Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Survival and Morality
Faith, Love, and Optimism
Unity, Sacrifice, and Empathy
Knowledge, Uncertainty, and Power
Summary
Analysis
Lale is taken to a concentration camp in Mauthausen, Austria. A fellow prisoner tells Lale that he’s been there before, noting that although it isn’t as bad as Auschwitz-Birkenau, it’s still quite dangerous. When the SS officers search the prisoners the following morning, Lale takes three big diamonds from a collection of jewels he snuck out of Birkenau and he puts them beneath his tongue, throwing the rest of them in the snow behind his new block. Back in line, he sticks his tongue out before the inspecting officer even asks him to, and the man walks away without further scrutiny. In the coming weeks, the prisoners have nothing to do, so Lale closely watches the guards and he identifies which of them are approachable. In this way, Lale befriends one of them, impressing him with his flawless German.
Until this moment, Morris hasn’t revealed that Lale took a collection of jewels with him when he left Auschwitz-Birkenau. Nonetheless, he appears to have brought several diamonds along, apparently hoping to use them as a bargaining tool to increase his chances of survival. In keeping with this spirit, Lale also seizes the opportunity to talk to an SS officer in the same way that he used to talk to Baretski, knowing that connecting with a Nazi guard can come with great benefits. To that end, Lale’s knowledge and command of German impresses this officer, proving once more that knowledge is perhaps the most powerful tool at his disposal.
Themes
The officer Lale befriends has never been to Auschwitz-Birkenau but he’s curious to hear about the camps, so Lale endears himself to the officer by talking about his experience there, though he only talks about the work he did. He also says that he likes to work instead of sitting around doing nothing, so the guard asks if he’d like to be transferred to a “subcamp” in Vienna, adding that the camp has better “conditions” than this one and that the officer in charge is too old to care about what happens. Thinking it over, Lale accepts the offer, though the guard warns him to keep his tattoo hidden because the subcamp doesn’t allow Jewish prisoners. Thanking him, Lale gives him a diamond and he says, “Now you can’t say you never got anything from a Jew.”
Again, Lale’s ability to connect with others pays off, this time making it possible for him to transfer to a safer camp. Indeed, the officer he befriends even gives him advice, saying that he will have to hide his identification number because Jewish prisoners aren’t allowed at the camp in Vienna. This draws attention to just how thoroughly Lale has won over this man, since the guard is not only doing Lale a favor but also breaking the rules by arranging for his transfer to a camp where he’s not even technically allowed to be. This, in turn, speaks to Lale’s admirable ability to endear himself to his enemies.
Themes
At the new camp in Vienna, Lale keeps to himself, but people eventually find out that he was the tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Before long, two SS officers summon him and they bring him to the camp’s commandant, who asks if he’s Jewish. Lale claims that he’s Catholic, but the commandant doesn’t believe him. Still, Lale doesn’t lose his nerve, even saying that he’ll prove he’s not Jewish. Just as he’s about to remove his pants to show the officers his penis, the commandant stops Lale and he lets him go. Outside, Lale feels dizzy with adrenaline and he suddenly realizes that the Nazis have stolen three years of his life. “You will not have one more day,” he thinks, enraged. With this in mind, Lale finds a weak spot in the fence, lifts it up, and slips away without even checking to see if anyone’s watching.
Like Gita, Lale has reached the point at which he’s willing to take considerable risks in order to survive. This becomes evident when he throws caution to the wind and he offers to show the elderly commandant his penis, hoping to trick the old man into believing that he is uncircumcised. Because he’s Jewish, though, he likely is circumcised, but he’s banking on the fact that his confidence in this moment will convince the commandant otherwise. It is perhaps because this risky move works that Lale feels emboldened enough to simply slip out of the camp’s fence without even thinking twice, a sign that he’s determined to leave this chapter of his life behind and that he’ll do anything to make this happen, even if it puts him in danger.
Themes
Lale hurries into the nearby forest. After walking for a while, he hears gunfire and assumes it must be coming from Russians or Americans. While crossing a stream, he realizes that the gun shots are going above his head, so he lets himself drift for a while until he’s out of harm’s way, at which point he pushes himself onto the banks and he falls asleep.
Now that Lale has escaped from the concentration camps, he has to focus on more rudimentary forms of survival. To that end, he’s forced to brave the elements while also navigating the fact that there is a war raging all around him. If he can withstand the harrowing conditions of Auschwitz-Birkenau, though, it seems likely that he’ll be able to survive the outside world—if, that is, he doesn’t get caught.
Themes
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