Yaneks journey by Micah Wright

Kraków, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-11-13 15:04:13 UTC

yaneks literal journey

Yanek and his family live in Krakow Poland. But in just a blink of an eye, their city was invaded by the Germans beginning WWII. For now, Yanek and his family remain in Krakow. For a little while they stay in their flat with several other families anti-semitic rules have been put in place that persecute Jewish people taking away any rights they had over tie walls are built up around the ghetto to contain the remaining Jews who have not been taken for resettlement or deportation yet one by one many Jews were relocated to other Jewish ghetto work camps concentration camps or were killed on site Yanek's figurative journey 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 continual terror and panic at what awaits him at every turn unknown aspects of the war leave a feeling of being unsettled yanks early life as a 10-year-old boy before the war was very normal he attended school and played with friends and went to the synagogue with his family he loses his mom and dad and looks them up 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, at least."(pg. 25 ) doubting your parents for the first time is a struggle for Yanek, especially I war-torn Poland.

Płaszów, Kraków, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-11-19 19:58:08 UTC

"But we only have one purpose now: survive. Survive at all costs, Yanek. We cannot let these monsters tear us from the pages of the world."pg70 Yanek has lost everything—his mom, dad, and home—and now he's a prisoner in a jumpsuit in a camp. He feels terrified about surviving, but he's scared of Amon Goeth, who can kill him whenever. all of this and his only thirteen years old .

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Daniłowicza, Wieliczka, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-11-21 14:31:10 UTC

"From a dozen watching headlamps, something glittered and shone in his cuts. Salt. Someone had rubbed salt in all his wounds." "They stayed still though, frozen in salt . as trapped and helpless as we were." The statues gave him hope, but then he realized that the salt also showed that they were not real, and the only way it would end was if the alloys won.also with the salt thing it shows that if you do bad to other people you should expect bad will come to you because the gu died because of what he did

Birkenau, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-12-05 14:51:39 UTC

Yanek is being relocated. On the train, there is no water or food, and he notes that it smells like human waste. Throughout the long journey, corpses are leaning against him, and he worries about where they are being taken. A little further into the ride, an older man tells Yanek that they are headed to a gas chamber. He advises Yanek to try to position himself near an air vent to die more quickly. There are kids around Yanek's age throwing snowballs and shouting cruel insults at the Jewish passengers. Fortunately, Yanek is sitting by a window and manages to scoop snow into his hands to drink, as there is no water available for the entire lengthy trip. When Yanek is taken from Trzebinia, he is placed in a cattle car with other Jews. They travel through Poland to a train station and then on to various locations until they arrive at Birkenau. He is forced into a shower room, where he believes he is going to die. "What are they wanting?" he asks, his voice hoarse from thirst and fear. A man next to him replies, "Don't you see the fires in the chimney? They have to finish off the trainload before they have room for us." But he does not die. Afterward, he stands in a long line where he is tattooed. Once he has received his number, he is shown to his barrack.

Trzebinia, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-12-05 14:51:50 UTC

When the chapter begins yanek feels ferry towards the gourds and some for the prisoners because they won't fight back this continues later on in the chapter when he states "I'm not going to let them line me up on the edge of a pit and shoot me" and he keeps this same mine set in tell roll call that night was a man fought back at one of the soldiers then the man was shot and innocent prisoners were hung just course they were there and he vowed he wouldn't fight back and let innocent people die.

Bergen-Belsen, Germany

20017593_1 — 2024-12-06 15:03:29 UTC

Bergen-Belsen was a place where people would run into electric fences to take their own lives. This is how Yanek was introduced to the camp. He soon realized that Bergen-Belsen was not as terrible as some of the other camps, but it was by no means a good or easy place. The camp used cruel tactics, such as giving them warm bread and a large bowl of soup, which left the prisoners feeling that they hadn’t eaten a real meal in years. Once the week of rest was over, they were forced back to work. While Yanek was working, he encountered the kapo known as "Moon Face." Moon Face was a murderer even before World War II and was an extremely cruel person. Moon Face beat Yanek for "looking at him wrong." Moon Face punched Yanek square in the face. Yanek believed that if it weren't for Moon Face, he might have been able to survive the war in the camp. He stated, "Bergen-Belsen might have been the place for me to survive until the war's end, but Moon Face had to ruin that." (pg. 200)Moon Face had to get away.pg.200"

Buchenwald, Weimar, Germany

20017593_1 — 2024-12-09 14:26:10 UTC

Yanek was only in Buchenwald for a small amount of time. This camp was not the best one to be at and the prisoners weren't given much food. One of the major jobs was working at Corey. The guards scared the prisoners and they had to try their best to be very careful and not to mess up. The guards were terrible and would kill you if you had too big of a rock or too small of a rock. The camp had a zoo where the animals were treated better than the prisoners. During this time, the guards took a deer tied it by the antlers, and watched it struggle. Yanek was so upset that his blood started to boil. Lastly, Yanek explains that the Nazis killed so many of them to the point where they were running out of Jews.

