Writing Prompts - Robert Ray, Jr.

Prompt 1

In his transcript, Robert said, “But, as far as the Holocaust was concerned, I don’t remember ever even hearing anything about it until long time that the war was over. A lot of people don’t think there was such a thing. At that time, if they would have told me that’s what that was, I don’t know whether I would have believed it or not. I would have thought those German civilians would have more sense than to let something like that take place.” Robert had not talked about his experiences in many, many years. “This is really the first time it’s been brought up,” he told the interviewer. Robert had seen the horrors of war prior to the liberation of Nordhausen.  What made this particular event from his wartime experiences stand out as the most tragic?  Cite evidence from the film and transcript to support your essay.

Prompt 2

Write an expository essay comparing and contrasting the liberator experiences of Robert Ray and Harry Snodgrass. Analyze the similarities between the two interviews and what they reveal about the conditions at the Nordhausen and Buchenwald Camps. Draw evidence from the films and transcripts to support your information and be sure to cite strong and thorough evidence from both sources to support your argument.