Who Is Oscar Schindler A Hero

Oscar Schindler was a member of the Nazi Party during the Second World War. He was a businessman with a desire to accomplish more than his father. Schindler started a factory at the beginning of the Holocaust and employed Jewish workers. In doing so, Oscar Schindler has been recognized as having saved nearly 1,200 Jews. His actions closely relate to a quote by Ervin Staub, a Holocaust survivor from Hungary and a scholar on altruistic behavior. Staub wrote, “Goodness, like evil, often begins in small steps. Heroes evolve; they aren't born. Very often the rescuers make only a small commitment at the start, to hide someone for a day or two. But once they had taken that step, they began to see themselves differently, as someone who helps.

Staub wrote, “Heroes evolve; they aren’t born.” Schindler was not born a hero. He wanted to launch his factory in order to obtain more wealth than his father had, and to be remembered for his wealth. He used Jewish labor because they were so cheap to employ and he could therefore maximize his profit. Originally, Schindler was in his business for the money and for himself, not for the Jews. Earlier in his life, Oscar Schindler was a schmoozing businessman who knew how to turn a profit. He did not possess typical heroic qualities. Oscar Schindler did, however, evolve into a hero. Schindler witnessed the killing of Jews in the Krakow ghetto at the hands of the Nazis. He understood that the Nazis were therefore a direct threat to the Jews he employed. Schindler paid off the SS in order to keep his Jewish workers alive so that production in the factory could continue. He realized that by using the Jews as workers, he was protecting their lives from the Nazis. His newfound realization changed his view on what the factory truly meant. Initially, the factory meant for Schindler wealth beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Upon learning of how he was contributing to the rescuing of hundred of Jews, he saw the factory as a haven for Jews that would otherwise be killed. He was able to give the Jews a second chance at life. Oscar Schindler evolved into a hero because he transformed into a man that risked himself for others in