In Chapter 9, the Nazis have arrived and the Jews of the village have been ordered to go with them in trucks. The villagers discuss their options among themselves ; Hannah, or Chaya, tries to tell them what is going to happen but no one believes her. Realizing that ultimately they have no choice, they board the waiting vehicles, carrying their children and a few belongings with them.
In Chapter 10, the trucks arrive at a train station. The Jews are forced to leave their belongings and lie down while they are beaten and their jewelry and papers are confiscated. They are then loaded into boxcars and travel for many days in stifling conditions, without food, little water, and no room to move. The Rabbi tries to encourage them by reminding them that they are in God's hands. Many die along the way.
After four days, the train reaches its destination in Chapter 11. The Jews are taken off the boxcars, their clothes are taken, and their hair is shorn. Hannah cries, but Gitl, who encourages everyone to endure with strength, makes her promise never to cry again before "these monsters".
The inhumane processing of the Jews continues in Chapter 12. After being given clothing from a ragged, soiled pile, the Jews have identification numbers tattooed on their arms and are taken to a barracks where they sleep on shelves like corpses.
No comments:
Post a Comment