Quote 40
“No, darling! To die, it’s easy…but you have to struggle for life! Until the last moment we must struggle together! I need you! And you’ll see that together we’ll survive.” (I.5.124)
Friendships and families are falling apart all around them, but Vladek and Anja are able to maintain their relationship and survive the war. Vladek is committed to saving Anja at great risk to himself; she helps him maintain a moral core.
Quote 41
“But here God didn’t come. We were all on our own.” (I.1.19)
Vladek’s experiences in the camp make the old proverb that “God helps those who help themselves” seem rather trite.
Quote 42
“If the SS would see she is taking food into the camp, right away they will kill her. But always she took.” (II. 1.33)
There are numerous examples of individual acts of heroism in the text. This quote describes Mancie, a <em>Kapo</em> in Birkenau who helps Vladek and Anja keep in touch.