Characters
Who is Idek?
The violent Kapo in charge of Elie’s work unit
What job does Elie do?
Electrical warehouse work
Define Kapo
Prisoner leader over other prisoners
Theme shown through Idek’s violence?
Abuse of power
Who is Juliek?
A Polish violinist prisoner
What happens when Elie leaves his work block?
He is beaten by Idek
Define Kommando.
A prisoner work group
Theme shown through the French girl helping Elie?
Humanity and kindness
Why does Idek beat Elie?
Because Elie sees him with a girl
What punishment does Elie receive?
25 lashes
Define Rations
Fixed portions of food
Why is silence important?
Silence helps prisoners survive
How does Elie’s father change?
He becomes weaker and is beaten by Idek
Why is the French girl important?
She shows kindness and speaks to Elie later
Define Resistance
Standing against authority or oppression
How is identity lost?
Numbers replace names and individuality is lost
Who is Elie’s father (Shlomo)
shows how survival sometimes depended on silence and obedience, as he often avoids conflict and focuses only on staying alive alongside his son.
How are the men and women separated
This early event during arrival separates families and begins the process of stripping prisoners of identity and emotional security.
Define Selection
Process used to decide who would be sent to work and who would be sent to death
What is the moral compromise (or loss of morality / corruption of humanity)
This theme is revealed when prisoners are forced into roles that harm others in order to survive, showing how the camp system blurred the line between victim and oppressor.