Figurative:With the stress of no food and constant hiding, Yanek is living in fear of being caught by the Nazis. His emotional state is one of constant terror and panic at what awaits him at every turn. The unknown aspects of the war leave a feeling of being unsettled. Yanek’s
early life as a 10-year-old boy before the war was normal. He attended school, played with friends, and went to the synagogue with his family. He loves his Mom and Dad and looks up to them but as the war continues Yanek begins to doubt his father's constant hopefulness and positivity and wonders who is right - his father or Uncle Moshe. “I
still worried he was wrong, but fresh bread made me forget all my troubles. For a little while, at least,” (pg. 25). Doubting his parents for the first time is a struggle for Yanek especially in war-torn Poland. When Yanek was moved into the Plaszow Concentration camp, he had just turned 13 and just became a man not long beforehand. He was challenged
with having to lose his family in the ghetto, and then have to move from his childhood home to some place where he had never been and would have to stay there, so it was a big change. He had found his Uncle Moshe, only to find out that the rest of his family had been killed by the Nazis because they couldn’t work, and he still hadn’t seen or heard from his parents, so he believed that they were also dead. He was starved, overworked, and forced to do whatever he was
told or else he would die. It took a huge mental toll on him, and I couldn’t even imagine having to go through that, especially at such a young age. Then, he lost his Uncle Moshe too. The text states, “Hey! Thomas, why won’t you tell me? What’s the score?“ “Just one,” Thomas
said, looking at his feet. “Who is it? Someone we know?” “It was your uncle,” he said at last. “The man who came to visit you last night,” (pg. 84). He has now lost his whole family and his uncle was also the only one who knew where their hidden money was. So not only has he lost all his family, but now his money too.

"Parents Oscar and Mena they are dead and gone now yeah and we would grieve for them if we could but we have only one purpose now survive at all costs Yanek" Yanek finds out his parents are gone and he has to survive almost on his own just with his cousin. The Germans took him to a camp to work and sew clothes for soldiers. When he gets there he finds his uncle Moche, so at least he has some support. Yanek sees a lot of violence for the first time but he can't show emotion because Uncle Moche told him not to stand out.

he moves to the wieliczka salt mine, a new form of Torture. He is forced to work in the cold, dark, tunnels chiseling for hours on end. The insane environment and the salt sculptures created by the workers the bad working conditions shows you how cruel the nazis are. but yanek continues to SURVIVE.

When Yanek got transferred into Bergen-belsen he thought he could make it to the end of the war. The reason he thought this is because he got to rest for a week and he got to have fresh bread and hearty soup. after he rested he got right to work. when he worked the jobs weren't that bad and that's when he thought he could make it. until he was confronted from someone, someone named moon face and that's when he realized he wouldn't survive there. after his first confrontation with moon face he got punched in the face. to yanek he was like a living nightmare. then yanek requested to switch and he had to race to do so.

At the start of the chapter yanek and everyone that was with him went into a train car and packed them in there to take them to Gross-Rosen. A lot of people died in there but when they get there they get no rest and go strait to work. Yanek describes this as purgatory. Yanek knows that the war is starting because the bombs are so close he can feel the heat and hear the cracks of the bullets hitting something and they are happy because they are almost free. Later in the chapter yanek loses a button so he gets whipped for it, every time he gets hit he has to count in German but he keeps messing up so he keeps getting hit. Then he goes to bed and dreams of a colorful world then clouds come in and that represents the Nazis. then they go on a death march and asks moon face for bread and moon face cuts his thought a little bit but then gives him the bread.