Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

The time has finally arrived for the girls to meet Irena, who shares a small apartment with her daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and a small dog. The documentary film director has them reenact their arrival due to a blown light. This prompts “Mr. C. to wonder: could something staged be as true—or truer—than what it was re-enacting?” (306). The play, for example, contains errors and inaccuracies, but also changes things to make them clearer and more interesting—to what extent can their story, then, be considered to be true?

As they enter, a nurse tells them that Irena has been ill, and that they may only be able to stay for 15 to 20 minutes. There are 20 people waiting for them inside, and the room explodes into a cacophony of questions and photographs. They are then taken down the hall to meet Irena. They cautiously approach Irena, who appears to them very frail; she embraces the group with tears streaming down her cheeks.

The girls present Irena with gifts: a paper heart signed by Uniontown students, a vase of flowers, and a wall hanging of sunflowers. The nurse whispers something in her ear, but Irena shoos her away and begins to tell the students all about the other heroes of the era, as well as further details about her own story.