Connections

Hotel Rwanda and Maus I & II are stories about surviving the horrible act of genocide. In the film Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, struggles to keep his family and hundreds of Tutsi people alive. In Maus I and II, Vladek Spiegelman struggles to survive through the Holocaust, especially in the concentration camp, Auschwitz. Both of these stories, sadly to say, are true even though they seem unbelievable. How could people be so cruel to others and not feel guilty?

What I noticed in both these stories was the similarities between Vladek and Paul that helped them survive. Vladek was a good businessman with many connections. He was able to work with tin and repair shoes. Vladek also knew how to use his resources well and was able to talk in German and English. Paul, on the other hand, was a good manager and he kept connections with higher up people. He was also very good at bribing and had excellent convincing skills. These skills and connections that Paul and Vladek had helped them both survive. When trouble came they either had someone who they knew help them or they just used what skills they had to make the situation better. Vladek, for example, repaired shoes to receive more food from the Nazi guards, while in Hotel Rwanda; Paul bribed and convinced the Hutus so they wouldn’t shoot him or his family. In both stories, I believe, these are the only reasons why they survived the genocide.

We saw how bad it was too survive just for Vladek and Paul, but imagine how much harder it was on other people if they were poor, only knew one language, or had no connections to others that could help. The chances of survival would drastically fall. Paul and Vladek had at least a small use to the Nazis or Hutus. Even though it was just teaching a Nazi guard English or providing beer to the Hutus, I believe that was key in their survival.