Critique of The Boy On the Wooden Box

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Have you ever wondered what it was like to live a carefree life? But what if that life was taken away from you in an instant. Well in the story “The Boy On the Wooden Box” we learn first hand what it is like to have that happen.

This book is a memoir about a man (Leon Leyson) who lived through the Holocaust. Being a memoir gave me a first person point of view that I enjoyed. Not only did he live through it but he also survived through the drastic event. The way how he survived however, will surprise you, as it did me.

Oskar Schindler was a very successful industrialist in Germany during the time of World War 2. Moreover, he was also apart of the Nazi Party. During the war, however, he decided that he would spare the lives of over a thousand Jewish workers. He convinced the leader of the SS, at the time, to move his headquarters, and bring his Jewish workers along with him. The list was created by his secretary. It was not cheap to save the workers either. To do so he spent his entire fortune, and black market purchases in order to save the Jewish workers. I believe that what Oskar accomplished was nothing short of quite admirable.

Leon Leyson was one of Schindler’s workers. Well, not really. His father was a worker and was able to survive during the Holocaust. But Leon was not on Schindler’s List therefore when he found out he was not, he forced his way onto the train to be saved, during this part of the book I was afraid he would end up in a concentration camp if he did not make it onto the train . He ended up being the youngest worker on Schindler’s List.

By saving himself during the Holocaust Leon opened up opportunities for himself. He then Immigrated to America to create a life for himself. I thought it was very satisfying knowing that he lived a great and positive life after the holocaust. Leon became an enlistee in the United States military, after which he would achieve further education, and become a teacher.

This book achieved excellence giving a first hand experience of what it was like to survive the Holocaust at the time. Not only to survive, but to give a different point of view that shows what is like to be among one of the select Jews at the time to be protected by Oskar Schindler.