Frances Bowles - Yanek, from a boy to a Man

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When it comes to the Holocaust I've learned about it all throughout school; but in terms of this novel I think it did a really good job capturing the imagery of what the camps were like and the people there. It's descriptiveness made me feel as though I was there with Yanek watching things turn for the worse in front of our eyes.

I think Gratz's portrayl of adolescence demonstrates the fear and also strength that children have in the appropriate times; therefore , Yanek being 12, going on 13 symbolizes not only the transition but the balance of a boy and a man. It honestly saddened me when Uncle Moshe told Yanek that his parents died and they were the only ones left. What made that moment sad was Yanek breaking down crying; "My legs felt wobbly. I had to sit down on my bunk, or I would have collapsed. I had known my parents might be dead...I didn't try to stop the tears that filled my eyes and coursed down my cheeks" (68). This was also the moment where Yanek realized that despite having his uncle, he was alone, not having his father to protect him or mother to comfort, his beliefs made him a man but the discrimination made him grow up.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 24, 2016 at 10:48 AM

    The last sentence of your blog post is so well-put! The way you distinguish between Yanek becoming a man and becoming an adult is very interesting. And I completely agree with your point about the strength children have and how Gratz really shows us that.

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  2. UnknownOctober 24, 2016 at 12:00 PM

    I agree that this book definitely does a great job at giving readers a great idea of what life was like during the Holocaust. I think that Gratz purposely wanted Yanek to have this birthday happen during a time like this. Like you said, it shows Yanek developing from a boy to a man. My question to you is, do you think that Yanek would have still made all the same decisions had he not turned 13, had he not lost his parents, and had he not been all alone? And yes! When Yanek found out that his parents were gone it broke my heart as well. I could only imagine what he must have felt like.

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  3. AnonymousOctober 24, 2016 at 8:09 PM

    I like your idea of the novel serving as a symbol of the struggles of adolescence. I agree with you that Yanek goes through a powerful transformation throughout the novel.

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  4. UnknownOctober 26, 2016 at 8:51 PM

    Love this. This is probably one of the darker coming of age stories that I've read. Yanek deals with the "typical" adolescent problems on a much larger, much more real scale that I think puts a lot of other books in perspective.

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