For centuries letter writing has brought meaning to life and served as an intimate means of communication. “The mere fact that somebody would even just sit down, pull out a piece of paper and think about someone the whole way through, with an intention that is so much harder to unearth when the browser is up and the iPhone is pinging and we’ve got six conversations rolling in at once, that is an art form that does not fall down to the Goliath of “get faster,” no matter how many social networks we might join.”, said Hannah Brencher in the TED talk “Love Letters to Strangers.” It is obvious that the ways of letter writing have changed massively over the years, to a point where technological contact dominates the world of communication. However, authentic letter writing still holds sentiment in ways that texting doesn’t. During World War II, letters served as a source of hope and comfort within the main purpose of communication. World War II was filled with cruelty and horrifying acts within the deadliest war in history. This includes the Holocaust as well as the Japanese internment camps. Yet, despite these events, throughout them there is hope, selflessness, and the attempt to protect others. These acts of protection, hope, and selflessness are presented strongly through letters written from both the Holocaust and the Japanese internment camps.
Clara Breed was a children’s librarian in San Diego when the Japanese American children were sent to the internment camps. Clara Breed quickly became a source of reassurance as she wrote them letters back and forth, also sending needed supplies. She saved the letters written to her by the Japanese American children in the concentration camps, which now serve as sources of information on what the kids were experiencing. One of the children that wrote to Clara Breed quite often was named Louise Ogawa. Louise was a seventeen-year-old girl who, as many did during this time, always managed to be very positive in her letters and put a bright spin on them. One of her letters reads, “Miss Breed, I have been roasting for the past few weeks. Now I am ready to be set on the table and be carved. Miss Breed, I’ll bet you a hundred dollars that you won’t be able to beat my tan!! Yesterday, Sept. 15, the temperature was 127 outside and 115 inside.” This reveals how optimistic Louise was, despite the conditions she was forced to endure. Instead of complaining on and on about the weather, she comments on how she will have the best tan. Louise also writes, ““I may have complained about my new environment but I know it will be difficult to adapt myself to the new surroundings right away. I am sure everything will brighten up soon and in a few more weeks I will begin to love this place almost as much as my home in San Diego.” Once again this demonstrates how hopeful Louise is when writing to Clara Breed. Clara Breed provides this outlet for feelings through letter writing. Her selflessness also let the children know that there was someone out there who cared for them, which in many cases was something the children needed to know. Clara would often send supplies and items to the children accompanying her letters. Margaret Ishino, also in the internment camps at the time, writes to Miss Breed, “Dear Miss Breed, Florence and I wish to thank you sincerely for the wonderful package you sent to us. It was very kind of you to include the books, candies and gum. It has been almost 9 months since I had a Hershey bar and we all enjoyed it.” This reveals not only how selfless and caring Clara Breed was, but also how grateful the children were for her assistance and the items she would send with her letters. It was something nice to look forward to, waiting for a letter with some goodies in it from Miss Breed. Margaret writes again, “Dear Miss Breed,/Thank you very kindly for your lovely letter and the two wonderful books you sent to Florence and me./ I think your stationery is truly nice because it matches and you can write longer letters to me as I am always happy to receive long letters.” Clearly the letters that Margaret received from Clara Breed were very meaningful to her because she says she is happy to receive longer letters, in fact she probably wanted that. In addition. Clara Breed in a way also protected these children’s childhoods. She sent them candy, books, and other items that many of the children were deprived of from being in the concentration camps. Miss Breed’s impact on these children was without a doubt huge and extremely inspirational.
Letters throughout the Holocaust also greatly exemplify the selflessness and optimism of individuals through letter writing. Marianne Cohn was an underground activist during the Holocaust. She, similarly, to Ms. Breed, provided hope for the children and helped them. She tried to smuggle a group of children into Switzerland, and she succeeded in bringing several groups of children over the border. When Marianne is in trouble, she writes, “The House Manager [of the Pax hotel in Annemasse] thinks I’m a lost woman, which means either Montluc [prison] or Compiègne [concentration camp]. For me, that would be much longer than… the more the situation improves, the more I fear for them [for the children] … that’s why something must be done exclusively for them.” It is clear how selfless Marianne is towards the children, and how badly she wants to protect them. Although she knows her fate, she wants to save the children so that they could potentially have better lives. She makes them a priority and puts her own wellness and safety second. Mila Racine is another instance where protection is a priority, however mentally rather than physically. In this case, Mila was writing a letter to her family from the Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp in Germany. She writes to her family,” I am very well, my health and my mood are wonderful. I am looking forward to just one thing – that we will be together again in good health.” She also writes,” Dearest Mother and Father, stay well and don’t worry about me. I am impatient for your next letter. Maybe I’ll get it tomorrow.” It is revealed here how much Mila cares for her family and did not want them to be concerned about her. She demonstrated her selflessness by telling her family that everything is wonderful, although we know this isn’t true from the information about the concentration camps that is available today. This common theme is shown throughout these events during World War II. People often put others and their loved ones first, which is visible through their letter writing. Everyone tried to stay optimistic for each other, to shelter and protect others from the cruel truth of what was occurring. This shows how letter writing was more than just a source of communication for people at this time. In the same letter, Mila Racine additionally writes, “I was so overjoyed to receive your parcels. I have already received six, and each time, it’s like getting a little piece of you.” This demonstrates how comforting it was for Mila to receive letters from her family, as it was for so many people. It helped people stay hopeful and gave them something to look forward to, assisting them through the harsh conditions many endured. Other letters, however, carried important messages that also go deeper than simply communicating. Isabella Fodor wrote a heart-wrenching letter that essentially gave up her daughter. Isabella writes, “I am sending you an adoption document for my little daughter, in which I give her up for her own good. In this way perhaps she will be saved, and they won’t take her. I have no other choice. I entreat you, use this document so that she will be saved. Try and make her understand that she has been converted to Catholicism and she is now Christian, and that she has to be educated as such.” This letter displays nothing less than the unconditional love a mother has for her child. In order to protect her daughter, Isabella is willing to give her child up so that she can be safe. Isabella’s selflessness saved her daughter, Gita, because Gita survived.
Letter writing meant something different for everyone during these times and continues to be in our world today. Paul Fussel, a US soldier in the army, says this on letter writing, “Letters were a great comfort. And the mail was indispensable. We could not have won the war without it. It was terribly important as a motivator of the troops. Mail call whenever it happened it was a delight.” Paul Fussel truly explains what a massive impact letters had on the war, and everyone involved in it. Without letters keeping people close while being separated by distance, there would have been such a lack of hope and motivation during the war. Letters were also a great comfort to everyone during the war, which could have easily impacted soldiers’ actions during battle. Furthermore, in the research article, “Letter Writing in America”, the author writes: “The fact that letters and letter writing have played an enormous role in American history is entirely unsurprising. America is a country of immigrants, leaving loved ones behind in the search for a better life, a country of pioneers, setting out for open land despite the appeal of home and familiarity, a vast country, stretching nearly 3,000 miles from coast to coast.” Letters and their meanings may have evolved over time, but it is evident that letters will always hold meaning and sentiment for people as a way of communication, especially during hardships.
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