A Doctor's Eyewitness Account Summary

Tarrah Herrmann
Mrs. Lough
Period 4
10, November 2007

Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account Everyone has heard of the tragedies and unfortunate events that took place during World War II, known as the Holocaust. However, not many people really truly understand the depths of torture, depression, and cruelty that took place during this time. Before reading Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account by Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, I myself did not grasp the concept of what in fact took place several years ago. My history teacher recommended Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account, saying it would open my eyes and give me a better idea of the events and procedures that occurred within the Nazi concentration
camps. The novel, Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account, tells a firsthand account of a Jewish prisoner, opened my eyes and touched me on a personal level, and has left an impression on me that I would recommend many others to experience. Have you ever wondered what actually took place in the concentration camps during the Holocaust? Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account tells of the struggles and incomprehensible events a Jewish prisoner lived through during this rough time. Dr. Nyiszli was a prisoner at Auschwitz, a concentration camp in southern Poland, for almost a year. There he was separated from his wife and daughter, and forced to perform dissections of his fellow prisoners. Dr. Nyiszli describes the procedures of the gas chambers, crematoriums, and other methods of eliminating the “unnecessary” prisoners. Dr. Nyiszli also describes the mental and physical states at which all of the prisoners were in when they arrived and “left” the camps. The doctor also tells of the amounts of deception that were used as a method of “controlling” the prisoners. He finds himself face to face with death on several occasions, however, his hard work, optimistic attitude, and hopes of one day being reunited with his family again keeps him alive and strong. Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account really opened my eyes to what the Jews and many others had to go through.
I have always been remorseful towards the occurrences and situation of the Holocaust, but Dr. Nyiszli does an amazing job of painting a picture of that time period and those events for the reader. I honestly cannot say that I related to Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account, however, I do not think many people can say that they did. I think it would be impossible to comprehend how terrifying it must have been to live through the camps, however, I related in a different way. Dr. Nyiszli wrote in such a way that I felt I knew him, and as the book progressed I wanted him to experience freedom once again more and more. I also never truly understood the concepts, stories, or even the reason behind the Holocaust before I read Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account. The novel helped me to understand and appreciate how fortunate I am to live the way I do and how blessed I am to live in a country with freedom. Freedom was a major theme throughout Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account because all any prisoner of Auschwitz could look towards or hope for was freedom. I believe that I have benefited from reading Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account and I am pleased to have had the opportunity
to. To any reader that is interested in history I would strongly recommend Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account. To any reader that is not interested in history I would also recommend Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account. I absolutely adored this novel because of its amazing detail, actual insight, and happy ending. At times the details are somewhat graphic; however, the intensity of the picture that Dr. Nyiszli paints is a necessity in trying to grasp what went on in the concentration camps. Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account gives the reader a insight or firsthand account of the tragedies that took place, which I believe is very helpful in this genre of novel. I appreciated the level of insight that is offered through reading this Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account. Anyone who chooses to read Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account will be very pleasantly surprised with the ending of the novel. In addition, Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account is a very simple read, and will have you turning the pages faster than in a children’s book! In conclusion, Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account is a heartfelt, touching novel that will benefit anyone that will give it a chance to! Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account has made its way onto my personal favorite book list. The Jewish prisoner’s account of the tragic procedures and lifestyles of the concentration camps is moving, educational, and realistic. After reading Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account I feel more experienced on the topic, and I have a greater understanding of all that the Jews and many others had to go through. I find it absolutely astounding and amazing how many people were strong enough, both mentally and physically, to survive such harsh, unfair conditions. I would definitely recommend Auschwitz; A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account to anybody that is willing to do a little extra reading. I have learned so much from this novel, and I believe more people in the future for years to come will continue to be moved by Dr. Nyiszli’s eyewitness account of the concentration camp, Auschwitz.