Thursday, October 22, 2015

how were jews treated when they were lined up outside

The first time the Jews are given the directive to file into lines outside takes place in chapter 1 when the Hungarian police prepare the Jewish citizens of Sighet for transports to Buna. Elie recalls waking up and hearing the Hungarian police yelling at his neighbors to evacuate their homes immediately. Once the Jewish citizens are standing outside, the Hungarian police use their rifle butts and clubs indiscriminately to strike anyone in sight. One by one each house is emptied, and the Jewish citizens stand with their luggage in the street. Elie also recalls the oppressive heat that day and remembers children crying for water. Fortunately, some of the policemen secretly filled jugs of water to give to the Jewish prisoners standing in the street. Later, Elie watches as his Jewish neighbors slowly walk in a procession towards the gate of the ghetto, which reminds him of the Babylonian captivity. Elie also says,

"They [Jews citizens of Sighet] passed me by, like beaten dogs, with never a glance in my direction" (Wiesel, 42).

The next day, Elie and his family are forced to stand outside and form a line. They are also subjected to the intense yelling and constant demands from the aggressive policemen, who force them to walk faster while simultaneously threatening them. Overall, the Jewish citizens are treated terribly and subjected to violence, intimidation, and exhaustion while they line up outside of the ghettos in chapter 1.


I think you're referring to the evacuation of the Buna concentration camp, in which Elie, his father, and many more Jewish prisoners were forced to run through snow to Gleiwitz, which was about 13 miles away. The weather conditions were harsh, the physical state of the Jewish prisoners was poor due to malnourishment and constant grueling work, and the prisoners did not have proper clothing or shoes to traipse through winter weather, so we can safely say that the Jews were treated terribly in this instance, just as they are throughout the book. Many people died on this two-night death march, and upon arriving in Gliewitz, they were subjected to stifling, cramped quarters in which many were crushed to death, as well as a period of three days without food or water. Freezing temperatures, starvation, beatings, shootings, and a cruelly quick pace are just a few of the inhumane conditions that plagued this particular group of prisoners.

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