This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen | Style

This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen Style

Point-of-View

Although the story is written from the first-person point-of-view, the unnamed narrator maintains a tone of extreme detachment from the horrific events that surround him and in which he participates. He reports the goings-on in a casual, unin-volved manner, so that his observations—both those made to himself and to others—resemble nothing as much as those of an impartial journalist. For example, although Henri complains about a Jewish man's wailing prayers, the narrator points out in a practical, unconcerned manner that the unpleasant noise will only lead the Nazis to gas the rabbi that much sooner. Despite the narrator's distant attitude, he is touched by the horror of the ramp. His nausea and his eventual refusal to take part in further unloading show that his distance stems not from a lack of feeling; instead, it emerges as a coping mechanism.

Still, the narrator's understatement of the events of Auschwitz is disconcerting and continually keeps the reader off-balance. The second line of the story is a good example of the power of Borowski's technique: "The delousing is finally over, and our striped suits are back from the tanks of Cyclone B solution, an efficient killer of lice in clothing and of men in gas chambers."

"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen" is rich...
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