conditions lead to overcrowding and eventually unsanitary conditions.  As seen, garbage and waste is just tossed out of windows into the streets as the people are too weak from malnutrition to take the refuse out of the building.  In addition to living conditions, the film also delves into the aspect of death in the ghetto.  Starvation and malnutrition in addition to the sickness and disease lead to slow and agonizing deaths.  For those who are fortunate enough to obtain small portions of food and avoid starvation, they triumph over death until the ultimate happens.  Those who perish for one reason or another are discarded on the streets and collected as if they are mere garbage.  Acts such as the disposing of the dead as garbage made Jews indifferent and numb to death as one witness stated they didn’t feel human while in the ghetto.  Some scenes depicted are so horrific, the assembled witnesses at times cover their faces as the anguish and pain is still very vivid even after six decades.  In the final analysis, this film is an attempt to depict happiness and good times as opposed to the reality of harsh conditions of life in the ghetto.