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Marion and her family are taken away on the train after only having allowed one knapsack worth of possessions. It is a negative event for Marion in character development because it made her feel more dehumanized and weaker. It relates to the book theme by showing all the horrible events that she had to experience, describing how she was able to survive the Holocaust.
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War began to turn against the Germans. It is a positive character development because it allows Marion to become more hopeful about her current situation. It can relate to the book theme of surviving since it shows that it is what she must do to be saved.
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Marion Blumenthal had heard news about Auschwitz, where they had decided to kill people in another way, with poison. When she first heard about this, she started to lose hope because of how evil and depressing it was to hear. She then realized she should not die a death by gassing. It can relate to the theme by showing her determination to survive
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After being forced to be bitten by a bug with typhus, many of those who were bitten died a few days later. Marion believed that it was morally wrong to let those die painfully within a matter of days. She knew that she would have to live the dangerous disease to eventually be liberated. It made her will to live even stronger.
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British troops reached their first camp which would also be the first one to be liberated. This gave more hope to Marion because of her belief that she would eventually be saved, and all she needed to do was survive longer.
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Marion after a few years managed to survive the camp. She was freed and taken to Holland as refugees. Marion finally felt free and not under the control of the Nazis anymore. Her will to survive allowed her to live through the horrible event that is the Holocaust.
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Showing a will to survive will want to make others do the same.
