Dating back to the concentration camps during the 1940s, it is clear to see how people were treated under such inhumane conditions. In the short story, “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen” it describes vividly how people imprisoned at Auschwitz camp had to live their day to day lives. Walking around naked with no respect, having insufficient food, and not getting any treatment which would only lead to multiple threats. The story states, “The camp has been sealed off tight. Not a single prisoner, not one solitary louse, can sneak through the gate… Thousands of naked men shuffle up and down the roads.” This portrays the lifestyle that these innocent people had to live under a lot of pressure and with hope that they would not get any further mistreatment whenever soldiers felt the desire. Having the feeling of being insecure is not easy, and more so when it’s a fact that it will always turn into a bad outcome. Furthermore, one of the other difficulties that the imprisoned individuals had to suffer through was the actions against their will and beliefs. The thought of being forced to do things to please other people for no positive outcome is cruel; but this is what was meant to happen at these camps.
In a similar context, the novel that has captured a lot of attention and has been made into a film is “The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas”. The novel which was released in 2006 gave back to the readers a lot of vivid and traumatic experiences that a lot of people in the concentration camps went through. This text with its descriptions of its two primary characters has a lot of connections with Borowski’ short story. In this novel, two young boys with their lives ahead of them had no sense of how negative their reality was aside from being separated by a fence. However, when Bruno who is the boy from Berlin saw the difference of clothing and work that had to be put into daily marked the difference between him and Shmuel who is the Jew living under those harsh conditions in Brunos’ father concentration camp. Being this young at the age of eight, and in this situation marked interest on each of the boy’s eyes. Wondering if there was a possibility to actually meet aside from being separated by the fence. However, nothing could ever be done since there would always be malicious threats and death in the future for Shmuel.
Both stories have the similarity with the problematic system that occurred in concentration camps. I believe that each individual had a story to share for people to take into account how their lifestyle was drastically changed for worse. Each person living in the concentration camp had to deal with brutal experiences not only from their own but from what they could see being done to others. Everything that occurred during this time period was unacceptable and unforgivable. People in the concentration camps had to adjust to this new life forcibly and with much pain; and similarly to what they felt it will never be forgotten.
