Schlindlers List: The Little Girl in The Red Coat Ethics

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Schindler’s attitude about the people he is watching seems to change, they’re not his workers, or cheap labor anymore, their human beings.

He watches for the little girl as long as he can, then stays a bit longer, probably hoping to make sure he doesn’t spot her again being led away by one of the guards.

After this scene, Schindler’s attitude changes in the movie. He is concerned about the people working for him.” He finds out they were taken to a work camp just outside of the city. So, he becomes friends with the commandant Untersturmführer Amon Göth.” (unknown) He uses all his previous skills of manipulation, and bribery, to keep the 1,100 people as safe as he can.

Nothing can stop the commandant though from using the workers as target practice some days. (Spielberg)

But Schindler talks to him about the power he has for forgiveness. That Göth is like God, to give life and to take away, then why not be like God and to forgive instead. The random target shootings stopped after that. (Spielberg)

“A few months later the camp changed from a labor camp to a concentration camp. This meant that its prisoners were suddenly marked for transport to death camps such as Auschwitz. Then came word that the main camp was to be closed as well as Schindler's factory. During this time the labor camp was given orders to burn the dead bodies from the round up in Krakow.” (unknown) Schindler was standing next to Göth, looking disgusted at the huge pile of burning bodies when he noticed a worker pushing a wheel barrel and on top was a little girl in a red coat. Tears started running down his eyes. (Spielberg)

“Schindler approached Göth about moving his factory and his workers to Czechoslovakia so that they might continue to supply the Third Reich (Hitler's army) with vital war supplies. After another bribe, the SS officer agreed to throw his support behind the plan and told Schindler to draw up a list of those people he wanted to take with him. Schindler was now faced with the task of choosing those he wanted to save— literally a matter of life and death. Schindler came up with a list containing some eleven hundred names, and others he became aware of.” (unknown)

Schindler’s attitude defiantly changed, in an ethical sense, for the better.

Aristotle said “ It is clear that the best aspects of civilization and culture come from a few who passionately care about the deepest truths of human existence” (Hoyt) And Schlindler proved he passionately cared about the deepest truths of human existence by saving the people in the work camp from a sure death at a concentration camp!

Schindler had many flaws, but he was a good citizen in a nightmare regime!

Works Cited:

Hoyt, Terence. "Who is the "Good Man" and who is the "Good Citizen"?" n.d. Pratical Philosophy . 9 April 2016.

Schlindler's List. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Liam Neelson. 1993.

unknown. "Oskar Schindler Biography." n.d. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 9 April 2016.

Vitrano, Stephen M. Cahn and Christine. Happiness: Classic and Contemporary Readings in Philosophy . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Wikipedia. "Krak'ow Ghetto." n.d. Wikipedia. 9 April 2016.