How did the SS officers transport the prisoners? Explain.
They transported the prisoners by cattle wagons.
What did the SS officers do with the dead prisoners? How did the "living" feel? Why?
The SS officers threw the prisoners out. The "living" were joyful because they had more room in the wagon.
How did Eli save his father on the cattle wagon?
Eli saved his father by slapping him repeatedly.
How many days did they travel?
They traveled for three days.
What did a workman do when they passed through a town? Why?
The workman tossed pieces of bread to the probers because he found it amusing to see the prisoners maul each other for the bread.
What did this event #5 remind Eli of?
This event reminded Eli of a Parisian woman tossing coins to the prisoners.
What did Eli witness in the cattle wagon? How did this affect him?
He witnessed a son killing his own father for a piece of bread. This affected Eli because he didn't want to become like that.
What does Eli mean when he states, "Next to me were two corpses, side by side, the father and the son." I was sixteen years old.
It meant he was sixteen at the time and the two corpses with the father and son.
Who was Meir Katz? What did he do? (2 facts)
Meir Katz was a friend of Eli's father. He also was a gardener in Buna and he also was the one that saved Eli from being strangled to death.
What was the name of the new camp the prisoners at the end of Chapter 7?
The name of the new camp was called Buchenwald.
In the beginning of Chapter 8, what did Eli want so desperately to do?
He wanted to take a hot shower.
Explain how the father/son roles had been reversed in the case of Elie and his father.
Instead of Eli's father taking care of his son, Eli is forced to take care of his dad.
What "problem" did Eli have with his father?
The problem that Eli has with his dad is that his dad is exhausted and wanted to lie down but Eli wanted to get up.
What does Eli mean when he states,"If only I could get rid of this dead weight, so that I could used all my strength to struggle for my own survival, and only worry about myself.
He meant that if his father was gone, he would be taking care of himself instead of taking care of his father.
What is dysentery? What were some of Eli's fathers' symptoms?
Dysentery is a disease that has severe diarrhea. Some of his father's symptoms were fever, having saliva with blood, and he gasped more than breathing.
Why was water and coffee poison for Eli's father?
It was poison because if he drank it after throwing up or having diarrhea, that would happen more often.
What does Eli's father tell him before he dies?
Eli's father tells him before he does that he buried the gold and silver in the cellar of their home.
How does Eli manage to sleep in the same bunk with his father?
He was able to exchange a ration of bread so he could be with his father.
What did the doctor tell Eli? What did the doctor state about the sick prisoners?
The doctor tells Eli that he can't help his father. He said that the sick prisoners were lazy good-for-nothings.
Who were hitting Eli's father? Why? What did Eli do to them?
Two inmates were hitting Eli's dad because he couldn't even get up. Eli threatened them but they laughed in his face.
What did the head of Eli's block tell him? (2 facts) Did Eli listen to him? Why or why not?
The head of Eli's block tells him to stop giving his father food and to save himself. Eli didn't listen to the head of his block because he wanted to save his father.
What did the SS officer do to Eli's father? Why? How did this affect Eli?
The SS officer hit Eli's father because he was being too loud. This affected Eli because he might haven been hit next and he wanted his father to survive.
In what way(s) does Eli help his father before he dies? (2 facts)
He gives his father water and food
He gives him company
When did Eli's father die? Where did he die?
Eli's father died on January 28,1945 in the Buchenwald camp.
Why does Eli state he was "free at last?" after his father's death?
He said he was "free at last" because he could finally take care of himself.
Where was Eli transferred to after his fathers' death?
He was transferred to the children's block.
Who rescued Eli?
The Americans rescued Eli.
What happens to Eli three days after he is liberated?
Eli gets food poisoning and has to spend two week in the infirmary three days after he was liberated.
Why is this ironic?
It's ironic because he had very little food and after the liberation food itself almost took his life.
What does Eli mean when he states, "a corpse gazed back at me?
He meant that his reflection looked like a corpse.