The Armenian Genocide: The Century's First Genocide
4.5 The Century’s First Genocide
1. What can be learned from Graffam’s letter about the motives of those who attacked the Armenians? From Graffam’s letter, it can be deduced that the people who attacked the Armenians had all bad motives, based on hate and discrimination. They wanted to send them away to be executed and taken to prisons or other locations. The attackers also wanted to steal the belongings of the Armenians and convinced the people that since they were going to die anyway, it was best if they just gave away all their belongings. The attackers stole everything from cattle to blankets and permitted local bandits to steal from the Armenians too. The main motive of the attackers was to execute the Armenians and hurt them physically. Clearly, all the attackers motives were negative.
3. The author is uncertain about the government’s responsibility for ordering the massacres. What experiences did she have that help explain her uncertainty? When Graffam was staying with the Armenians on their journey to the camps, there came a point when the officials directed her to another city without the rest of the Armenians. She tried to talk to higher officials and the police in order to convince them to let her continue on with the Armenians, but they wouldn’t let her. The last official she talked to was anxious to do the right thing and let her continue on with the Armenians but he couldn’t. This shows the uncertainty because she is unaware of whether or not the government officials were required to segregate the Armenians from the rest of the people or whether they could actually allow her to continue on with them.
3. How would you characterize Talaat’s portrayal of his role in the massacres? Does he admit personal responsibility for the massacres? Talaat’s portrayal of his role in the massacres was that even though it was the government’s duty to stop the perpetrators and punish them severly, they didn’t act as sternly as they should have. Because
1. What can be learned from Graffam’s letter about the motives of those who attacked the Armenians? From Graffam’s letter, it can be deduced that the people who attacked the Armenians had all bad motives, based on hate and discrimination. They wanted to send them away to be executed and taken to prisons or other locations. The attackers also wanted to steal the belongings of the Armenians and convinced the people that since they were going to die anyway, it was best if they just gave away all their belongings. The attackers stole everything from cattle to blankets and permitted local bandits to steal from the Armenians too. The main motive of the attackers was to execute the Armenians and hurt them physically. Clearly, all the attackers motives were negative.
3. The author is uncertain about the government’s responsibility for ordering the massacres. What experiences did she have that help explain her uncertainty? When Graffam was staying with the Armenians on their journey to the camps, there came a point when the officials directed her to another city without the rest of the Armenians. She tried to talk to higher officials and the police in order to convince them to let her continue on with the Armenians, but they wouldn’t let her. The last official she talked to was anxious to do the right thing and let her continue on with the Armenians but he couldn’t. This shows the uncertainty because she is unaware of whether or not the government officials were required to segregate the Armenians from the rest of the people or whether they could actually allow her to continue on with them.
3. How would you characterize Talaat’s portrayal of his role in the massacres? Does he admit personal responsibility for the massacres? Talaat’s portrayal of his role in the massacres was that even though it was the government’s duty to stop the perpetrators and punish them severly, they didn’t act as sternly as they should have. Because