Schindler's List

Thomas Keneally frequently interjects stories, anecdotes, and dramatized scenes from the lives of Schindlerjuden into the narrative. What is the purpose of scenes that move away from Schindler? Discuss a particular scene that doesn’t involve Schindler and what that scene offers to the overall narrative and its themes.

Despite the events’ historical basis, Schindler’s List is written as a novel. How would the presentation of Schindler’s story differ were the book written as nonfiction, without dramatization? What effects or themes do Keneally’s interventions add?

The prologue introduces readers to Schindler’s narrative midway through. Why does Keneally choose to introduce Schindler in this way? How did it shape your perception of the following chapter?