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Drew Hudson

English 101

20 April 2019

The Separation

A pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, for a Polish Jewish radio station in Warsaw was

considered the best around. He captivated crowds everywhere as they tuned into the station. He

was doing what he loved most and through that, came appreciation and fame. He lived with his

family and had everything going his way.

One day, the Nazis took everything away from the Jewish people in Warsaw. They were

not allowed to go into certain areas of the town and had to wear bands on their shoulders to show

if they were Jewish or not. The Jewish people in the town were only allowed a certain amount of

money to live off of. Wladyslaw had to sell his own piano so that his family could have money

for food.

The Call

Wladyslaw and his family struggled with money and food, he had a job playing the piano

but his money was not enough. After everything from their home was sold and had no more

money, they were being taken from their homes. Everything they had was to be left behind and

they would be placed in another area to live. People were dying from starvation and by the hand

of the SS soldiers. They were all to be transported to concentration camps, which they thought

would be better than where they were.

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Wladyslaw was separated from his family and was saved, which he did not know then.

Because he was so well known by others, the police and people outside the area he was kept

were able to help him not get caught by the Germans. He has to work with other Jewish men in

the town under the Nazis watch. His everyday life is now completely gone.

Threshold

While Wladyslaw is working in the enclosed area, he contacts a well-known man

working with him to help him get out by asking for other musicians that he knew to help. He

continued to work and thought the ones he knew outside the wall were not there anymore. On the

inside, the Jewish men that were left were planning a rebellion, though they knew it would be

suicide, it would be better to go out fighting the people who took everything from them.

Wladyslaw was finally able to get contact and escape the Nazis with the help of his

friends outside the wall. He had to jump house to house to make sure he would not be caught.

Gun shots and bombs proceeded to go off as the rebellion from the Jewish men had started.

Wladyslaw had a front row seat to all of it and regretted leaving because all of the men he knew

fighting for their beliefs would die.

Challenges

As Wladyslaw changed apartment buildings he had come to his final one. A man that he

knew, that was not Jewish, would use money that he collected to buy food and other necessities

for Wladyslaw slowly started coming to the room less and less. He finally came his last time and

took meaningful things from Wladyslaw for money only to use it for himself and leave

Wladyslaw with nothing.

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There was a piano in his room, though he could not play it because no one could know he

was staying in the room. Being a musician and playing a piano for a living, this was difficult for

him not to play what he loves most. Wladyslaw had run out of everything and had gotten very

sick. It was only for the musicians that originally got him out that found him and called a doctor

before they were leaving the area for good to be out of danger. He would just need rest and then

would get better from the food and water they brought.

The Abyss

Wladyslaw is right the heart of the German area of Warsaw. He has no food or water left

and does not know how much more time he has left. He proceeds to look for food, but drops a

plate and his cover is blown. He is now on the run in Nazi territory. There is still fighting going

on around him and if he is caught, he will not live. He knows if he can get out of the area, he can

stay alive, but only if there is food and water which he has not had in a long time.

Finally, Wladyslaw made it out of the town with multiple close calls. He finds himself in

an area full of destruction. All the buildings are crumbled to ruins and there is not a soul in sight.

To his luck, he finds a place to hide and a jar of pickles. He was weak and tired; the jar was his

Excalibur as he could not get it open even with all his might. It was a waiting game for someone

to find and help him.

Transformation

Wladyslaw is found, but it is by a Nazi sergeant. It turned out that this one was different.

His soldiers were staying in the same house as Wladyslaw was hiding, but he let no one know

and gave Wladyslaw food and water knowing they were going to lose soon. If it were not for the
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kindness of this soldier, Wladyslaw Szpilman would have never lived. Weeks went on and

eventually the Russians overran the Germans and took Wladyslaw into safety.

Without the Nazi soldier aiding him, he would have never been able to feel the joy of

being saved and having a normal life to go back to. Wladyslaw has changed and knows how

fortunate he is to be able to be alive through all that happened. He was blessed for having the

people in his life that were willing to risk their lives for his own.

Atonement

Wladyslaw Szpilman was eventually able to go back to his old life and doing what he

loved most. He continued his job playing the piano for the Polish radio, making listeners days

better from his playing. He knows all that happened and how fortunate he was to live. He

continues to play the piano with the same love and passion as he did before all that occurred.

In the same town now as he was when his life turned for the worst, everything is still

being rebuilt around him. His family is gone, but now the Nazis are not in Poland anymore, there

is nothing to fear. Nothing changed about his everyday life except for what was around him and

who he was as a person.

Return with a Gift

What happened was not right, but can not be changed. Wladyslaw was a different person

after all the tragedy had come to a stop. He found out the Nazi that helped him was still alive and

went to find him in hopes of saving his life also. He was never able to find the man. It showed

great strength in Wladyslaw to have the smallest desire to help that German, even though he

helped him, because of all the bad he could have done before that moment.
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The events Wladyslaw Szpilman endured should never be brought upon anyone, but for

who he became, was one of the strongest people to live. There is a knowledge and understanding

that he would have had to gain after the events of his life making him a better person in every

aspect. Wladyslaw Szpilman, the pianist and survivor.