How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
There was a huge wire fence that ran along the length of the house and turned in at the top, extending further along in either direction, further than [Gretel] could possibly see. (4.162)
Through Gretel's eyes, we see how the two sides of Auschwitz are literally separated—on one side is Bruno and his family, and on the other side is the camp and its prisoners, all of whom have no freedom whatsoever.
Quote #2
"[…] when we were told we couldn't live in our house we had to move to a different part of Cracow, where the soldiers built a big wall and my mother and father and my brother and I all had to live in one room." (12.704)
Shmuel recounts what happened to him and his family before coming to live in Auschwitz. Because they were "told" they couldn't live somewhere, we know that they're not free, and when they live in one room, it's just the beginning of their entrapment.
Quote #3
"There were too many of us in the carriages for one thing. And there was no air to breathe. And it smelled awful." (12.713)
Shmuel and his family, like many Jews, were forced to ride in train cars, packed to capacity for days. There's a lack of space, a feeling of claustrophobia, and a general disregard for the hygiene. The Nazis were terrible every step of the way.