Monday, February 14, 2011

Chapter 3 (pages 29-46) -- The gates

The last sentence of this chapter is: "The iron gates closed behind us."

How does the shortness and simplicity of this sentence add to its meaning? What is its meaning?

4 comments:

  1. Trapped. Elie Wiesel felt trapped. He knew that the iron gates that slammed shut behind him would not reopened and felt that he was trapped in that retched place for the rest of his life.The iron gates represent the lock that was finally closing his life away for ever. Leaving everything that was behind them hidden secluded from him forever. Like a trapped bird that was taken from everything he had ever loved or had ever came to love. In that simple sentence he has told us everything that he is feeling, in that simple sentence he has given us all of his families emotions and in that simple sentence he is giving himself to us in way no other person can. people who haven't been through what he has. As those gates shut, also does the fleeting hope that Elie once had.

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  2. I agree with Peter. Not only were they trapped but they were cornered into death. They believed there was no way out. They were trapped and were used for labor or death. The iron symbolizes that they would never be able to escape from the torture they would soon endure. They nothing left to live for besides their family. They had no more home, no possessions to say they own. Like a dolphin being captured and used for entertainment they would never be free. The soldiers used them for joy, see how they would react to death and labor. Six words, just six words changed the way we felt while reading the book. Every word hits deeper and deeper in our hearts.
    -Michael Salazar

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  3. “The iron gates closed behind us.” This sentence is short and simple but means a huge thing to Elie and all the prisoners that were in these camps. When the prisoners first step in the camps, everyone would have felt the same way; scared and confused. But as they see the iron gates closing behind them, they feel trapped. Every day, they work and are starving to death thinking about their families. The prisoners didn’t have freedom, they did as they were ordered to do, and hundreds of prisoners would die every day. But there was one thing that everyone did feel, trapped.
    Elie knew that after the iron gates closed behind him, the gates won’t open again. He knew he wouldn’t see his mom and sister. All his dreams were already outside the gate.

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  4. Even though “The iron gates closed behind us.” is a short and simple sentence, this expresses various things. In this case it expresses the way that Elie felt when he saw the doors closing. Also,this is the first step to the pain, suffering, the future horroric images and feelings that were waiting for the Jews in the concentration camps. Elie tought that this was not going to be that bad, but then he noticed that he would probably never see his beloved sister and mother again. When the door closed, Elie did not know that all the dreams, the happines and the good memories were left behind the strong, big and horroric door. He would not know the if the doors were to heaven, a hallway, or the doors to hell until he crosses and takes a look to his new "home".

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