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The Raid
Summary: Michael and his family were raided by the Germans. They took all of the family's valuables and threatened bad things on them if they didn't give the Germans everything.
Character Development (negative): The family did not want their valuables to be taken away, so they were very upset. This will affect Michael when he is born because he will have nothing.
Relevance to Theme: Although he started his life very unlucky, the family continued to have hope, for him to live his life well. -
Separation
SM: The family had to separate from each other, with the mother and grandmother to the women's side of camp, and father and son to the men's side. Michael stayed with his mom because he was a baby.
CD (Pos): He was just a baby, and if he'd been taken from his mother, bad things would've happened. He was lucky because he was taken care of, and he had someone to be with him at all times.
TH: This would've been a death path that Michael avoided. He is very lucky for he could've died at a young age. -
Visits From Mother
S: Michael's mother would come to the children's bunk every once in a while to visit him. She risked getting killed for this, because she knew that it could be her last time any day soon.
CD (Pos): Michael was always delighted to see his mother, and it kept him from thinking about the bad things that the SS could do to him.
TH: They were very lucky to have not been caught by the SS guards, and she continued to see her son, even if it meant she could die right afterwards. -
Taken Away From Mother
S: His mother was being sent away to labor camp, which meant that she would have to leave Michael with his grandmother.
CD (negative): Being away from his mother was very hard for Michael, and he always cried because he missed her.
TH: Even though they weren't together, Michael had once again escaped a death trap. If his mother refused to go because of him, the SS would've easily found out about his hiding and killed the whole family. -
Finally Free
S: After months of torture, Michael and his grandmother were told that they were going back to Zarki. The war was starting to end, and the two were going home.
CD (pos): This was a very happy moment for the two, because it meant that they had survived through it all, and were free at last. Michael had been with his family through it all.
TH: Once again, this was very lucky for this because he was one of the 52 children under eight who survived the terrible conditions. -
Mother is Alive
S: After all those years of thinking that his mother was dead, they were reunited at their home. Michael was so surprised to see her, and so was his grandmother.
CD (pos): Without his mother, Michael didn't know what to do, but now that they are together, Michael has a parental figure to take care of him and be with him.
TH: Luck comes back for this family because there was a very slim chance that his mother escaped the camp right before the fire. But it happened, and they are grateful for it. -
Theme Statement
With hope and luck, you can get through anything.