This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen

Tadek is at work on a railroad track on a hot day in Harmenz, a subcamp of Auschwitz. A woman named Mrs. Haneczka greets him and offers to give him some food. Tadek declines, mentioning that he saved two pieces of expensive soap for her, but someone stole it. Tadek promises to take revenge on the thief. Mrs. Haneczka reassures him that someone named Ivan already gave her soap, and Tadek notes that they are the same pieces of soap that were stolen from him. Mrs. Haneczka leaves, promising that dinner will be under the chestnut tree. Becker, an old Jewish man, believes that Tadek ought to have taken the food Mrs. Haneczka offered. Tadek reproaches Becker and tells him that he’ll be glad when Becker is eventually gassed.

Becker was a prisoner at another camp, who was given leadership power and killed and punished people for stealing food. Becker even killed his own son, and his other son issued orders to have Becker killed. Becker comments that Tadek, who has only been in Auschwitz for a few months, has not felt real hunger as “real hunger is when one man regards another as something to eat” (54).