Journals
Journal 1
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 4
Quote: "They were made to dig huge graves. And when they had finished their work, the Gestapo began theirs. Without passion, without haste, they slaughtered their prisoners. Each one had to go up to the hole and present their neck. Babies were thrown into the air and the machine gunners used them as targets. This was in the forest of Gaticia, near Kolomaye. How had Moshe the Beadle escaped? Miraculously. He was wounded in the leg and taken for dead...."
Reaction: This quote was one of the most painful paragraphs I had to read all throughout the novel. Putting myself in these people's shoes who had to dig their own graves helplessly is just overwhelming. It was sickening for me to read about how some of these violent men could be entertained by using children as targets! They carelessly took the life of young children who could have someday been important, influential people. This quote is extremely powerful because it allows us readers to put ourselves in these people's situations to better understand the torment, frustration, confusion, and grief these innocents had to endure.
Journal 2
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 9
Quote: "But already they were issuing new decrees. We were no longer allowed to go into restaurants or cafes, to travel on the railway, to attend the synagogue, to go out into the street after six o'clock."
Reaction: This quote may not be powerful to others, but it is to me. The fact that these people got their freedom stripped from them for no decent reason is bothersome. They were being treated like prisoners or like animals just because of what they believe in? What affected me the most about this quote was how the Germans gave themselves the right to do this to people. Although the Jews and others who were affected by the Nazi's did not have much power against the Germans, I do not like how they just sat back and watched their natural rights slowly slip away from them. Even worse, they began to grow accustomed and satisfied with the new decrees. That is absurd.
Journal 3
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 17
Quote: "I looked at my little sister Tzipor, her fair hair well combed, a red coat over her arm, a little girl of seven. The bundle on her back was too heavy for her. She gritted her teeth. She knew by now that it would be useless to complain."
Reaction: This was a reality check that is was not just adults or men going through those horrible times. It is most upsetting to imagine young children between the ages of 2-9 years old having to carry so much, walk so far, or take hits from police. These young children had to quadruple their maturity level in a matter of days knowing that their typical childish tantrums would no longer help them. To picture this sad and confused little girl in such a merciless environment is heartwrenching.
Journal 4
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 27
Quote: "Yet that was the moment when I parted from my mother. I had no had time to think, but already I felt the pressure on my father's hand. We were alone. For a part of a second I glimpsed my mother and my sisters moving away to the right. Tzipora held Mother's hand. I saw them disappear into the distance; my mother was stroking my sister's fair hair, as though to protect her, while i walked on with my father and the other men. And i did not know in that place, at that moment, I was parting from my mother and Tzipor forever."
Reaction: I was in tears when i read this paragraph. It was by far the most meaningful yet depressing piece of literature i have ever read in my life. The pain that this poor man had to go through at such a young age is unexplainable. To not knowing exactly what ever happened to the women in his family and just assuming is awful. This depressing memory is planted in his mind and there is nothing he could do to help them. The frustration these people must have had knowing that they could do absolutely nothing to truly help themselves must have been unbearable. I will probably never be able to understand all the pain this man has been through knowing he never had to the chance to give his mother and sisters a proper good-bye.
Journal 5
Date: 26 November 2006
Page #: 32
Quote: "Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall i forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and dreams turned to dust."
Reaction: This is a very powerful saying that i will probably never forget. This quote allows those of us who did not witness the extreme emotions the concentration camps brought to see how it affected those who were present in the camp. He was saying that even if he makes it out of the camp and gains liberty, the things he had to witness face to face made him not want to live any longer. Because of the concentration camps, he is no longer a follower of God and has lost all will to be a liberalized human. However, what kept him going was his everlasting love for his father. He stayed and fought through every day so his father would not be left alone.
Journal 6
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 50
Quote: "I had saved my gold crown. It might be useful to me one day to buy something--bread or life."
Reaction: This sent a huge reality check for some of us who take things for granted. To see these men fight vigorously over some tiny gold cap is just shocking. Eliezer felt like he had just won the lottery when he finally got to keep his gold tooth. Not only that, he also felt that that little bit of gold could possibly save his life. Reading this book helped me realize even more how blessed and lucky I am to have everything I do.
Journal 7
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 57
Quote: "We were not afraid. And yet, if a bomb had fallen on the blocks, it alone would have claimed hundreds of victims on the spot. But we were no longer afraid of death; at any rate, not of that death. Every bomb that exploded filled us with joy and gave us new confidence in life."
Reaction: It was great to finally read about something optimistic and have a change of mood. However, this quote was interesting to me because it somewhat contradicts other quotes throughout the book. In the novel, Eliezer was constantly saying that there was no will to live, and he was only sticking around for father. It was said that a majority of the men there also had no will to live. It was awesome to hear that there was still something out there that could make these men and some women want to live and be free again.
Journal 8:
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 62
Quote: "For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes were not yet glazed."
