S. Dawkins Prisoner B-3087

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“Save your own life” (152), Yanek had to live by this at such a young age. Yanek had an adult mindset when he was technically still an adolescent. If it was me, I’m not sure that I would’ve been able to keep this in mind and make rational decisions to stay alive knowing that there is a chance that my life will be taking away from me for no reason at all. To be kicked out of your house and moved from one concentration camp to the next is tiring and I would’ve begged for them to just kill me already. Yanek stays strong and always tries to make sure that he is as strong as possible so that he does not fall victim to becoming a Musselman. To see death in front of you every day, Yanek becomes numb at its appearance. For this, I salute Yanek. To everyone one else, he was “Prisoner B-3087” but he knew that he was Yanek Gruener “who loved books and science and American Movies.” (131)
Prisoner B-3087 was an amazing novel. I enjoyed reading this book because of its development of the characters and realistic experiences that occurred during the Holocaust. It was a page-turner and a fast read. It would be a great novel for people of all ages as they can see what it was like as an adolescent going through something so horrific. I feel like Alan Gratz did an amazing job by allowing the protagonist to be so young. I believe that by doing this other adolescents that read the book will become appreciative of life knowing that at one point you knew there was a chance that you might not make it to the next day. Yanek also makes numerous comments about coming to America. To him, America is the best place for him, however the people who do live in America often takes it and what it has to offer for granted. Many people, myself included eat and sleep in a normal routine because we are comfortable in life and know that food and comfort will more than likely always be available for me, it takes a strong person to have their whole life taken away in an instance and still have so much hope for survival.



Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 26, 2016 at 12:48 PM

    Yanek was an amazingly strong character. I agree that in his situation, I'm not sure I could have remained as strong - or lived long enough to know. I tend to be a cocky person when it comes to overbearing authority, and my arrogance would end me faster than starvation would. But Yanek manages to keep his temper, persona, and physical strength in tact during this atrocity.

    Good point made about Americans often taking our comfortable lives for granted. I often do the same as you, in believing that there will always be a bed with a roof over my head, food that never runs out, and clothes on my back. But I'd just like to point out that Yanek believed the same thing in the beginning. He even says in the first lines of the book:

    "If I had known what the next six years of my life were going to be like, I would have eaten more.
    I wouldn't have complained about brushing my teeth, or taking a bath, or going to bed at eight o'clock every night. I would have played more. Laughed more. I would have hugged my parents and told them I loved them.
    But I was ten years old, and I had no idea of the nightmare that was to come." (2).

    I think this goes to show that it could happen to anyone at any point in time. Neither could I imagine going through the holocaust, nor do I want to experience anything like it. And yet, just because we're comfortable, doesn't mean we always will be.

    I guess what I'm saying is we never know what's going to happen. With how crazy this world is becoming, nothing is impossible. If this novel taught me anything, it is never put yourself beyond experiencing the greatest evils of this world.

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