Children
The killing of children symbolizes the evil of the Nazi regime. There are incredibly shocking scenes in the text where the Nazi soldiers show absolutely no mercy to children, including the shooting of baby Shmuel.
Alicia describes children in the concentration camps who "had the bodies of small children but the faces of teenagers and when you could see them, very old eyes." This shows how much suffering these children have endured, and how they have been aged by the trauma of their experiences.
Water
In this text, water symbolizes survival. Characters in the text are often denied food and water, which represents the fact they are being denied basic human necessities and the ability to survive.
In one particularly shocking scene, Alicia and Mrs. Eckerberg are denied water while in Chortkov prison. Mrs. Eckerberg is incredibly thirsty and thinks she is saved when they receive a bucket of water. However, this bucket of water is poisoned with typhoid.
Alicia's documents
Throughout the text, Alicia shows incredible bravery, including when she frees a troop of soldiers. Alicia is then given documents, which state her heroism. These documents help Alicia to attain a more normal life, despite everything that has happened to her. These documents symbolize Alicia's achievement and her freedom.
The concentration camps
The concentration camps are presented as places of terrible cruelty and inhumanity. They are places of suffering and trauma, highlighting the evil of the Nazi regime, and the mistreatment of Jewish people and political prisoners.
