— What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?
–This story can be described as a kind of “initiation story” for the narrator. How is he changed or transformed by the events of the narrative?
–A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator. What does she mean?
–“Are we good people?” asks our narrator. What is this exchange about? What do you think?
–Explain the significance of the story’s title, “This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen.” What seems strange about it?
The way the title is written makes it seem like the “gas” is going to be a fun and enjoyable thing to do when in reality its their death. In addition the way the title is written makes it seem like the “gas” is a joke because we usually associate the saying “this way ladies and gentlemen” with circus acts. By making the title this way it makes it seem like the “gas” is a joke. This may have been the case for the people operation the gas chambers so by making the title this it makes us feel angry when we realize that the “gas” is really the gas chambers.
A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator. What does she mean?
What he means is that she foresees the inner turmoil that our protagonist is going to have. Although he is not a jew prisoner like the rest of them he is a prisoner and he is forced to take action against his fellow prisoners. She knows that this inner conflict will come back to him.
“Are we good people?” asks our narrator. What is this exchange about? What do you think?
There’s always a question or judgement on whether or not we are good people. In Borowski’s story, I believe this question is asked because the he is angry of the all the actions the Nazis have committed, but also annoyed that he could not change the outcome of these actions. An example in the story is the narrator could not save the babies because he had no capabilities of doing so. That reflects the narrator as not being a good person, but rather a weak/vulnerable person. I think for Borowski to feel angry and frustrated about himself is understandable, but it shouldn’t define him as a bad person.
A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator. What does she mean?
I think that she understands that he, too, is a prisoner held agaisnt his will and how deeply the actions that he is forced to take upon other humans arriving will affect him. She is able to see the inner struggle that he is helpless to take any action to help himself or others.