All but My Life

Essay 4; the memoir All But My Life, has a specific and clear title depicting the outcome of the Nazi attack on the Jews throughout Europe. Using two specific examples from the book, explain the meaning of the title chosen by Gerda Klein. In the memoir All But My Life, the author, Gerda Klein loses everything that was important to her, except for her life, because of the war. Hence the title of the memoir. One specific example of one of her tragic loses is the killing and passing of all of her close family and friends. In the beginning of the memoir she is taken away from her parents and brother, with all four of them sent to different places. She is uncertain about all of their futures, but stays optimistic and hopes all of them will be sent to a work camp and not a death camp. Never do her parents write her and she later on learned they had been killed most likely soon after being separated from her. Arthur, her brother, writes her scarcely, until she was informed of his murder. Gerda is very distraught and upset but none the less still works hard and does her best to survive because her father, knowing that he would want her to live and be strong. Her lover, Abek is murdered closer to the end of the war. Ilse, her best friend, was with her side by side through all of the work camps and the hardships and the scarce and short lived happy moments. The long treacherous walk to their final destination camp was just too much, and Gerda watched Ilse wither away and die from hunger and exhaustion. The war was a hardship for Gerda, and even though she made it through with her life, that’s the only thing she had.
Secondly, besides the war taking all of Gerda's friends and family from her it also took her innocence and youth from her. Many of Gerda’s friends and herself did not have a difficult time growing up; they were very happy and did not have to worry about war, or working for their lives. But the war changed all of that. Quickly, Gerda had to learn how to work