Reaction: It's horrible to picture this young boy fighting for his life in such a way as this. How can some of those SS officers live without any guilt at all. I do not see how they can just watch that boy struggle for his life and then make the prisoners stare him in the face. That is the most inhuman action thinkable. The poor child wasn't even given the chance in this world. This was an awful time period.
Journal 9
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 77
Quote: 'I've got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He's the only one who's kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.' (by patient in hospital next to Eliezer)
Reaction: This quote showed the people's belief in God slipping away the clearest. These two sentences express a myriad of emotions. It shows: frustration, confusion, disappointment, anger, and many others. Unfortunately, I can't fully understand where this man is coming from and how he could say such a thing. Although I can see that he is upset with God, I cannot see how he could say he has more faith in Hitler.
Journal 10
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 87
Quote: "He had wanted to get rid of his father! He had felt that his father was growing weak he had believed that the end was near and has sought this separation in order to get rid of the burden, to free himself from an encumberance which could lesson his own chances of survival."
Reaction: It is unbelievable that a son could do something so horrid to his father. After sticking side by side throughout the whole ordeal, to try and lose your father intentionally is shameful. His father, who probably gave him some of his bread and protected him, was left behind by the only person he had left in the world. I'm glad Eliezer did not want to turn out like the Rabbi's son. It really bothered me to see the Rabbi's son become so selfish in that situation, however, I was never in that situation so maybe there is more to the emotions being felt.
Journal 11
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 96
Quote: "His fist was still clenched around a small piece. He tried to carry it to his mouth. But the other on threw himself upon him and snatched it. The old man again whispered something, let out a rattle, and died amid the general indifference. His son searched him, took the bread, and began to devour it."
Reaction: It is disturbing to hear about such foul behavior between these people. I understand that they had been through an extreme amount of pain and torment but when they acted like animals, they just gave people the right to treat them like animals. It's painful to hear about these sons who betrayed their fathers. How selfish these young men were! That young man killed his father over a scrap of bread; that is horrible.
Journal 12
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 106
Quote: "I awoke on January 29 at dawn. In my father's place lay another invalid. They must have taken him away before dawn and carried him to the crematory. He may still have been breathing."
Reaction: Although Eliezer did not express his sorrow or grief over his father's disappearance, he must have been completely devastated. All this time, he had been pushing himself through the torture so he could live for his father. Now that his father is gone, Eliezer has nothing more to live for. It is especially sad that Eliezer never got the chance to give his father a formal good-bye just like he didn't have the chance with his mother or sisters.
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 4
Quote: "They were made to dig huge graves. And when they had finished their work, the Gestapo began theirs. Without passion, without haste, they slaughtered their prisoners. Each one had to go up to the hole and present their neck. Babies were thrown into the air and the machine gunners used them as targets. This was in the forest of Gaticia, near Kolomaye. How had Moshe the Beadle escaped? Miraculously. He was wounded in the leg and taken for dead...."
Reaction: This quote was one of the most painful paragraphs I had to read all throughout the novel. Putting myself in these people's shoes who had to dig their own graves helplessly is just overwhelming. It was sickening for me to read about how some of these violent men could be entertained by using children as targets! They carelessly took the life of young children who could have someday been important, influential people. This quote is extremely powerful because it allows us readers to put ourselves in these people's situations to better understand the torment, frustration, confusion, and grief these innocents had to endure.
Journal 2
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 9
Quote: "But already they were issuing new decrees. We were no longer allowed to go into restaurants or cafes, to travel on the railway, to attend the synagogue, to go out into the street after six o'clock."
Reaction: This quote may not be powerful to others, but it is to me. The fact that these people got their freedom stripped from them for no decent reason is bothersome. They were being treated like prisoners or like animals just because of what they believe in? What affected me the most about this quote was how the Germans gave themselves the right to do this to people. Although the Jews and others who were affected by the Nazi's did not have much power against the Germans, I do not like how they just sat back and watched their natural rights slowly slip away from them. Even worse, they began to grow accustomed and satisfied with the new decrees. That is absurd.
Journal 3
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 17
Quote: "I looked at my little sister Tzipor, her fair hair well combed, a red coat over her arm, a little girl of seven. The bundle on her back was too heavy for her. She gritted her teeth. She knew by now that it would be useless to complain."
Reaction: This was a reality check that is was not just adults or men going through those horrible times. It is most upsetting to imagine young children between the ages of 2-9 years old having to carry so much, walk so far, or take hits from police. These young children had to quadruple their maturity level in a matter of days knowing that their typical childish tantrums would no longer help them. To picture this sad and confused little girl in such a merciless environment is heartwrenching.
Journal 4
Date: 26 December 2006
Page #: 27
Quote: "Yet that was the moment when I parted from my mother. I had no had time to think, but already I felt the pressure on my father's hand. We were alone. For a part of a second I glimpsed my mother and my sisters moving away to the right. Tzipora held Mother's hand. I saw them disappear into the distance; my mother was stroking my sister's fair hair, as though to protect her, while i walked on with my father and the other men. And i did not know in that place, at that moment, I was parting from my mother and Tzipor forever."
