“One time when we were in Płaszów a guard struck my mother on the side of her head with a wood plank. The blow permanently shattered her eardrum. She said that for the rest of her life she could hear her two murdered sons calling to her in that ear.”
“- No puedes sentarte ahí -dijo-. Los asientos traseros son para los negros. Tienes que cambiarte a la parte delantera.
Sus palabras me golpearon como una bofetada. De repente retrocedí en el tiempo hasta Cracovia, cuando los nazis ordenaron que los judíos nos sentáramos en los asientos traseros de los tranvías (antes de prohibirnos directamente viajar en transporte público). El contexto era muy diferente, pero de todos modos casi hizo explotar mi cabeza. ¿Por qué existía algo así en los Estados Unidos? Yo habría creído, erróneamente, que esa clase de discriminación estaba destinada únicamente a los judíos durante el régimen nazi. Ahora descubriría que la inequidad y el prejuicio existía también en ese país que yo habría aprendido a amar”
“(...) que tenía una inscripción del talmund en hebreo 'Aquel que salva una vida, salva al mundo entero'.”
“As a Jewish kid during those times, I fought to live every day. I didn't have a choice. As an influential Nazi, Schindler did have a choice. Countless times he could have abandoned us, taken his fortune, and fled. He could have decided that his life depended on working us to death but he didn't. Instead, he put his own life in danger every time he protected us for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. I am not a philosopher, but I believe that Oskar Schindler defines heroism. He proves that one person can stand up to evil and make a difference. I am living proof of that. I recall a television interview I once saw with scholar and writer Joseph Campbell. I've never forgotten his definition of a hero. Campbell said that a hero is an ordinary human being who does "the best of things in the worst of times". Oskar Schindler personifies that definition.”
“Yo, un chico judío, tenia que luchar para vivir todos los días en aquellos tiempos. No tenia otra opción. Él, un nazi con mucho poder, sí tenía opciones. Pudo habernos abandonado incontables veces, pudo haber huido llevándose su fortuna. Pudo haber decidido que su vida dependía de hacernos trabajar hasta morir, pero no lo hizo. En cambio, puso su propia vida en peligro cada vez que nos protegía, sin otra razón que porque era lo correcto. No soy un filósofo, pero creo que Oskar Schindler es la definición del heroísmo, Demostró que una persona puede hacer frente al mal y hacer la diferencia.”
“Nunca olvidé su definición de héroe. Campbell dijo que un héroe es 'un ser humano común y corriente que hace lo mejor en las peores circunstancias'.”
“You need access to the files, right?” “Uh, yeah.” I said, walking over to the cabinet and preparing to lie through my teeth. He reached into his pockets, searching for the keys. “Would you mind answering a question for me?” “Sure.” “Does this smell like chloroform?” Before I could move, he withdrew a white cloth and pressed it over my face. A muffled scream escaped me, but I knew it wasn’t loud enough to attract anyone from the hall. The tall man calmly wrapped his arms around me to keep me still as the drug took effect. My body went weak and rubbery as I slipped into unconsciousness.”
“But when you slice truth too thin, you deceive.”
“So you can’t marry Harry, Mom! Not if you still love Daddy!” I sound like a ten-year-old, but I can’t help it. Buttercup comes over to me and puts her head on my lap.
“Love gets used up, Chastity,” Mom says gently, reaching up to smooth my hair. “If it’s not returned, it gets used up.”
“You see Jesus wrecked my life”
“Let others say what they will of the efficacy of prayer, I believe in it, and I shall pray. Thank God! Yes, I shall always pray,”
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