Schindler’s List: Schindler’s Transformation

Schindler’s List: Schindler’s Transformation
The main character in Schinder’s List is Oskar Schindler who is a businessman. In the beginning, he is shown to be an averagely thriving businessman who gains his benefits from the war. He manages to buy an enamelware factory, formerly owned by a Jew, in order to utilize the cheap labor provided by Jews in Krakow. He buys the factory after it was confiscated from its previous owner and is also given an apartment obtained from one of the wealthy Jews in the region. In a quest to become rich, he is oblivious to the plight of the Jews and sees their situation as an unfortunate consequence of war. He is not remorseful about his good fortune that came as a result of the Jews’ suffering. He also joins the Nazi Party because this would help him increase his profits rather than their ideology (Loshitzky 28).
Initially, Schindler is only concerned with his success in the business world. In order to achieve this, he uses bribery in order to acquire government contracts for manufacturing military weapons. However, as the film develops, he undergoes a metamorphosis that leads him to spend most of his earned wealth to save the lives of the Jews whom he once exploited. He gets to interact with the Jews and finds it hard to let them die. This can be attributed particularly to his relationship with his accountant, Itzhak whom he greatly respected. He also gets to witness the evacuation from Krakow whereby he saw a little girl in a red coat being sent to death along with other Jews. As a result of these events, Schindler becomes more concerned about the war and considers saving the lives of the Jews who worked for him. When orders are sent to Goth to send the Jews to Auschwitz, Schindler spends his fortune bribing Goth so he could keep his workers (Spielberg et al). He also goes to an extent of personally going to Auschwitz to see to the release of women and children who had been erroneously transported there.
The transformation can also be seen in his interaction with his wife. Initially, Schindler was portrayed as a womanizer who cheated on his wife on various occasions. However, along with the change of perception in relation to the Jews, Schindler becomes more committed to his wife and even goes to church with her where he promises to be faithful to her. His change can however be viewed to be as a result of his narcissism. He aspired to be a savior to the Jews as an attempt to boost his ego and probably justify his previous actions. Initially, the idea of his factory being a haven for the Jews angers him. However, he becomes enamored by the notion of him being a hero to the society. The quest to satisfy his egotistical needs eventually lead him to overlook his material needs.
His change eventually benefitted the Jewish society as well as his family. He was seen as a hero and also succeeds to redeem himself from his previous malevolent acts. In the end of the Nazi regime, he is forced to run away from his country as the Soviet Red Army goes after the Nazis. However, as he leaves, the Jews present him with a ring, symbolizing their respect towards him and their gratitude for his actions. Regardless of the reasons behind his actions, his change impacted the entire community and left a mark in history.