Book Title: Vienna
Prelude by BodieTheone December 30,
2013
Part 1:
Holocaust
-the almost complete
destruction of Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during
World War II (1939-1945). The leadership of Germany’s Nazi Party ordered the
extermination of 5.6 million to 5.9 million Jews. Jews often refer to the
Holocaust as Shoah (from the Hebrew word for “catastrophe” or “total
destruction”). The word holocaust derives from the Greek holo(whole)
and caustos(burned) and originally referred to a burnt.
Do
colors matter? Why could race differences kill millions of people in a single
swipe? Who is Adolf Hitler? How did a man from the army get so powerful that he
almost took over the world with his hands? Why did Germans hate the Jews? Can a
violinist with a Jewish blood and all the other people around her survive the
catastrophe? Nazi darkness was descending upon Europe—would their lives ever be
the same?
Short summary
PRE-WORLD WAR ERA— Elisa Lindheim, a
violinist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, is of Jewish Heritage but has
adopted an Aryan Stage name because of her half German blood. Thus she was able
to travel and play in Germany even though a 1935 law forbade Jewish musicians
to do so. When Nazi power peaked in Germany during 1939, Elisa’s family was
forced to run away from Germany and flee to a place called Kitzbühelin Austria.
Her mother and two younger brothers were first to escape but her father, Theo
Lindheim who owned a business and was known as an anti-Nazi, shut down their
business and met with Elisa, but on their way to Austrian border, Theo was
captured and was taken to Dachau concentration camp where Jews and others who
were against the administration are brought and treated under inhumane
conditions. Meanwhile, John Murphy, a reporter for the New York Times in Berlin
and Austria, becomes linked with English politicians in a plan to overthrow
Hitler. Elisa met him and after many circumstances, became her lover and ally.
Together, they managed to escape from the hands of Nazi armies and eventually
reunited with Elisa’s family in Czechoslovakia where Jews and other non-Germans
who flee from Germany lived the rest of their lives free from racism. Theo also
made his way out of the concentration camp and together with Elisa and John,
gained the freedom he was seeking for.
I
likeElisa’s character because she is a very loving daughter who would do
anything to save her father. She was shown a lot of discrimination by the Nazi officials
but remained strong and still after all. Her music lifted people’s hearts and
gave them encouragement to face life despite the inequity and chaos arising.
She even married an American just to be able to do transactions with Germans
because that time, only Germans and the citizens of the very powerful United
States of America were allowed to do business inside Germany. I just don’t understand
why at first she kept on pushing John away when John did nothing but to help
her.
My mom used to tell us stories about
the Martial Law declared by former President Marcos during 1970’s. In late
September of 1972, the Philippines were rocked by its most severe domestic
turmoil since the Communist insurgency of the early 1950's. A month of
terrorist bombing of public facilities in Manila and Quezon City culminated on
September 22 with an assassination attempt on Defense Secretary Juan Ponce
Enrile. Six hours later, President Ferdinand E. Marcos responded with the
imposition of martial law. All newspapers and radio stations were closed; a few
were permitted to reopen following the imposition of strict censorship. Many
arrests followed, with several prominent politicians—including the leader of
the opposition Liberal Party and two provincial governors—caught up in the
government sweep. President Marcos characterized the campaign as an effort to
save the country both from Communist insurrection and from criminal and corrupt
elements pervading Philippine society. President Marcos had been the Hitler of
the Philippines except that he was ousted through hundreds of thousands of
people who staged a massive four-day uprising against the dictatorial regime of
the president. It was called the People Power Movement.
Prediction
After Elisa and her family’s escape towards Czechoslovakia,
they would start a new life and would continue to help other refugees from
Germany regain their life as well. Hitler would continue to spread his power
and cruelty and World War II would cause billions of damage and waste millions
of lives as what really happened according to history.
Part 2
Letter to the Author
December 29, 2013
Dear Mrs. BodieThoene,
Good day
Ma’am!
I am
Jermaine L. Dela Cruz, 18 years old and a student of Mindanao State University,
Philippines taking up Bachelor of Arts in English. I love reading and I find one your books, the
Vienna Prelude a good reading
material. I’ve read the book twice because the story really moved me plus it
was very informative. I’ve known Hitler more and hated him even more (even
though it’s not alright to hate people).
I have a
question Ma’am. Why do people often look at other people through their colors?
Why is the world full of prejudices? That’s why our world is chaotic, it’s
because the colors created by God that should have been intended to make the
world a beautiful place was used as barriers, barriers instead of bridges,
walls instead of doors. Hitler has killed many innocent people— men, women,
children, old people, destroyed families, caused many town and cities to sink
and changed the people’s perception about the world as a peaceful place to live
in.
Thank you
very much Ma’am for writing such eye-opening and inspiring novel like Vienna Prelude and for introducing me
Elisa Lindheim— the girl with flaxen hair and good violin skills. I, together
with you and many others will continue to hope for the peace of the world and
for the non-reoccurrence of the World War. If we continue to understand each
other and dispense greed, innocent lives will be spared and the world will
continue to be the best place to live in.
I promise
to become a good writer like you someday and write books that will inspire
people to learn to embrace life with positive outlook, love and hope inside
their hearts.
Truly yours,
Jermaine L. Dela Cruz
Poem
Heil Hitler!
by: Jermaine Dela Cruz
Man of power, man of will
Man who always dressed to kill,
Man who brought nations together,
To plot against him, not to say,“Heil Hitler!”
What laughter when bombs are blown!
Several attempts were done indeed,
To disperse the man of greed.
Second World War came to pass,
But the damage seems to last,
Was he a friend or a foe?
“Heil Hitler!” they said so.
Who is he? What is he?
It is always a wonder to me,
He is the Absolute Leader,
Call him Adolf Hitler.
*Heilis a German word which means person
unhurt or unharmed.
