In chapter nine, Elie stays at Buchenwald for a couple more months, and after awhile he says that during the months after his father died, nothing mattered to him. Meanwhile, the Allies are approaching and it seems like the Germans will keep their promise to destroy the world of Jews. The SS officers start to evacuate the camp and move many prisoners out everyday. After all prisoners are out, the camp will be blown up, but Elie and some of the others in the camp are lucky and finally catch a break when an underground resistance movement in the camp gains control.
Later that night, American tanks are right outside of Buchenwald. The first thing everyone does once they are free is eat, eat A LOT. But Elie gets food poisoning and spends a few weeks recovering in the hospital, almost dying. Once he is better, he looks at himself in the mirror, and he looks like a corpse. This vision of himself has stayed with him forever. The final chapter of this book was very meaningful, it shows how you need a lot of luck to survive in concentration camps and get out. But it also shows the post-traumatic stresses and awful things that these people go through even after they get out of the camp.
"it shows how you need a lot of luck to survive in concentration camps and get out"
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea. I didn't really think about this, but getting out of the camps was mostly luck. Good thinking. If not for luck, Eliezer probably wouldn't be alive to tell his story.
I agree with what you said about the post traumatic stress. I can't even imagine what the survivors live with every day having to remember their horrific past. Great summary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about how this experience would affect someone. I also believe the scene with the mirror at the end was very powerful. He did not even recognize himself. It, I believe symbolizes the experience changing not only this physical appearance, but also, his internal identity. Good summary and analysis.
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