The Holocaust was a terrible time in which many people were discriminated against, specifically Jews. Elie was a young teenager (around the age of fifteen) when his life began to take a turn for the worst. Before the Holocaust, Elie was very determined, loyal and religious. Although, he begins to change.
Elie had strong determination. During the story, he urges himself to stay alive and take care of his father. He always repeated to himself to “not stop” and to “keep running.” Over the course of the story, he picks up an injury on his foot. Though, he knew if he had made the pain his priority he would’ve died. Regardless of the throbbing pain, Elie was eager to push himself for the betterment of his father.
Elie was also extremely loyal. He always found a way to keep his father alive no matter the cause. He knew he was his father’s only support. There was one time when Elie’s friend left his father behind. When Elie saw the situation, he prayed for strength, to not commit the same act his friend had. He knew that if his father lived, he had a reason to keep living.
Lastly, Elie was very religious. He devoted himself to studying the word of God. At daytime, he was in the Talmud, and by night, he was in the Kabbalah. But in the end, his lifestyle changes drastically. The Holocaust had shattered Elie’s dreams and beliefs.
Most people do not have Elie’s traits. His traits helped him to survive the Holocaust. This story is very crucial. I think it helps us to learn to understand the world’s problems and be well prepared for them. In the end, if you know more about an issue, you have more ideas of how to prevent them from happening again.
