Under A Cruel Star Analysis
Bailey Votto
Dr. Strobel
Modern Europe
Under a Cruel Star
December 4, 2015
Under a Cruel Star
A corruption of the faithful, an exploitation of the angelic, a destruction of the young, blanketed the earth in the fall of 1941. The gift of innocence, so blameless and pure, but at the presence of absence, eradicates life. The righteous and the sinful, the just and the unjust, produced social barriers of uncertainty. In Under a Cruel Star, Heda Kovály writes of a world filled fear and deception, of stolen innocence, flowers afraid to grow, and faith hidden in a shy little bird. Along with millions of jews, Heda’s life in Prague shook upside when the mass deportation began. The trains that carried her, had no remorse. The Nazis that took her, had …show more content…
Heda’s little shy bird also carried hope. Diminished into time and space somehow she kept it alive and believed in it. It was present while Heda was in the camps. While she looked for shelter after her escape. While she nearly starved after the war. While Rudolf was executed. And while she leaned out the window of a train saying goodbye to her old life. This force of hope controlled her life. The totalitarianism in Heda’s life had no sorrow. Every event continued to break down on Heda, but still she preserved. The little shy bird did not stop fluttered even at times of sheer anguish. She had to believe that one day everything was going to be ok. Head down, feet moving, the death marches ate at everything she had left. But she knew at least they were all marching together. Hope was apart of the common destiny. As Heda’s life progressed hope came and went. There was times the little bird could not flutter its wings. It became very absent during the time of Rudolf’s execution. On the very day when two men came to Heda’s doorstep, the white snow outside juxtaposed innocence and death so beautifully. It was as if hope lay in the untouched snow even while she was trembling with fear. The bird in her rib cage continued to
Dr. Strobel
Modern Europe
Under a Cruel Star
December 4, 2015
Under a Cruel Star
A corruption of the faithful, an exploitation of the angelic, a destruction of the young, blanketed the earth in the fall of 1941. The gift of innocence, so blameless and pure, but at the presence of absence, eradicates life. The righteous and the sinful, the just and the unjust, produced social barriers of uncertainty. In Under a Cruel Star, Heda Kovály writes of a world filled fear and deception, of stolen innocence, flowers afraid to grow, and faith hidden in a shy little bird. Along with millions of jews, Heda’s life in Prague shook upside when the mass deportation began. The trains that carried her, had no remorse. The Nazis that took her, had …show more content…
Heda’s little shy bird also carried hope. Diminished into time and space somehow she kept it alive and believed in it. It was present while Heda was in the camps. While she looked for shelter after her escape. While she nearly starved after the war. While Rudolf was executed. And while she leaned out the window of a train saying goodbye to her old life. This force of hope controlled her life. The totalitarianism in Heda’s life had no sorrow. Every event continued to break down on Heda, but still she preserved. The little shy bird did not stop fluttered even at times of sheer anguish. She had to believe that one day everything was going to be ok. Head down, feet moving, the death marches ate at everything she had left. But she knew at least they were all marching together. Hope was apart of the common destiny. As Heda’s life progressed hope came and went. There was times the little bird could not flutter its wings. It became very absent during the time of Rudolf’s execution. On the very day when two men came to Heda’s doorstep, the white snow outside juxtaposed innocence and death so beautifully. It was as if hope lay in the untouched snow even while she was trembling with fear. The bird in her rib cage continued to