When Light Pierced the Darkness by Nechama Tec Essays -- Pierced Darkn

When Light Pierced the Darkness by Nechama TecAltruism bear on for the welfare of others, as opposed to egoism egotismlessness (American 99). In her script entitled When Light Pierced the Darkness, Nechama Tec asserts that people who aided Jews during the Nazi final solution may have acted altruistically however, they did so under a modified description of self-sacrifice. Furthermore, she offers her own definition of altruism within the setting of the Holocaust and designates six traits, which she found rescuers of Jews to exhibit. While many of these traits are observable in the personalities of characters in the films Shop on important Street, Cold Days, carve up We Fall, and Europa Europa, some of them are glaringly absent. Tec offers the general definition of altruism, doing things for others without antepast of external rewards (Tec 151). She indicates that this definition does non apply to people who saved Jews because it does not take into account the tremend ous amount of risk (e.g., the possibility of losing angiotensin-converting enzymes life) involved in their actions. Consequently, she offers the biological science definition of altruism, self destructive behavior performed for the benefit of others, which she perceives to be more applicable to the exploits of non-Jews who carry through Jews (151). Moreover, Tec personally defines altruism within the context of the Nazi Holocaust as, that behavior which is carried out to benefit another?with a possibility of very high, rather than inconsequential, personal costs to the giver (151). In addition, within the parameters of this broad definition she offers two sub-definitions normative altruism and autonomous altruism. Tec explains that normative altruism (e.g., a father donating a kidney... ... were outsiders may have contributed to their selfish, cowardly behavior. Thus, it is the separate who demonstrates a high degree of independence, a strong sense of obligation where ch arity is concerned, and an ability to value every human life no matter of religion or ethnicity that will be most likely to altruistically aid people in distress. Conversely, it is the individual that lacks the aforementioned traits, who will be the least effective in assisting those in need.Works CitedAmerican hereditary pattern Dictionary. Second College Edition. Boston, MA Houghton Mifflin Company.1982.Holland, Agnieszka. Europa Europa. Orion, 1991.Hrebejk, Jan. Divided We Fall. Czech Republic, 2000.Kadar, Jan, and Elmar Klos. Shop on Main Street. Czechoslovakia, 1965.Kovacs, Andras. Cold Days. Hungary, 1966.Tec, Nechama. When Light Pierced the Darkness. 1986.