Thursday, April 24, 2008

Chapter 2

In this section, the Jews continure to be tormented by agonizing conditions. They are packed into small cars, where there is hardly any air to breathe, it is extremely hot, and everyone is hungry and thirsty. After a few days of traveling in these brutal conditions, the train stops at the Czechoslovakian border. A German officer accompanied by a Hungarian lietenant takes official charge of the train, and threatens to shoot anyone who will not give away his or her valuables. The doors to the car are nailed shut, so no one can escape.

Mrs. Schachter is a middle-aged woman who is on the train with her ten-year- old son. On the third night, she begins to scream that she sees a fire, but apparently there is not a fire. She is tied up and gagged so that she cannot scream. Her child watches this next to her and cries. When she breaks out of her bonds and continues to scream about the furnace that is waiting ahead, some of the boys on the train beat her to keep her quiet. The prisoners on the train reach Auschwitz station. They are told by some locals that they are at a labor camp where they will be treated well and kept together as families. This is a relief to them, and the prisoners believe that everything will be alright. That night, Madame Schachter again wakes everyone with her screaming, and she is beaten again to keep her quiet. There is a wretched stench in the air, which is the smell of burning flesh. They arrive at the concentration camp in Birkenau.


This chapter begins to show us the harsh treatment of the Jews as victims. Madame Schachter is an example of this. She is beat so that she will remain quiet. By the Nazis treating the Jews this way, they cause the Jews themselves to act as if they were less human. Some of them begin to beat Madame Schachter in order to keep her quiet, and the others support the beating. Madame Schachter, who is supposedly crazy, sees the future, but the other Jews, who are apparently not crazy, do not see this coming.

3 comments:

Pat H. said...

I agree that Schachter is not insane. I also agree that the chapter deals with the dehumanization of the Jews. I the beatings represents the failure of the Jews to see the future like Mrs. Schachter, not because of the harsh treatment of the Nazis.

Tom's Night Blog said...

Will, I think you were able to capture the real craziness of Mrs. Schachter with this summary. I liked the details you used. Good job.

Colin said...

Sweet pic will it adds alot to the entry. Its a good entry because it combines a summarization along with your personal views.