The setting of Chapter five is exactly how I pictured Nazi Germany in my mind for so many years. "It was dark, bitterly cold, and raining" (Perl 61). Every time I think of a concentration camp I picture it cold, wet, and dreary. It is just the emotion that you get when you think about it. You do not think sunshine and birds chirping sweetly. Before I began reading this chapter I was in a great mood from the school day, however, once reading this initial setting my mood changed. That, to me, is an example of a good book--when it can really impact your mood and draw you in, making you feel what the character is feeling.
This chapter is really about hope. At nine years old Marion Blumenthal had to have hope. When Marion and her family were standing in the Sternlager Square listening to the alphabetical list of Jews scheduled for exchange, she had hope. It did not matter that the B's were already called and "Blumenthal" was not mentioned. "Perhaps there would be a few more names after the Z's," Marion thought (Perl 63). I think this is something that students and everyone can relate too, I can. I remember entering the lottery for the New York City Marathon and when my name didn't show I thought perhaps they just haven't called everyone yet and my name would show up soon. Granted Marion's situation could have meant life or death, one can still feel that since of hope. No matter how young or old we are I think everyone can feel the short of hope Marion was feeling standing in Sternlager square.
Marion's hope is also eminent in her quest to find the four perfect pebbles--which I am surprised as to why this has not been a more prevalent aspect of the story. Marion says "We went on with out aimless existence. It was now more important than ever for me to search over and over again for my four perfect pebbles. I knew, even then, that in spite of everything, our family must survive" (Perl 65). In other words, even though Marion was a young, naive, 9 years old, she still knew how important it was to remain hopeful and optimistic even in the worst possible circumstance.
I think that this chapter explores and prescribes some important lessons. When the guard gives Marion’s brother and apple it shows that not all German's were terrible and evil (Perl 66). The German's had to do what they did because if they didn't obey Hitler and the SS, they jeopardized their own life. It raises a good debate about whether or not Germans could or should be accountable for their actions.
This chapter is definitely the most graphic to date. I think that this chapter would be very difficult for elementary students to handle. Even I had a hard time getting through it and I have research concentration camps and labor camps pretty extensively. The chapter really starts to get graphic mid way through when Marion is talking about the stench of the burning flesh (Perl 68). The visuals for me were atrocious and I could not even bare to smell what Marion had to smell, the thought just makes me cringe. These sights for a nine year old must have been most unimaginable.
Chapter 6 "On the Death Train"
Chapter 6 actually brought a smile to my face because at the end the Blumenthals were liberated. Of course I realize that they journey is not yet over, I was happy to see that perhaps the worst is behind them.
At first I wondered why the prisoners did not try to escape from the train. After all, the train was not going anywhere and it seemed as though the guards did not really care. Escape, however, was not on the prisoners mind. For one, most of the prisoners were too weak to try and escape—in the case of Marion her leg was infected from the soup burn and she was in no condition so try and escape. The prisoners also did not escape because where would they escape? No matter where they went they would still be surrounded by Nazi Germany (Perl 77).
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