Elie was a Jewish 15 year old boy when he was taken away by the Nazis. Elie lived in Sighet, Transylvania with his Father, Mother, and three sisters. The Nazis came and took Elie and his family, packed them onto a train and sent them to Birkenau (a part of the Auschwitz concentration camp). When they arrived at Birkenau Elie and his father were separated from his mother and his sisters, little did Elie know but he would never see his sister Tzipora again. This is when Elie's exile started. Elie had to say goodbye to the life he had been living, Birkenau/Auschwitz is a whole different and awful experience. Survival was the number priority for Elie throughout this time.
This experience was very alienating compared to what Elie was use to. …show more content…
Before Elie was put in these camps he was not self-sufficient or very productive. But once Elie was put in these camps he had to be self reliant. He learned how to survive; he learned how to live in the madness if a concentration camp. Elis had to defend himself and his father from others. Elie had to do whatever the Nazis had him due so he wouldn’t be killed. He did have to follow orders which isn't being self reliant, but he had to complete orders and prove he would be useful for the Nazis so he would not be killed. It also gave Elie a desire to survive. It turned Elie into a survivalist who will do anything to live, instead of just a normal kid. This experience showed that Elie has the power to survive any