— 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?
— What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?
One thing that I learned from this story that I did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps is that the prisoners were kept in the dark about how and when they would be persecuted up until the very moment they were killed. This struck me, because I was not aware that the details of their impending doom were kept confidential amongst the Nazi guards. Especially considering that many people were killed on a daily basis. I found it ironic that the explanation for this secrecy was described as being at least one act of kindness, considering the circumstances. Another thing I learned was that prisoners of the concentration camps were in charge of other prisoners. This was shocking to me, because it adds to the level of divisiveness and turns people on each other. This would consequently make the Nazi guards seem less culpable for their actions, which is an evil yet clever manipulative tactic.
— What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?
I learned that women with the children, and old people would be the first ones to die, while everyone else would be kept for labour, then set to die. I always thought that everyone would be set to die at the same pace. The victims being used for labour is something that I didn’t know at all. I thought that that the victims would be captured and then set to die.I also learned that the victims would be transported around. I thought that the victims were taken to the concentration camps and remain there until they were set to die– I didn’t know know they would “travel.”
The significance of the title is that it is being addressed like a stage performance or circus. When he begins the phrase with “This way the Gas”, he explains how the prisoners were being treated horribly in the camps. When he uses the phrase “Ladies and Gentlemen”, he addresses this to the audience like it is on stage to show how the Nazi soldiers treated the prisoners harshly. Not only that, but the phrase appears on page 701 where one of the Nazi soldiers is talking to the prisoners like this with his whip to show he was eager to whip them. The narrator presents the title as a performance so that the audience sees how harsh the Nazi guards were treating prisoners in the concentration camps.
When the narrator asks Henri, “Are we good people?” he’s referencing the fact that their role in the concentration camp is sorting out the incoming Jewish people into two groups: a group that stays to work in the concentration camp and another group that is sent directly to the crematorium. I think that the definition of what it means to be a “good” person is very complex and it’s not as black and white as some may make it out to be. If a person generally does good and has good intentions but does one bad thing, does it automatically make them a bad person overall or are they still considered a good person? With this question in mind, in the case of the narrator, I don’t see him as either a good or bad person because while what he does is wrong and his anger towards the incoming Jewish people is misdirected, he still is forced to do what he does by the Nazis or else he will be killed. Because of this, I don’t think I can say for sure whether he’s a good person or not because on the one hand, he is another victim who is forced to sort out these people, but on the other hand, he does seem to think only about himself (which may or may not be justified given his circumstances) and blames the incoming Jewish people for his situation.
Explain the significance of the story’s title, “This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen.” What seems strange about it?
The story’s title is significant for its hypocrisy. Future prisoners in the concentration camp are mistreated by the Nazis. In Addition they are being referred to as ‘ladies and gentlemen’ and are being treated inhumane and equivalent to vermin. Using the formal language such as ‘ladies and gentlemen’ represents Borowski’s emphasis of the delusion the Nazi’s created for all prisoners on their way to their deaths. Towards the prisoners this shows a good will by the Nazis. The narrator utters the Nazi’s gave strict orders that all prisoners are to be lied to all the way up to their extermination.
Something I learned from this story that I did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps was that the mother would try to separate herself from the child to live. When I watched some Holocaust movies, the mother would constantly care for her child and be concerned. However, it is not the same in the story, so I found it shocking to read about dead babies being treated like chickens and the mother not acknowledging her child even though the child is screaming for her not to leave her. I found this very shocking since I’ve always thought that the Nazis were the only bad people at those camps and all the prisoners were kind, innocent people. Another thing I learned from the story is that not all prisoners were Jewish and that those prisoners were forced to work in such horrible conditions and do inhuman actions. But what shocked me, even more, was that they also blamed the Jewish people for their miserable lives. I thought they would be more sympathetic towards Jewish prisoners.
“Are we good people?” asks our narrator. What is this exchange about? What do you think?
The narrator asks his friend whether or not they are good people because of the jobs that they are doing in the concentration camps. As part of his job, he unloads the carts full of people, cleans up the carts, and basically aids in leading people to their death. I don’t think that it’s possible to characterize one person as being “good” or “bad” because everything that we do as humans can be judged on a spectrum. The actions that we take and the context in which we take them can ultimately change what it means to be good or bad and I think that applies in this situation. The people in the concentration camps, and the narrator, are in extremely horrible conditions, and because of that, what they do as individuals shouldn’t solely be seen as being good or bad.
Explain the significance of the story’s title, “This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen.” What seems strange about it?
The first part, “This Way to the Gas”, was kind of a foreshadowing and an irony for the Jewish. The Jews were packing all their stuff, thinking that they can travel somewhere and start a new life in a new city. However, they did not know that they were just heading to death and their goods are all going to be taken by the Nazis. The second part, “Ladies and Gentlemen”, is usually used when a show is about to begin. It is strange because the Jews are getting killed yet it almost seems like the killing was part of a show; that the Jews are performing and the Nazis had fun watching them die. While the title sounds like a delightful performance that is about to take place, the story is full of harsh and dehumanized details that are happening.
What did you learn from this story that you did not previously know about life in Nazi concentration camps?
One thing that I learned from this story that I did not know previously was how the Nazis not only sent Jews to these horrible concentration camps, but they also sent anybody who didn’t follow their agenda. Borowski’s depiction of a prisoner who was forced to torture people was so sad to me. It was overall depressing seeing how the main character justified his actions on things he was forced to do or otherwise faced death or torture. I can’t imagine sorting through people and deciding who lives or has to go through a horrible life filled with torture in a concentration camp.
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 way the old woman said “my poor boy” to the narrator, she feels pity towards him. He didn’t choose this job it was handed to him and there is no way out of it. I feel she know the suffer for her is almost over and his is the just the beginning. She knows her fate and she feel sad that he has to keep going with this job of witnessing all the evil. I think when she looks him in the eye, she can feel that he has no feel or soul. The narrator is there but mentally not there. I think the old lady can sense that and said, “my poor boy.”
“Are we good people?” asks our narrator. What is this exchange about? What do you think?
When the narrator has this exchange with his friend, he is referring to the fact the he is practically aiding people to their death. He doesn’t participate in torturing any of the prisoners or sending people to the concentration camps like some of the nazis did. But he does separate into groups of people who will be used for labor and the group who will be sent straight to the concentration camps. I think that its hard to say whether or not he is a good or bad person because in a way if he didn’t do what he was being told, he could have been the one sent to the gas chambers. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he did it anyways.