The real dilemma

We’re moving rapidly into the Holocaust part of the story. The Hilfsklasse class has now received a second visit. Clara has her marching orders. She will now move to Rexingen. She will live amongst Jews even though she no longer considers herself Jewish. She loses her name and becomes Klara Sarah. She has to leave her home.   

Now I’m facing the real crux of this story. How can I make it palatable? If I do make it palatable am I in danger of sanitizing it?

I’m actually gradually discovering that there is an explanation as to why Clara did not escape. The story is uncovering what stopped her reacting to her situation in a more predictable way. Undoubtedly she had a great sense of loyalty towards the Hilfsklasse. She has a lot of faith in human nature. She is extremely optimistic. Surely it can’t get any worse. It has got to start getting better soon. She isn’t really Jewish. She has a sound religious faith.  

So now I give her a setting in Rexingen. Some of this still crosses over with The House on Schellberg Street. After that, though, it gets more challenging.  

A slightly different creative process this time

Normally I know the end of the story before I start. I know the main hurdles it will go through and I have the structure firmly in my head, even if I haven’t written it down. Sure, the characters take off on their own a little but the skeleton of the story remains intact. This time it is a little bit different. 

Clara’s Great Mistake

Clara had too much faith in human nature. She believed that people were fundamentally good and that common sense would in the end prevail. She supposed that:

·         Jewishness was nothing to do with race, only religion, and as she was not religious and anyway had converted to Christianity, she could not be labelled Jewish.

·         Her son had fought bravely in the Great War so Germany should be glad to retain him.

·         Times were hard and some Jews and other wealthy people ought to be made to share a little more.

·         Lots of Nazis were deluded but couldn’t help it. Life had been difficult. It was no wonder people started behaving this way.

·         It was fair enough that she was made to sell her house, even though she didn’t like it.   

·         Once she had sold her house, that would be it.  Enough was enough, wasn’t it?

·         Although she didn’t like her name being changed to Klara at least now she matched her granddaughter.

·         There was some good in these people – they allowed her to live in Rexingen in some peace for a while.

·         Surely they would be kind to someone as old as her when she was obliged to give them the rest of her money and move east to an old people’s home. (Thereiesenstadt then Treblinka.)  

The story is a tragedy – Clara’s fatal flaw is her trust in human goodness. This stops her leaving when she could. Possibly her faith was so strong as she was such an immensely caring person herself. She remained loyal to the children in her care and in particular to the Hilfsklasse.   

I’d like to think she was right. Unfortunately she wasn’t quite. Yes, most people are decent. The few who aren’t can cause havoc and can take us unawares. That is why this story must be told.