The Boy On The Wooden Box
By Leon Leyson
Memoirs focus on a brief period of time
My memoir focuses on a brief period of mainly when Leon Leyson is in the holocaust over six years of his life.From the time he was taken in as a prisoner by the Nazis to the time he was set free by Oskar Schindler.
Uses a story format-must have conflict
Leon's conflict is when the Nazis overtake the city he lives in and makes his life a nightmare throughout his life in the city.The climax of Leon's story is when he and the other Jews are set free from the Nazis slavery and are taken to a camp for Jews who have no home because of the war.The resolution of Leon's story is when he travels to America at age 19 with his parents.
Reveals writer's thoughts/feelings and lessons learned
One of Leon's feeling that was revealed was how he felt when he and others were set free."After so many years of constant fear , I struggled to believe what he was saying could actually be true."You are free"he told us.Free! We were speechless. What was there to say?What words could possibly express the tumult of emotion we were feeling?" Page 163.
One lesson the author learned is "he who saves lives saves the world entire." page 164.
The quote shows how important one life is because one life matters.
Writer uses detail description and figurative langauge that bring the story to life
One example that brings this book to life is."It was barren,dismal,chaotic,rocks,dirt,barbed wire,ferocious dogs,menacing guards,and acre after acre of drab barracks stretched as far as the eye could see." Page 114
Important Quote
"Oskar Schindler used his mind, his heart,his incredible street smarts, and his fortune to save our lives.He outwitted the Nazis by claiming we were essential to the war effort even though he knew that many of us myself included,had no useful skills at all.In fact,only by standing on a wooden box could I reach the controls of the machine I was assigned to operate.That box gave me a chance to look useful,to stay alive."
This quote from the book shows how useless they were actually in making ammo,but shows how Oskar Schindler and that wooden box made Leon look useful to the war effort helping him stay alive during the war.