The boy's point of view


We know the mother's point of view but let's examine the psychological scars from the boy's point of view. As a boy myself and having two older sisters and two older brothers, I too would probably be suicidal like the mother if they had to give their lives up at the expense of mine. Nobody wins in the scenario the nazi presented. Living is not winning if you've been scared like that. I think this is why there are people on here that say they probably would have risked getting their whole family killed than making a choice. I'm a believer in that not everybody would have made a choice. Last time I checked, people all have minds that think differently than other people. I do think the majority would make a choice but I don't think everybody would just for the sole reason that nobody wins in the end. I didn't like how the movie didn't show any reaction from the boy almost as if he had none.

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Very interesting post, osaji922, but I would have to say that, in the situation portrayed in the film, I would consider it highly unlikely that Sophie would have the presence of mind or the time to think through the matter so thoroughly as you have. What would be the boys reaction? I have no idea. I think that the little girl was simply terrified because she could sense her mother's terror, and the boy was simply bewildered by a situation he could not possibly fathom.

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I'm not sure what happened to Sophie's son. Did he die in the concentration camp? Anyway, if he had survived, then we can only imagine the burden he had to carry throughout his whole life - knowing that he is alive thanks to his mother choosing his sister to die instead of him.

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