Noah Perkins

“…the situation is getting very serious. This news spread like wildfire through Sighet. Soon it was was on everyone’s lips. But not for long. Optimism soon revived.” Even in serious situations people where always trying to stay positive and look on the bright side of things that was optimism was reviving.

“Three days after he moved in he brought Madme Kahn a box of chocolates. The optimists rejoiced.” Optimists try very hard to find any little thing they could use to prove there was a brighter side to things.

“There was joy-yes joy. Perhaps they thought that god could have devised no torment in hell worse…” Even in conditions where it was torturous people still seek a chance of happiness and joy.

“But I told him that I did not believe that they could burn people in our age, that humanity would never tolerate it. …” Only through optimism could they hope that the Nazi’s had some humanity not to burn people alive.

“I thanked God, in an improvised prayer, for having created mud in His infinite and wonderful universe.” Still thanking god even though he was standing in mud and other people being beaten for their shoes.

“Buna’s a very good camp. You can stand it. The important thing is not to get transferred to the building unit....” There where always better places than some that they went to. Even though it only gave you a little better to live.

“I was no longer capable of lamentation. On the contrary, I felt very strong.” When they felt this couldn’t go on any more, they still believed they were strong.

“I ran off to look for my father. And at the same time I was afraid of having to wish him a happy new year when I no longer believed in it.” People started to lose their feeling or ability to be optimistic because the Holocaust was wearing them down

“I had known that he was at the end, on the brink of death, and yet I had abandoned him. I went to look for him.” Even when his father was near death, he remained optimistic and believed that still could have a chance at life with his help.

“I could not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep.... I might have perhaps have found something like—free at last!” The death of his father made him sad. However his optimism still being up he found relief in that his fathers death there was nothing holding him back.