105 pages • 3 hours read
Heather MorrisThe Tattooist of Auschwitz
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Examine the myriad ways that Lale and other victims of Birkenau must bend their morals in order to survive their ordeal in the death camps. What does this say about their strength of character?
What extra dangers are posed to female prisoners in Auschwitz and Birkenau? Analyze the problems faced by Gita, Dana, and Cilka. How are they different than what Lale faces?
Analyze the relationship between Lale and Baretski. Does Baretski actually care about Lale? Why does the SS officer frequently help him?
Examine the role that outsiders to the concentration camps play in the novel. What does this say about the countries they find themselves in? Consider characters such as Victor and Yuri, the Russian soldiers, and the village women Lale solicits.
What role does the black market play for Lale and the other characters? Considering the nature of the goods exchanged, who is the biggest beneficiary of this trade? Are the outsiders taking advantage of the position the prisoners of Auschwitz are in?
Cilka suffers horrible sexual and emotional abuse during her time in Auschwitz. Lale refers to Cilka as a hero; she has made the heroic decision to continue living no matter what. Do you agree with Lale’s assessment of Cilka? Is she a hero, or is she merely another victim of Nazi cruelty?
Lale uses his relatively protected position as the tattooist of Auschwitz to try to help as many people as he can. How successful is he? Do his actions cause any harm?
When he hears Aron sacrificed himself to save Lale, Lale reflects that Aron believed in the principle “‘To save one is to save the world’” (32). Analyze this theme. Where does it come up in the text? How is it expressed though the actions of various characters in The Tattooist of Auschwitz?
Lale’s path intersects with Josef Mengele and other real historical figures in Auschwitz. Examine how Lale responds to these Nazi authority figures. What does this say about Lale’s character?
Lale’s inner monologue often differs from his outward behavior in the novel. Examine instances where this happens. What insights does this provide in examining Lale’s character?
