Month: September 2024

Okay so I looked up and went over both of the Richmond and DC Holocaust Museum and I liked how both websites have a lot of information not only on what you will see at the exhibit but also ways to educate yourself more on the history of Holocaust prior to the visit. The website for the Richmond Museum provided a detailed educational video about the holocaust and personal statements from survivors as well as a virtual run down of what you will see at the museum. From this video it starts off by talking about the Boxcar that was obtained in 2003 from Germany and is the biggest artifact in the museums collection. It was built in 1928 it was used in the Germans railways during World War 2 it crammed 80-100 people inside including men, women and children. There was no food or water provided nor a place to sit. Passengers had to stand the entire time, these rides lasted 2-3 days but often even about a week. We also get to hear personal statements from Holocaust survivors Theodore Lehman and Clara Daniel’s of being in the boxcar. Then the video transitions to going over the artifacts seen at the museum. When entering the museum there are authentic cabblestones from the main street in the Warsaw ghetto during the winter of 1940. We learn more about the Holocausts Memorial Wall, the Train station and many more of the things seen in that locations museum. The DC website provided a lot of articles to educate you on the topic including the Holocaust Encyclopedia, this resource containing over 850 different articles about the Holocaust and many more resources on the Holocaust. One thing is to hear about the horrible things that took place during this time period but its another to visually be able to see and understand all the things that actually took place. We live in a society where its easier to look away and pretend like vile and horrible things arent happening but as uncomfortable as it may be it is crucial for people to understand to a full extent how horrible the Holocaust really was which is why I think museums like these are so important it teaches us to a greater extend and helps us understand better. I am making it a priority to visit a Holocaust Museum since I unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to visit this past weekend. I found both these websites from both museums very educational.

In chapters 1-3 we get to read about Hitlers childhood leading up to adulthood and get to find out how his relationship between his mother and father was like and get a better basic understanding of the events leading up to what he did and who he “became” through chapters 1-3 we find out how Hitler had a passion for art and wanted to get into art school in Vienna. Hitler applied twice to art school but was rejected twice. His unfortunate rejection into art school played a big role and hitler became very angry and depressed in the following period after that. He spent some time in Vienna and described how awful of a city it was. While in Vienna Hitler became very poor and often sold art to make money. Hitler mentioned how this time he spent living in Vienna is where he started developing these vile thoughts towards Jews and would publicly cause disputes with them. In regards to the relationship he had towards his parents, Hitler grew up very angry and had resentment towards his father. He felt as if he wasn’t good enough for his father and often wanted to over achieve to prove how good he could be to his father. Which hence why getting rejected from art school (something Hitler wanted so badly for himself as well) was a real turning point for Hitler. Things with his mother were completely different, he and his mother had a good relationship and he felt his mother loved him but Hitler still wanted to show his mother she could have a son to be proud of. Later with this mothers passing and him not getting into art school made Hitler lose himself he had no way to prove not only to his parents that he could do something good for himself but in a way lost faith in himself. Hitler discusses the concept of “Germanization” a term used to describe the spread of German culture and language. Hitler complained about the lack of understanding of Germanization he had growing up, mistakenly thinking that someone might become “German” by only acquiring German language or cultural characteristics. Hitler was obsessed with this idea that Germany was “mother land” and this ties back to what he mentions on chapter 2 he argues that the true meaning of being German is not to speak the language or getting used to the German norms but to genuine Germanization requires stronger ties to the land (“soil”) Hitler then makes a racist claim, he rejects the belief that someone from an ethnic or cultural minority could possibly grow into a German citizen by learning the language and taking part in German politics and goes on to give examples of ethnic groups.

120 days of sodom by Marquis de Sade was completed in 1785. Context on childhood: Marquis had a dysfunctional family, his parents were separated due to his father abandoning his mother and marquis was taken care of by his uncle who had licentious manners. From an early age Marquis was exposed to malicious behavior and was known to grow up to be rebellious. As someone who has always been so intrigued by psychology we see how dysfunctional families and a lack of proper love at an early age can affect the way a kid grows up to be and how highly the chances of that someone will grow up with evil attempts because of lack of a good childhood and a good role model to look up to. Marquis grew up to do horrible things such as rape, murdering and torturing people but went especially in detail about the Women. He would describe them by their appearance which would dehumanize the women. This reminds me of the storyline of “The Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez. Richard’s father was abusive towards his mother and due to the conflict at home he left to live with his uncle who was misogynist and taught Richard how to be a creeper and spy on women through their windows. This spiked an interest on becoming a stalker and influenced richard into later having evil sexual desire to rape and torture women. In the book the men are often excusing their horrible actions by saying it’s the way they are made and their nature. The book itself is incredibly disturbing and sickening but from a psychology point of view I find it very interesting and brings up a lot of resemblance with other well known psychopaths. Marquis has a very planned out way of doing the things he does he goes into detail about his victims age, the order they come in and what he does to each of them. Yet again another trait we see in psychopaths. Marquis does all this to fullfil the pleasure of having control over the men and women he rapes and tortures and even though hes able to grasp the fact that what he is doing is horrible he has no empathy and feels no remorse. I believed that the entire book was focused on Marquis’ sexual fantasies. He talked about coprophilia, Urologia, and other sexual obsessions. 

