-
The Nazis take over Kraków
Sentence Summary: Leon hears air sirens and decides to investage because he's hoping that the French and Americans have come the rescue, but they turn out to be German.
Negative Character Development: In the book, Leon states that this is the worst day of his life. This changes his mindset and makes him more pessimistic than before.
Relation to Theme: Leon knows now that his life will not be sunshine and rainbows for much longer, and reality is hitting him faster than he could've ever expected. -
Oskar Schindler offers Leon's father a job
Summary: Schindler asks Leon's father to open a safe for him, and he does it very efficiently. This impresses Schindler and he offers him and his family jobs
Positive Character Development: Oskar Schindler was a famous Nazi who hired many Jews during the war, ulitmately saving their lives by preventing them from being killed in the future. Leon and his family were some of the Jews hired.
Relation to Theme: Even though Leon doesn't know it yet, Oskar Schindler is the reason that he wasn't killed. -
Hershel, Leon's big brother, dies
Summary: Hershel had witnessed his father being beaten and decided to leave back to his home town. On the way back, he passed through a city that was being massacred and was killed in the crossfire.
Negative Character Development: Leon and his brother were very close. Leon wasn't aware that his brother died at the time, so this didn't impact him at the time, but he already assumed Hershel was dead and this deeply saddened him.
Relation to Theme: Leon was starting to see the effects of the Nazis -
Everyone in Ghetto sent to Płaszów
Summary: Nazi's liquidated the ghetto Leon and his family were in and Leon was glad because he didn't like it there, but would soon find out Płaszów was much, much worse.
Negative Character Development: Leon would starve in Płaszów and since he was surrounded by older people, he would be exposed to things that a young boy like him shouldn't have seen that traumatized him and made him be more reclusive
Relevance to Theme: Leon finds himself turning into a new person and facing his harsh reality. -
Schindler frees the Jews
Summary: The American & French were coming, so the Nazis needed to go. Schindler needed to flee, but he felt guilty that the Nazi's may kill everyone before fleeing as well, so he transferred all the Nazis away and freed the Jews.
Positive Character Development: Leon was finally a free man. He was able to do what he wanted now, and he was so shocked by this he didn't know how to react initially
Relation to Theme: Leon had hoped for and worked hard to survive, which payed off immensely. -
Theme Statement
Change is inevitable, but it's how you adapt to that change that counts.
