Pg 98-115

The long, hard journey has made Elie's father extremely weak. He is near the point of death. Elie starts to believe that there is no reason to go on and keep fighting. If the two "gravediggers" find anyone that is dead or as good as dead they are tossed from the wagon without as much as a goodbye. One of the Jews tells the "gravediggers" that Elie's father is dead because it will give him more room in the wagon. Elie refuses to let his father be thrown from the wagon and frantically jumps on top of him and slaps him in hope he will wake up. When Elie's father finally decides that he wants to give up and die, Elie is infuriated; "Tp have lived and endured so much; as i going to let my father die now!" The next morning when Elie discovers that his father has not recieved any food because it is seen as a waste for they will die soon anyone, he grudgingly gives his father the remainder of the soup. He then remembers the Rabbi's son who had left his father for dead and Elie realizes he has failed. The saddest part of Elie's father death is the fact that he feels "Free at last!" from having to care for his father.

On April 5, all the Jews are about to be killed but the underground resistance force of the camp has decided that they wont allow for the Jews to be exterminated. Elie and the rest of the 600 people from the children's block are told to return and not leave no matter what. A few thousand inmates are evacuated each day and the remainder of the prisoners recieve no more food or water. By April 10, the decision was made to evacuate all the remaining prisoners at once because the Russian front is getting closer. The evacuation is postponed to the following morning. Just as the everyone is to be evacuated, the resistance force takes over and forces the SS to flee the camp. "At 6 oclock that afternoon, the first American tank stood at the gates of Buchenwald."

When they are all freed they go immediately to the food. Never is there a single thought of revenge against Hitler and the rest of the Nazis. Free, they are free at last. Everyone must have been ecstatic. I wonder how Elie must have felt after losing his father not that long before they had been free. Do you think he felt guilty that he couldnt keep his father alive long enough for help to arrive? I'm sure he felt some guilt and regret but there is no other feeling in the world that can match being free.