Kluger on Cowardice

I would have to say that this book is one of the most interesting Holocaust memoirs that I have ever come across. It seems to me that Kluger, instead of focusing only on her victimization, decided to learn from it. It is obvious that she has become very opinionated, but I truly value her discretion. My favorite part about her persona expressed through this narrative is her ability to see reality and act accordingly. She understands human nature on an extensive level and knows how to manipulate it or act so that the results are desirable. This understanding is a huge part of her statements about courage and cowardice on page 156. It is frustrating when people attempt to place themselves, theoretically, in a morally problematic situation and presume that they would act perfectly. Not only do I admire her "Tom Sawyer" with the wooden cross character's admittance of his true character, but I look up to Kluger's understanding that cowardice is not necessarily bad; its judgment is subject to the situation. The following is what I picked out of the passage as the most interesting parts:

COURAGE
normal behavior = self-preservation, foresight -> conscientious objector
COWARDICE
active participation in EVIL.

I think that it is a good question to ask ourselves, what can we expect of ourselves? For the sake of self or family preservation, would we participate in the evil that caused the Holocaust, of would we die for a higher cause? be courageous? Where is the line?

But I do believe that we can never truly answer those questions unless we are placed in that moral predicament and hopefully we will never have to make that decision...

But as I write this I realize that on a different plane, we are at that place where we must make a decision. To participate in the chosen American ignorance or to learn about what is going on in our world and even if it is only education we participate in, to do at least that.