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Hitler was known as an awful, mean cruel, horrible, and all around monstrous person. Surrounding and uplifting this awful man were the Nazis. Similar to Hitler, these men abused their power to destroy the human spirit of Jews that came across their path. We are constantly shown throughout the book the horrors of abuse given by the Nazi soldiers. This paragraph is just one of the hundreds of instances of the abuse of power that the Nazis commit.

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The Holocaust brought out the animal in everyone, Jews and Nazis alike. On the bright side, everyone wasn't always turning on each other. In some instances, such as this one, people were rediscovering old friends, which had the potential to be life saving in some situations. In this case, Michael's mother is extremely lucky to have known this man. If not, the novel could have ended very different very fast.

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Joy is not often seen or experienced during the Holocaust. That's why this instance of pure, unadulterated joy and excitement is so profound in this novel. I can almost feel the emotions that Michael feels because of the imagery used in the paragraph. I feel that this was on purpose to explain one of the first instances of joy felt since the Holocaust has first begun. This makes for a 'clearing of the clouds' that was much needed in the novel.

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Though not as dramatic as the other paragraphs, I feel that this one has the most affect on me. Micheals mother is aghast by Michael's living condition in the chicken coop. However, in Michael's eyes, this was an excellent place to live. This, in my opinion, in one of the most disturbing parts in the book. The awful conditions that Michael had lived in had numbed him from the shock of living in a small area where animals had once inhabited.

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This passage illiterates the sacrifices made in order to save her family. After Michaels mother gruesomely tears open her finger, one would think she would stop after such an injury. However, she continues to dig and dig for her family’s sake. Her injury proves the drastic measures people would take for the slightest bit of hope. The constant blood shed was a basic, everyday thing, which is almost as disturbing as the desperation in Michaels mother.

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The trauma that surrounds Michael is shown multiple times throughout the book, but I feel this time is the most impactful. One of two things made this paragraph so impactful. The first is that Michael can’t even write about the experiences he had during this period. Either the actions would be too awful and gruesome to describe, or conjure up too many awful memories. Another is that Michael claims that DEATH would be a better option than enduring the suffering in that area.

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Michael’s father was always portrayed as strong, smart, masculine, and known to always stay calm in the toughest situations. However, the trauma of the Holocaust had his mask finally break. Thankfully, the roles were reversed, with Micheals mother attempting to stay calm and try and lighten the mood. Though her joke comes out a little unnerving, she did what she could to calm down her family and make them feel less fearful for their lives. This lightning of the mood shows gives the book a small splash of color, even with the black ink of the Holocaust surrounding it.

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Dehumanizing was often a way Nazis controlled the Jews. Though most gave into the stress and disrespect, some felt that they still had the right of human decency. Michael’s mother is, in some ways, the ray of sunshine in the thunderstorm of Michaels experience during the Holocaust. Though she couldn’t do much, she did what she could to make herself and others feel better. This small gesture didn’t completely solve any problems, but is made Herself feel less like a “animal”.

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One way the Nazis controlled the Jews has by dehumanizing them and treating them like animals. A great example of this in when Michael is in the cars. As described, Michael is drenched in sweat and urine, and he is basically sticking to the people around him. This imagery made me think of cattle, being forcibly moved into a car with no basic necessities. I believe that the Nazis did this on purpose as a way to control and dehumanize the Jews.

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The Holocaust was a tragedy, as most people know. However, this paragraph of the book really made me realize the trauma that Michael had been through. People had been stealing valuables from dead corpses, including teeth. Along with that atrocity, if you simply weren’t deemed hard working or fast enough, you were executed. This is important to the novel by illustrating that acts of inhumanity and horrid actions committed by other people.