Section 4

Eliezer and his dad are chosen by a Kapo to serve in a unit who counts electrical fittings in a warehouse. They are housed in the musicians’ block, which is run by a kind German Jew. In this block of prisoners, Eliezer meets Juliek, and the brothers Yosi and Tibi. They plan to move to Palestine together after the war is over. Eliezer is sent to the dentist to have his gold crown pulled. He manages to say he is sick and postpone having the crown removed. Soon after, the dentist is hanged for illegally trading in gold teeth. Eliezer does not ferl bad for him, because he is too busy finding food to eat. One day, Idek violently beats Eliezer. Afterwords, a French girl who works next to Eliezer in the warehouse offers him some help.

The book skips forward several years to show how after the Holocaust, he runs into the same girl on the Métro in Paris. It then returns to Eliezer’s time at Buna. Eliezer’s father is now beat by Idek. Rather than feel angry at Idek, Eliezer becomes angry at his father for being unable to dodge Idek’sbeating. When Franek, the foreman, notices Eliezer’s gold crown, he wants it. He listens to his father and refuses to yield the tooth. As punishment Franek beats Eliezer’s father until Eliezer eventually gives up. Idek and Franek are transferred to another camp. Before this happens, Eliezer accidentally witnesses Idek having sex in the barracks and Idek publicly whips Eliezer until he loses consciousness. During an Allied air raid on Buna, two cauldrons of soup are left unattended and a man risks his life to crawl to the soup. He reaches the soup, and lifts himself up to eat but falls lifeless to the ground. Eliezer tells the story of a little boy being hung. Everyone, uncharacteristicly, breaks into tears as they watch the child strangle on the end of the noose.