Reaction: I was in tears when i read this paragraph. It was by far the most meaningful yet depressing piece of literature i have ever read in my life. The pain that this poor man had to go through at such a young age is unexplainable. To not knowing exactly what ever happened to the women in his family and just assuming is awful. This depressing memory is planted in his mind and there is nothing he could do to help them. The frustration these people must have had knowing that they could do absolutely nothing to truly help themselves must have been unbearable. I will probably never be able to understand all the pain this man has been through knowing he never had to the chance to give his mother and sisters a proper good-bye.
Journal 5
Date: 26 November 2006
Page #: 32
Quote: "Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall i forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and dreams turned to dust."
Reaction: This is a very powerful saying that i will probably never forget. This quote allows those of us who did not witness the extreme emotions the concentration camps brought to see how it affected those who were present in the camp. He was saying that even if he makes it out of the camp and gains liberty, the things he had to witness face to face made him not want to live any longer. Because of the concentration camps, he is no longer a follower of God and has lost all will to be a liberalized human. However, what kept him going was his everlasting love for his father. He stayed and fought through every day so his father would not be left alone.
Journal 6
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 50
Quote: "I had saved my gold crown. It might be useful to me one day to buy something--bread or life."
Reaction: This sent a huge reality check for some of us who take things for granted. To see these men fight vigorously over some tiny gold cap is just shocking. Eliezer felt like he had just won the lottery when he finally got to keep his gold tooth. Not only that, he also felt that that little bit of gold could possibly save his life. Reading this book helped me realize even more how blessed and lucky I am to have everything I do.
Journal 7
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 57
Quote: "We were not afraid. And yet, if a bomb had fallen on the blocks, it alone would have claimed hundreds of victims on the spot. But we were no longer afraid of death; at any rate, not of that death. Every bomb that exploded filled us with joy and gave us new confidence in life."
Reaction: It was great to finally read about something optimistic and have a change of mood. However, this quote was interesting to me because it somewhat contradicts other quotes throughout the book. In the novel, Eliezer was constantly saying that there was no will to live, and he was only sticking around for father. It was said that a majority of the men there also had no will to live. It was awesome to hear that there was still something out there that could make these men and some women want to live and be free again.
Journal 8:
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 62
Quote: "For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes were not yet glazed."
Reaction: It's horrible to picture this young boy fighting for his life in such a way as this. How can some of those SS officers live without any guilt at all. I do not see how they can just watch that boy struggle for his life and then make the prisoners stare him in the face. That is the most inhuman action thinkable. The poor child wasn't even given the chance in this world. This was an awful time period.
Journal 9
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 77
Quote: 'I've got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He's the only one who's kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.' (by patient in hospital next to Eliezer)
Reaction: This quote showed the people's belief in God slipping away the clearest. These two sentences express a myriad of emotions. It shows: frustration, confusion, disappointment, anger, and many others. Unfortunately, I can't fully understand where this man is coming from and how he could say such a thing. Although I can see that he is upset with God, I cannot see how he could say he has more faith in Hitler.
Journal 10
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 87
Quote: "He had wanted to get rid of his father! He had felt that his father was growing weak he had believed that the end was near and has sought this separation in order to get rid of the burden, to free himself from an encumberance which could lesson his own chances of survival."
Reaction: It is unbelievable that a son could do something so horrid to his father. After sticking side by side throughout the whole ordeal, to try and lose your father intentionally is shameful. His father, who probably gave him some of his bread and protected him, was left behind by the only person he had left in the world. I'm glad Eliezer did not want to turn out like the Rabbi's son. It really bothered me to see the Rabbi's son become so selfish in that situation, however, I was never in that situation so maybe there is more to the emotions being felt.
Journal 11
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 96
Quote: "His fist was still clenched around a small piece. He tried to carry it to his mouth. But the other on threw himself upon him and snatched it. The old man again whispered something, let out a rattle, and died amid the general indifference. His son searched him, took the bread, and began to devour it."
Reaction: It is disturbing to hear about such foul behavior between these people. I understand that they had been through an extreme amount of pain and torment but when they acted like animals, they just gave people the right to treat them like animals. It's painful to hear about these sons who betrayed their fathers. How selfish these young men were! That young man killed his father over a scrap of bread; that is horrible.
Journal 12
Date: 30 December 2006
Page #: 106
Quote: "I awoke on January 29 at dawn. In my father's place lay another invalid. They must have taken him away before dawn and carried him to the crematory. He may still have been breathing."
Reaction: Although Eliezer did not express his sorrow or grief over his father's disappearance, he must have been completely devastated. All this time, he had been pushing himself through the torture so he could live for his father. Now that his father is gone, Eliezer has nothing more to live for. It is especially sad that Eliezer never got the chance to give his father a formal good-bye just like he didn't have the chance with his mother or sisters.
posted by ~LESLEY~ at 3:13 PM
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