Monica-Summary #6

SUMMARY #6: pages 85-103

There is a blizzard while the prisoners are being evacuated form Buna. If anyone stops running, they will be shot by the SS. A boy next to Eliezer becomes too tired to run any further, and dies from being trampled by the other prisoners. Eliezer and his father finds a shed and decides to rest there-taking turns sleeping and keeping lookout. A rabbi comes and asks Eliezer and his father if they had seen his son because it seems that he lost sight of him. Eliezer lies to him and tells Rabbi Eliahou that he did not son, even though he had. During the run, Eliezer saw the son abandon his father and running ahead when it seemed Rabbi Eliahou would not survive. Eliezer prays that he will never do what Rabbi Eliahou’s son did.

Finally, the prisoners arrive at the Gleiwitz camp and begin crushing each other in a rush to enter the barracks. Eliezer discovers that he is lying on top of Juliek, the musician he met in Buna. Eliezer finds himself in danger of being crushed to death, and finally gains some breathing room. Eliezer finds Juliek dead and his violin smashed. After three days without bread and water, there is another selection. When Eliezer’s father is sent to stand among those chosen to die, Eliezer runs after him. There is some confusion, but Eliezer and his father remains together and sneaks into the other side.

The prisoners are herded into the cattle cars and ordered to throw out the bodies of the dead men to make more room on the train. Eliezer’s father is unconscious and is almost mistaken for being dead and thrown from the car, but Eliezer finally wakes him up to save him. Travellingon the train for many days, the Jews go unfed and is forced to feed on snow. The Germans throw pieces of bread into the train where all the prisoners fight like savages for the crumbs. Eliezer watches as an old man manages to grab a piece but is attacked by his own son, who in turn is beaten to death by other men for the piece of bread. One night, someone is strangling Eliezer for no reason. Eliezer’s father calls Meir Katz, a strong friend of theirs, who rescues Eliezer. When the train arrives at Buchenwald, Eliezer learns that only a few men fro his train car have survived. Meir Katz is, unfortunately, not one of those people.