Even though I am not able to give credit for this quote I still believe it is important, "if you do not stand for something you can fall for anything."
Bent directed by Sean Mathias is about the prosecution homosexual Jews during WWII. The main character, Max is a homosexual male that lives in Berlin with his boyfriend Rudy. After Max drunkenly brings home an SS officer, Rudy and Max are forced to flee the city. Throughout Max's time with Rudy, Max constantly belittles Rudy even when he is the only one working to earn money. However, one can see that Max does care for Rudy because he is not willing to leave Germany without him. When the two men are caught, they are forced onto a train heading toward a work camp. Rudy is approached by an officer, wearing glasses who forces Rudy to step on his own glasses. This is symbolic because even when officers shared a similar disability they did not sympathize with others. Next Rudy is taken into another room and beaten. Max is frustrated by Rudy's cries and seems to want to help. However, a man on the train, Horst warns him that helping will do nothing for Rudy and the only way to survive is to become INVISIBLE. This is extremely important because this idea allows Max to give up his own beliefs and unconsciously take on what the Nazi's wish. When Rudy is brought back to Max full of blood, Max denies knowing Rudy and even participates in beating him. Max denying Rudy and his homosexuality is the beginning of him losing what identity he had. Max constantly repeats, "this is not happening" on the train. Max would rather be blind to the horrific events rather than accept his homosexuality and his part in killing Rudy. Once off the train, Max puts on a yellow star suggesting he is Jewish instead of a pink triangle identifying him as homosexual. He constantly states he will survive. Since the Nazi's did not want the Jews and homosexuals to survive the only way one could make it through the Holocaust in most situations was to silence their beliefs and identity. When Horst tells Max he loves him, Max says, "Do not love me because I will kill you." This statement not only represented Max's role in Rudy's death but also foreshadows Max's role in Horst's death. Max does not help Horst when the officers kill him; Max only stands and watches his love be murdered. When Horst is dead, Max continues speaking to him as if he were still alive, which represents Max's denial. However, once Max realizes Horst is gone, Max puts on Horst's jacket with the pink triangle and electrocutes himself. At the very end, Max accepted his homosexuality.
Max in the beginning of the film is a true victim. The only thing he could possibly be blamed for is not treating Rudy better. However, when Max decides to become more invisible and deny who he is, he slowly accepts the "Nazi way." Max denies knowing Rudy and takes part in killing him. Max TRANSFORMS from the victim into a victimizer. He loses feeling and becomes what Horst states as "mean" and "rough." Eventually, Max is even responsible for killing Horst.
"Good" by C.P. Taylor is a play about a man, John Halder who slowly takes on the Nazi persona. Halder never portrays a strong sense of identity. He constantly is being influenced by his wife, mistress, mother, other Nazi party member, etc. Halder joins the Nazi party upon his wife's request and realizing this would further his career. Halder ceases the opportunity to rise by stepping on others. Halders "only friend," Maurice is Jewish and constantly asks Halder to help him escape Germany. However, Halder is more concerned with the dangers of meeting with his friend then Maurice's life. Anne, Halder's mistress states that smart Jews would have left. However, when Maurice wanted to leave Halder protested he could not do anything and was only interested in Maurice's house in the forest. Halder is extremely selfish. He does not even take proper care of his mother and does not seemed concerned when she says dying would be better. Halder unconsciously turns from into a victimizer. He joins the Nazi party, burns books, and eventually makes his way to a concentration camp.
Halder's lack of strong identity allows him to be influenced easily. Halder believes the prosecution of Jews will blow over soon. This belief is his way of accepting what is truly taking place. Selfishly Halder joins the Nazi party and as the play progresses, one can see him adopting Nazi ideas. Toward the end of the play, Halder states that maybe the Jews are to blame.
In Night, the reader is able to see Wiesel change. The young boy loses his innocence and idea of God when he witnesses the cruelty in the concentration camp. Wiesel cares for his father but toward the end, is getting tired of having to look after him. Wiesel felt a sense of relief when his father died. Wiesel is a victim but one could argue the line blurs when he gives up his strong beliefs in God and wishes to be rid of his father.
It is obvious that the desire for survival can transform an individual from a victim into a victimizer. Even though the line is blurred and people can take on both roles, it is important to note how individuals handle their situations. Halder made the choice to join the Nazi party and silence his true thoughts. Max made the choice to silence his identity and help kill his lovers. However, Max was able to recognize his transformation and tried to recover himself in the end. Halder is still oblivious to how he has changed and believes he is a "good" man. It almost seems like not recognizing an individuals impact is a crime in itself.
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