71 pages 2 hours read

The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2022

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Essay Topics

1.

How did Freedland piece together Rudolph Vrba’s story? What is the effect of the text’s structure?

2.

Why does Freedland call Rudi an “escape artist”? What is the effect of this euphemism?

3.

Many people who read the Vrba-Wetzler Report questioned its credibility. What lessons does Freedland convey as groups of people continue to be the subject of genocide and human rights violations?

4.

How does Freedland portray secondary characters such as ordinary citizens, government officials and intelligence officers in the West, and Jewish leadership?

5.

Rudi staunchly defended his belief that the Jewish leadership in Hungary could have saved more lives if they passed on what they knew about Auschwitz to ordinary Jewish people. Does Freedland critique this perspective?

6.

Freedland states throughout the book that “Rudolf Vrba refused to conform to what the world expects of a Holocaust survivor” (291). Why is this point so important to Freedland?

7.

What literary techniques does Freedland use to explore generational trauma?

8.

What kind of language does Freedland use to describe the events of the Holocaust?

9.

The Holocaust is one of the best documented crimes. Yet there is a growing number of people who believe the Holocaust was a myth or has been exaggerated. How does Freedland explore Holocaust denialism?

10.

How does Freedland convey his arguments about the post-truth era?

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