Tyler Turner

By Anonymous -
"He was supposed to die! I needed him to die, so I could have his bread. I closed my eyes. What was I thinking? I wouldn't steal bread from a living boy, but I would wish death on him so I could take it without guilt? What were the camps doing to me? What had the Nazis turned me into? (pg. 182)

This lines spoken by Yanek are what left the most impact on me while reading the book. Those lines sum up the entire struggle Yanek goes through throughout the novel. His capture by the Nazis are not simply a matter of live of death, but of ethics versus survival. Yanek struggles to keep himself alive as he goes through the death camp. By the end of his journey his body is emaciated. However, it is his spirit that takes the greatest toll. The monstrous conditions the Nazis put him and his fellows Jews through cause them to strip themselves of their identity and turn against one another so they may not be shot for another day. The cruelty of the Nazis is not something that is merely inflicted on the Jews, but is something that drags them in and scars them for the rest of their lives. The poignancy of these lines show not only the true horror of the Nazis and those like them, but also the strength of the human spirit to survive and stay good in the face of pure evil. This serves as both a dire warning and an optimistic message for the reader as they navigate their own journeys in life.

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