Four Perfect Pebbles

“The wagon trundled past, and a closer look told her that it was filled not with firewood but with the naked, sticklike bodies of dead prisoners.”

This horrific image is presented early in the memoir, preparing the reader for what they are going to learn, as well as making immediately clear the extent of the tragedies that Marion and her family witnessed and experienced during the Holocaust. This use of shocking imagery emphasizes the brutality of Bergen-Belsen and the complete dehumanization of prisoners.

“If she could find four pebbles of almost exactly the same size and shape, it meant that her family could remain whole.”

The four pebbles that Marion collects at Bergen-Belsen serve as an enduring symbol of Hope and Resilience in the Face of Adversity. Despite being in an unimaginably difficult situation, Marion holds onto the idea that she and her family might just survive if only she believes they will. This is an example of magical thinking, a psychological coping mechanism that allows survivors to maintain a sense of control in uncontrollable circumstances

“Why, the Blumenthals debated around their family dinner table, had this frightening development taken place? One didn’t have to look for an answer.”

The rhetorical question in this quote highlights the systematic nature of prejudice. Surviving in a World of Prejudice may seem almost random upon first glance, but upon closer examination, it is clear that extreme prejudice does not develop over night; rather, it is the slow breaking down and conditioning of one people toward hatred of another, often during a time of instability or vulnerability.