If I Should Die Before I Wake
If I Should Die Before I WakeIn the book if i should die before I wake, the author, Han Nolan, portrays
Chana to be a very strong person emotionally. Chana's strength is shown
throughout the book from losing her family one by one, to the consequences
dealing with escaping Lodz. Chana lost her father first; he was shot by
Nazis.(16-18) Next Chana's little sister Nadzia left the family to live with
non-Jews.(43-44) In the ghetto Zade died of old age and malnutrition.(89,90) Anna and her mother were next; they were taken to concentration camps.(137-140) Jakub was the last person she and Bubbe saw before they tried to escape from Lodz to Germany.(154-156) Chana and Bubbe escaped Lodz only to be jailed, tortured and sent to concentration camps. Only a strong willed person could mentally and emotionally endure such tragedy and horror as Chana did.
Chana's character was also very caring and compassionate towards
others. Although she was miserable in the concentration camps, she was
respectful towards the other inmates.(220-221, Another example of this was
when she was living in the ghetto with the Krengiels'. It took all her
strength to be nice to them, and inspite of her kindness, they were hostile to
Chana and her family.(80-83)
A noticeable trait shown in Chana as her character developed
throughout the book was her religious and spiritual self. In the beginning it
was only her grandmother, Bubbe who had total faith in God, and who tried
to encourage Chana to have faith also. Chana did not believe Bubbe, she
thought that God was not on her side and that he was nowhere.(34,196) She
resented God until she looked into the eyes of her shvester and then "felt
ashamed of her anger with God".(236) Towards the end of the book she prays to make Matel well.(253) Next she puts on a Jewish ritual ceremony to "thank God officially", by the request of Matel.(254)...
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