Schindler’s Positive Choices In The Absurd World

As an internationally renowned Australian writer, Thomas Keneally enjoys a great fame for historical novels. Schindler’s Ark, published in1982and considered as his greatest work, brought him the Booker Prize in1982and the Los Angeles Times Fiction Prize in1983. As one of the three outstanding works reflecting the anti-fascist movement in the20th century, Schindler’s Ark tells a true story about how a German businessman Oskar Schindler, under the perilous circumstances of genocide, and even at the risk of his own life, manages to save more than1200Jews from the concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. While portraying the protagonist’s heroism and glory, Keneally also shows Schindler’s weaknesses and shortcomings as an ordinary person. Greatness of humanitarianism as well as humanity is fully displayed in the novel.As a trend of thought of irrationalism, existentialism places emphasis on individuals, independence and self-decision. It’s a philosophy concerning human existence and about defining the meaning of one’s life through his free will and choice. Man decides who and what he is throughout life as he makes choices based on his beliefs and experiences. Existentialism stresses that one’s judgment and free-will choice are the determining factors in the formation of their essence and way of life.This dissertation aims to approach the novel of Schindler’s Ark with existentialist concepts, ranging from the idea of absurdity to that of responsibility. Though living in absurdity, Schindler has the freedom to make choice. With sense of responsibility and after experiencing certain incidents, Schindler makes the positive choices of rescuing the Jews though faced with lots of difficulties and even the risk of being arrested or killed.The introduction part gives an overview of Thomas Keneally’s position in Australian and world literature, the critical research of Schindler’s Ark home and abroad, and the perspective of interpreting the novel by means of existentialism.Part one states the theory of absurdity in existentialism and analyzes it from the setting of the novel and behaviors of the two protagonists, Oskar Schindler and Amon Goeth. Moreover, the interpretation of Schindler’s list reflects the classic argument concerning absurdity, which is "everything is radically contingent"Part two sketches the famous proposition "existence precedes essence" by Sartre, which is applied to interpret the humanity embodied in Oskar Schindler and Amon Goeth.Part three elaborates the importance of making choice and assuming responsibility. Based on understanding of the absurd world, Schindler realizes only by revolting against absurdity can the meaning of existence be achieved. Therefore, he makes positive choices and creates self-identity in his salvation of the Jews.The conclusion part gives an overview of the above three parts. By the interpretation of existentialism and the novel Schindler’s Ark, we witness not only the wide application of existentialism, but also the cruelty of war, the helplessness of human beings, the harmony and conflicts among people. Due to "existence precedes essence", we can always find ways to make our lives different. Facing the absurd world, only by making positive choices, transcending ourselves and actively shouldering our responsibilities can we prove the value of our existence.