Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Schindler’s List, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Virtue and Selflessness
Anti-Semitism and Dehumanization
Power
Duty
Bureaucracy
Summary
Analysis
Everyone in Brinnlitz is concerned about typhus because, in addition to the health problems, it could offer a pretext to close the camp. In response, Schindler builds a delousing unit. At one point, welders climb up to work near a water tank and find Schindler and a blond SS girl both naked in it.
Despite the comparative safety of Brinnlitz, disease remains just as much a problem there as anywhere. Fortunately, Schindler has experts among his prisoners who can help him build a delousing station. Schindler and the SS girl seemingly have a sexual relationship, which makes Schindler’s character all the more complicated, as he is working tirelessly to help his Jewish prisoners but also cavorting with a Nazi.
Themes
Ultimately, thanks to the delousing unit and the effort of doctors like Biberstein, there is no epidemic. In fact, healthy amounts of soup are turning Schindler’s 1,000 prisoners into some of the healthiest in the whole continent. Later, one of Schindler’s inmates will say that life in Brinnlitz was hard, and that Schindler never cut his own rations to match with the prisoners. But still, the inmate remains grateful and considers his time there a “paradise” compared to the other options.
Biberstein uses his medical expertise to quantify how exactly Schindler’s methods end up being successful. The fact that Schindler still lives a fairly lavish lifestyle may seem unfair and hypocritical, although it could be argued that keeping up appearances is essential to maintaining his charade with fellow Germans.
Themes
Schindler begins to be absent from Brinnlitz for periods of time. At one point while he’s away, 19-year-old Janek Dresner is accused of sabotage (when in fact, he’s just ignorant about metalwork). A German supervisor prepares a harsh report. Stern stops some of the reports going out in the mail, though he can’t keep a copy from being hand-delivered to Commandant Liepold.
It becomes clear how much Schindler relies on people under him, like Stern, to keep everything running smoothly. Yet Schindler remains a flawed and complicated character, even someone so devoted to saving Jewish prisoners can be indifferent or distracted at times.
Themes
Finally, Schindler comes back and hears about the situation from Stern. Liepold wants to preside over a hearing and ultimately hang Janek Dresner (along with his family), but Schindler refuses to let anyone else encroach on his territory. Court convenes with Schindler presiding over. He reads Janek Dresner the details of the report about his alleged sabotage, then proceeds to question him. Dresner doesn’t know what to do and admits that he was unfamiliar with the machine.
Though Schindler may sometimes get temporarily led astray, he is back to business when he has a problem to solve. Schindler defends his right to control his own territory in part because he knows this is an impulse that is men like Liepold, who value independence and duty, will understand.
Themes
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Schindler becomes increasingly irritated with Janek Dresner, at one point even hitting him across the face. But as he does so, he gives Dresner a wink. He complains to the Germans in attendance about the stupidity of Jewish people, and how he only wishes they were intelligent enough to actually commit sabotage. Schindler winds up to punch Dresner again, then yells that he should clear out. He then offers fine cognac to the Germans and suggests they’d be better to forget the whole thing. The Germans, including Liepold, don’t seem satisfied, but they can see that at least Schindler appeared to take the hearing seriously. Later in life, Dresner will recall that the entire existence of Brinnlitz was often maintained through a series of precarious, confident stunts.
Schindler has to seem angry at Dresner in order to convincingly sell the performance. His performance may not be totally convincing to everyone watching the hearing, but once again, it doesn’t have to be—it just has to be barely convincing enough to discourage men like Liepold from investigating any further into the matter. Yet again, Schindler is able to create the outcome he wants by manipulating the Nazis’ bureaucratic and legal proceedings to his advantage.
Themes
