Journal Entry #4

Journal Entry #4
Chapter 4 : Ka-Be

Levi experiences strenuous work day after day, but he finally gets a chance to rest at the Ka-Be because of his illness. Ka-Be, which is the German word for infirmary, is known as a place of rest and rejevunation these days, but was the Ka-Be in the concentration camps a place for rest also?
"Ka-Be is the Lager without its physical discomforts. So that, whoever still has some seeds of conscience, feels his conscience re-awaken; and in the long empty days, one speaks of other things than hunger and work and one begins to consider what they have made us become, how much they have taken away from us, what this life is." (55)
This quote shows that though people were exempted from work when they were in the Ka-Be, it was still as horrific as they were out in the field working. The people in the Ka-Be can't feel the physical pain, but the emotional and psychological pain is greater than ever in the Ka-Be. The memories that were once hidden rise from the inner side, and they start questioning themselves why they were there, and why it was them that had to suffer. The only answer to these questions, however, result in one same answer which is death. The reason why the Ka-Be is as painful as labor, is because hope and memories that they aren't supposed to have keep circling their minds. People in the camps were becoming beasts, throwing their dignity and morals away in order to survive. The Ka-Be, however, was a place where the beasts were able to drag their most precious but painful memory also.
In some ways, the Jews might be looked upon as weak, since they were suffering from only "memories." However, imagine us being in that spot. If I were one of the prisoners working or in the Ka-Be, I would probably die from the physical pain, or go crazy from the psychological pain. In my opinion, the survivors of the camp were strong. Strong enough to survive through such pain, and inform the world about the genocide of their own people.