The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic text that was discovered in the 1970s. In the Gospel of Judas we hear a different perspective apart from the original well known story of how Judas “betrayed” Jesus. Just like the Gospel of Mary of Magdala through these two texts we are getting to see two new perspectives on people who have been looked down upon by the church. This gives me a lens to see further than what is already written and pushes me to question everything because there’s always two sides to every story. In the Gospel of Judas, Judas is shown as Jesus’ closest companion. Judas understood Jesus’ lectures and teaching on a closer and more personal level than maybe any of the other disciples mostly because of the tight connection he and Jesus had. It drove him to be more connected to his teachings and guide him through his spiritual journey. This in a way reminded me of the term “teachers pet” we can refer to Jadus being in a way the teachers pet. In the text Jesus shares secret knowledge such as the nature of God. In the original texts about Judas it is said he betrayed Jesus by leading the men to arrest him but in this revelation Judas is depicted as helping Jesus by handing him over because it was necessary in order for Jesus to complete his plan of dying on the cross to bring salvation to his people. The disciples start questioning Jesus and his teachings especially after Jesus makes it clear that human will ever come close to accessing 

Johnathan Swift wrote a satirical proposal in 1729 called “A Modest Proposal” in this text he joked about bettering the economy and fixing the lack of food resources by selling the children as food to the rich. In the beginning he brings up how these kids are born into families that can’t make a living for themselves and force these children become money hungry and suggest that they will grow up to be thieves or even leave family behind in the search for a better life. Indicating that all these children who are born into poor families will have nothing to contribute to society leaving them to be insignificant. This in a way reminded me of how bad the resources are for homeless people here in America and how once someone can’t work or contribute to the economy it’s as if they are no longer viewed human and are stripped away from any human rights.  It also brings up the fact that all this somehow comes around to being the mothers fault. From the text of A Modest Proposal: “It is a melancholly Object to those, who walk through this great Town, or travel in the Country, when they see the streets, the roads, and the cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an Alms.” (Page 3)

Here in this quote we see how women are once again shamed for trying to make a living and talks about the many children who are seen following along the mother begging for money. It describes the state in which these children are in and gives us a better visual of the type of poverty there is. Jonathan highlights the big problem that is being faced and the lack of social awareness by the richer upper class. Obviously we can tell all that this text is being satire and used to mock the lack of empathy towards the poor and criticize laws and the policies that have been set up.  Although Swift proposes something so morally outrageous as cannibalism it really helps us readers fully understand the gravity of the issue going on here about poverty and how the system has failed to show simple empathy for anyone but the rich.

The Gospel of Mary of Magdala was discovered in the late 1800’s it focuses on inner spiritual knowledge which we know goes completely against churches beliefs that in order to gain this spiritual knowledge one must do so by following church practices such as studying the scriptures, praying and seeking God’s wisdom. All of this is done by coming to church therefore giving the church power. This revelation threatens the power that the church would hold if society started becoming aware of their inner spiritual knowledge. This idea is a common belief in Gnosticism. Apart from threatening the church’s power this threatens the disciples ego’s. Judging to why Mary’s gospel was neglected and not “lost” we can guess that the disciples hated and envied the thought of a woman being closer to Jesus than any of them were. Peter, in particular, questions Mary’s authority on multiple occasions. Apart from this gospel Mary of Magdala is only mentioned early on as a prostitute and even heard of being possessed by demons. This makes me question how true and reliable this information about her is. What if due to the jealousy the disciples felt they invented these horrible things about Mary? This text gave me a new perspective of biblical views. Coming from a strict catholic family the texts opened up my eyes to question if gender roles really do play a big part in what we read and the readings we can trust. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala challenges traditional Christian narratives. It is the first time that we hear about a prominent female disciple of Jesus. Just like the Gospel of Judas this text gives us a different and more positive take on who Mary of Magdala was, instead of being portrayed as a shameful sinner the text highlights the close relationship with Jesus and her role in early Christianity. After reading Mary’s gospel it leaves me wondering how many times this has been done throughout history and how many women throughout our time have been portrayed differently due to sexism.  

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