Dealing with Emotions

Anger. Self-loathing. Rage. Guilt. Where do these feelings come from? How can you control them? The famed Polish writer Tadeusz Borowski wrote about his personal experience during the Holocaust. His poem “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen”, shares a bleak first-person narrative of what it was like to be a survivor in a concentration camp. The rage he feels towards the Jewish men, women, and children disembarking from the transports expresses his anger at this horrific situation they are all entangled in. When he questions his goodness to his friend Henri, he proclaims he is “furious, simply furious with these people ­­–­­ furious because I must be here because of them”(Borowski, 1946). Henri tells him he is exhausted and “the easiest way to relieve your hate is to turn against someone weaker” (Borowski, 1946). Borowski survived the concentration camp, but he later committed suicide. Jewish poet Paul Celan also used his writing to express his anger during World War II. His poem “Deathfugue” describes the dance the prisoners of war are forced to participate in. He describes the “black milk” that the prisoners drink day and night. The black milk symbolizes the toxic atmosphere of the camps. The never-ending feelings of despair. His poem “Aspen Tree” is written in memory of his gentle mother whose “hair was never white”, “my quiet mother weeps for everyone”. She was shot and killed while in a concentration camp. Although both of these authors were subjected to the horrors of war, they both survived. There is a certain guilt that stems from survival. The atrocities witnessed haunted these men and many others. Celan felt enormous guilt for not being able to protect his mother, while Borowski felt guilty for being angry at innocent people. Neither of them could cope with their feelings of guilt and both ended their own lives. It is important to learn how to deal with the range of emotions people feel daily.

Lesson Plan #1 –­ Discuss the benefits of a daily meditation practice. Develop one with your students. There are many resources online. Check out these videos below.

Lesson Plan #2 –­ Watch the Disney Pixar Film Inside Out. You can find the entire lesson plan here.

1. Identify feelings.

2. Initiating communication with others.

3. Discuss personal experiences.

4. Explore inner speech.

5. Create Brain Board.

Lesson Plan #3 - Watch this clip of Angry Birds with your class.

1. Have your students start a feelings journal.

2. Have a weekly check in with your students. Discuss topics of concern such as anxiety over academics, athletics, friendships, etc.

Readings for ENG-355 Topic 7 Post-Holocaust Jewish Literature from Norton Anthology of World Literature.

This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Taduesz Borowski, Volume 2

Deathfugue, Aspen Tree, Shibboleth by Paul Celan, Volume 2

God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children, Tourists, Jerusalem, An Arab Shepherd Is Searching for His Goat on Mount Zion by Yehuda Amichai, Volume 2

The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman by Clarice Lispector, Volume 2

References:

Puchner, M., Akbari, S. C., Denecke, W., Fuchs, B., Levine, C., Lewis, P., & Wilson, E. R. (2019). The Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.