Shirley Lin

Class 827
Literary Essay

Two Unlikely Heroes

In the nonfiction works Oskar Schlinder and his famous list, by Irvin Shaw, and
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, by Ellis Bell, we meet two heroic
people. Oskar Schindler and Harriet Tubman are both heroes that saved many people in
oppression. Oskar Schlinder saved Jewish people in Concentration camp while Harriet
Tubman helped slaves escape to freedom. Although both of these people helped
oppressed people; they did so in different ways. Oskar Schlinder helped Jews by hurting
the Germans and Harriet Tubman helped slaves by developing clever techniques in
escaping north. Furthermore, their different roles in society gave them the opportunity to
help people.
Oskar Schlinder saved oppressed Jews by betraying the Nazis. He was once a
Nazi war profiteer and he became a protector of Jews. In the wake of the German
invasion of Poland, Schindler went to Krakow. There he set up a businessemploying
Jews from the Krakow Ghetto as cheap labor. This quote is showing how Schindler
helped the Jews by employing them instead of letting them die at Concentration Camps.
Furthermore, when he feared for his workers safety, he bribed the Nazis. He managed
to convince the Nazis that his factory and thus his Jews were vital to the German war
effort and prevented their deportation to the death camps of the East. Here, Schlinder is
basically convincing the Nazis not to deport his Jews because they were vital to
Germany winning the war. In addition to this, Schindler continued to add Jews to his
list. Schindler also bribed German officials to help his Jews survive concentration
camp. Following the elimination of Krakow Ghetto, his workers were relocated to

Plaszow concentration camp, a forced labor center under the brutal command of
Kommandant Amon Goeth. Schindler helped his workers to surviveby befriending and
bribing Goeth. Schindler saved nearly 1200 Jews from a certain death by convincing
Goeth to allow him to relocate them to Brunnlitz These quotes show how Schindler
risked his own life, and trust to the Nazis to help these Jewish people. Not only did he
help Jewish people by saving them, he also set up a bogus munitions factory. This hurt
the Nazis because their weapons were all bogus. Schindlers strategies were effective
and he saved a huge amount of people during World War II.
Harriet Tubman is another hero that was known for being an important conductor
of the Underground Railroad. She was a slave that traveled back and forth from the
North to the South to save people like her, slaves. During a ten-year span she made 19
trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom. She was clever and
courageous in doing this. Harriet Tubman wasnt just lucky to have not gotten caught;
she had clever plans that led to her success. She devised clever techniques that helped
her make her forays successful, including using the masters horse and buggy for the
first leg of the journey; leaving on a Saturday nightand carrying a drug to use on a
baby if its cryingOn one occasion, she overheard some men reading her wanted
poster, which stated she was illiterate. She promptly pulled out a book and feigned
reading it. The ploy was enough to fool the men. These clever genius techniques helped
her bring these slaves and herself to freedom. Tubmans courage also played an
important role in her success.
Both Oskar Schindlers and Harriet Tubmans role in society gave them
opportunities and helped them become successful in saving people in oppression. Oskar
was part of the German community and he used this as an advantage. He gained the
trust of the German men and secretly helped the Jews. Schindler was an unlikely
herohe joined the Nazi party in 1939he set up a businessSchindler saved nearly

1200 Jews from certain death This quote shows how being a member of the Nazi
Party gave Schindler an advantage to saving Jews during World War II. On the other
hand, Harriet Tubman was a slave since she was of very young age, and this gave her
experience with slave owners, and it also gave her courage and determination to free
herself and many other slaves. Tubman was born a slave in Marylands Dorchester
County around 1820. At age five or six, she began to work as a house servant. Seven
years later she was sent to work in the fieldsShe set out one night on footShe
followed the North Star by night, making her way to PennsylvaniaTubman returned to
the South again and againleaving on Saturday nights, since runaway notices wouldnt
be placed in newspapers until Monday morning These quotes show that Harriet
Tubmans experience as a slave since she was very young gave her courage,
determination and experience with slave owners, and hunters. Harriet Tubman and
Oskar Schindler had completely different roles in society that helped them save all the
people that they saved.
For the reasons discussed above, it should know be undeniable that both Harriet
Tubman and Oskar Schindler had different techniques in saving people in oppression
and their roles in society helped them do so. Harriet Tubman and Oskar Schindlers
success show an important idea in the two articles and in life. Harriet Tubman may have
been someone in a very low place in society but that didnt stop her from helping others,
and becoming who she is known for doing today. On the other hand, Oskar Schindler
joined the Nazi Party, most likely because all Germans were doing this. Instead of joining
the army that was killing Jewish people, he risked his loyalty to Germany and helped the
Jewish people. He not only did the right thing but he did so successfully. The life of these
two amazing heroes show that no matter what, do the right thing in life, and do not make
choices because other people are pushing you to. Oskar Schindler did the right thing by
helping the Jews rather than killing them, and Harriet Tubman didnt only save herself

but made 19 dangerous trips to help others. In life, you may fail once, but that shouldnt
stop you from doing what you think is right. If you fail once, try and try again!!

Goal Assessment:

My third quarter goal was to use quotations to back up my reasons. I have met
this goal in both my first Literary Essay and this essay. I used specific details from both
articles and incorporated them in my writing. I also explained the quote after I quoted it
using ellipses. For example, instead of writing out 5 quotes to show one thing, I
combined them. Tubman was born a slave in Marylands Dorchester County around
1820. At age five or six, she began to work as a house servant. Seven years later she
was sent to work in the fieldsShe set out one night on foot leaving on Saturday
nights, since runaway notices wouldnt be placed in newspapers until Monday
morning This helped me reach my goal because instead of having long quotes, I had
quotes that showed more than one thing. I also know I met my goal because my body
paragraphs all contain at least 2 quotes that help prove my thesis statement.