I find the surviving group of men to be acting almost like savages. They are so tired, cold, and hungry that they don't care about the person next to them. I think of those zombie movies when I picture these scenes in the book. I know that all they want is to live but at what cost?
"Just one word. I was suffocating. But my father had awakened and grabbed my aggressor."
Men had tried to strangle Elie.
Elie does everything in his power to remain close to his father and survive. His father did not have the strength that Elie at the end.
"Why don't they just shoot us now?"
When they reached their destination out of 100 men only 12 were left on their wagon.
The men became weaker and so did Elie's father.
It was truly heartbreaking to see how much he tried to protect his father from being killed or giving up.
"Eliezer...Eliezer...tell them not to beat me...I haven't done anything... Why are they beating me?"
The neighboring prisoners were bullying the sick old man. He could no longer get up to relieve himself and they angry.
Then one morning, Elie wakes up to someone else sleeping in his father's bed. They took him with out him knowing.
"Perhaps he was still breathing..."
This was in January and he remained in the camp until April.
Nothing else mattered after his father died.
Sad but great book.
It is a great book -- actually it becomes more of an "experience" than mere words on a page. Did it affect your view of history or mankind?
ReplyDeleteYes it was an experience that the choice of words that the author captured me into. I really found the end to be more impactful when the men started to act more like savages or animals trying to survive. So sad but leads me to believe I enjoy these types of books. I watched the movie, "Sarah's Key" which is a story of the French Jews. I think I may read the book now :)
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