Monica-Summary #2

SUMMARY #2: pages 17-30

All the Jews are crammed into the cattle cars and it is hard for them to breathe. They are so crowded that they have to take turns sitting. After days of travel in the harsh conditions, the train arrives at the Czechoslovakian border, and suddenly, all the Jews realize that they are not just being relocated. A German officer takes charge of the train and starts threatening to shoot any Jew who refuses to give up their valuables and will kill everybody in the car if anyone dares to escape. Madame Schachter, a middle-aged woman who is on the train with 10 year old son, cracks under the heat pressure and begins to scream that she sees a fire outside the car. Although no on can see this fire, she terrifies the Jews in the car, who are reminded that they do not know what will happen to them once the car stops. No one pays attention to the lady and agrees that she is just crazy. In order to stop Schachter's screams, she is tied up and gagged. When Madame Schachter breaks out of her bonds and continues to scream about the fire outside, she is beaten into silence by some boys on the train. The next night, Madame Schachter's screaming resumes. When the train stops, the Jews discover that they are at the Auschwitz station. They are told that they are at a labor camp where they will be together with their families and will all be treated well. By hearing this, the Jews are relieved and believes that nothing bad will happen to them. During the following night, Madame Schachter wakes everyone with her screams and gets beaten into silence again. But soon, the Jews realize that there is black smoke coming out of chimneys. They have arrived at a concentration camp is Birkenau, which is the processing center for arrivals at Auschwitz.