The chances of survival for someone in the concentration camps were almost slim to none. Only one percent of everyone in the camps actually made it out of these camps alive, and the ones who did make it out hardly looked human when they left. To survive the holocaust you would need to be in good physical shape, get a job, and have good strength mental and physically.
Imagine being brutally beaten, and only fed a tiny bowl of water they called soup and then suffering through work in order to survive. This is what survivors of the holocaust went through and believe it or not work saved their lives. Many people were selected to work outside doing objectives for the army like moving steel beams. In the article “What the camps were like, told through the eyes of people who suffered through them” Judith Jagermann states this “fifteen or twenty men were carrying each side of the beam, then eventually we were told to set them down.” If they were not able to work when they entered the camp they were immediately sent to the gas chambers to be executed. In the article “the holocaust” it says “we entered the camp, and a guard was deciding our fate. The thumbs up meant you were good to work the thumbs down and you went left to the gas chambers.” If you looked at getting a job like it was a long strenuous act well you are right, but when you look at it from the eyes from a holocaust survivor they will say if they were unable to work they wouldn’t still be here today. Some of the most unusual things may be a way of survival when you get into these types of situations where you are fighting to survive.
The prisoners of the holocaust were brutally beaten and tortured; being strong was a tremendous part in surviving this terrible situation. When they first got to the camps they were asked to hand over all of their valuables, wedding rings, lockets even their clothes. Those who were not willing to give up their possessions were beaten immediately. They were hardly given any food. This was mentioned in the article “the holocaust” it says “in the morning they gave us one piece of bread mixed with sawdust and coffee. Later in the evening after work we were given soup. If we were lucky we would find a piece of meat but most of the time it was just water and a few potatoes.” Having strength was important in many ways; having to take the load of working on such a small amount of food was a large part of being strong. Many were killed from starving to death. In the book “ call of the wild” if talks about how Buck was cut short on his food rationing because of over feeding, they have to pull the sleds many miles a day on short rest and a small amount of food. He showed a large amount of strength by never giving up no matter what kind of health his body was in. Both examples I have given support the fact that you need strength to survive.
Another way to survive the harsh concentration camps is to be physically fit and mentally tough. People were hardly given food like I mentioned earlier. People who were not killed as soon as they entered were forced to work inside making cabinets or outside moving steel beams. Stated in the article “the holocaust” it says “working in fifteen degrees below zero moving steel beams, when they finally told you to sit them down your hands were frozen to them and when you pulled them off your skin peeled off.” This shows how the weather was brumal during the winter months and how terrible the working conditions could be. They were given a t-shirt and a thin gown, and that was if they were most of the time they were just given one or the other.
Six Word Slant:
The struggle of surviving the holocaust.
Claim:
Surviving the holocaust was a great struggle. Only the ones who were strong and could catch a break survived.
Six Word Slant:
The struggle of surviving the holocaust.
Claim:
Surviving the holocaust was a great struggle. Only the ones who were strong and could catch a break survived.