Auschwitz, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-12-09 14:30:20 UTC

Yanek escapes from Auschwitz after walking through doors that the Nazis claimed were the only exit—through the chimney. He and the other prisoners are being moved due to a British plane flying overhead. As they hear gunshots and bombs exploding, Yanek begins to feel a sense of hope. During this time, Yanek meets a boy named Fred, who is around his age. Despite his uncle's warning to keep to himself, Yanek breaks the rule and talks to Fred about their families. They bond over their shared experiences, as both have lost their families, grew up close to each other, and even shopped at some of the same stores. Their connection deepens as they discuss the food and pastries they would enjoy once they escape. However, not long after their meeting, Fred begins to fall ill. His condition worsens daily; he develops a stomach ache, eats less and less, and struggles to get out of bed. Eventually, Fred becomes too weak and tired to rise. Soldiers drag him out of bed, and tragically, he is hanged. Yanek experiences profound grief from losing another friend. Before going to sleep that night, he says a prayer traditionally recited for a friend or family member who has died.

Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt-Süd, Germany

20017593_1 — 2024-12-09 14:31:46 UTC

Yanek and his fellow prisoners arrived at Sachsenhausen after enduring a long journey on the death march. Initially, the prisoners were not put to work and were provided with soup and bread. During his time there, Yanek reflected on his situation, mentioning, “That tower is in Berlin. The tower was in Berlin; we were in Sachsenhausen, and I was so tired and hungry that I didn’t care if I lived or died” (page 187). He witnessed what was known as the Sachsenhausen salute, a punishment inflicted by the Nazis and the Kapos on the prisoners. This involved squatting and holding their hands out in front of them, with any movement resulting in death or severe beating. At roll call, Yanek saw another prisoner run into the electric fence, choosing to take his own life rather than endure the long wait for hours. Toward the end of his stay, the Nazis gathered a large group of prisoners in the cafeteria and made them sing for their entertainment.

Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoznica, Ofiar Gross Rosen, Rogoźnica, Poland

20017593_1 — 2024-12-10 14:42:15 UTC

Figurative journey in each camp that Yanek goes to, he feels as if he is in purgatory. He believes there is no way to escape, no matter what he does. He tells himself, "I told myself there would be a better world after this one." Yanek feels trapped and helpless, especially because he was punished for missing a button. The lashes he endured were so severe that he fell into a slumber and dreamt of a thunderstorm, which symbolizes his experience of purgatory.

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, Pater-Roth-Straße, Dachau-East, Germany

20017593_1 — 2024-12-13 18:02:53 UTC

At Dachau, the Nazis didn't make any of the Jews work. It was chaotic there and everyone knew that the war was coming to an end. One night all the Jews woke up to the sound of explosions, airplanes, and bullets from the Allies, but they went back to sleep. In the morning it was all different. The text states, "One of the prisoners crept to the door and peeked outside. There aren't any guards!"(pg.243). Soon after, American soldiers came to talk to them and comforted them. Yanek and the other Jews were finally free.

Munich, Germany

20017593_1 — 2024-12-18 13:32:51 UTC

I think Yanek felt lost and hurt in the final chapter in Munich. He experienced a moment of joy when he said, “A bed all to myself! Wonder upon wonders—the soldiers gave me a blanket, a pillow, and sheets. Sheets!” (249). This shows how happy he was for basic things that most people take for granted. It highlights how terrible conditions were in the camps. Although he tried to move on and continue with his life, the trauma of those years would always stay with him—the people he lost and the experiences he endured. Even when they were free and enjoying their first real meal in years, Yanek observed, "They were smiling while eating, but you could see the sadness in their faces." This illustrates that, despite their freedom, the pain and loss inflicted by the Nazis would always haunt them.