"Experiences in a Concentration Camp" (through page 45) Summary and Analysis

Frankl begins with an autobiographical style to describe his first-hand experiences as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. In the beginning of this section, Frankl moves from a general description of the concentration camp circumstances to a more specific discussion of his individual experiences and feelings when first arriving as a prisoner at Auschwitz. Actual examples are provided to more fully illustrate the horrors of the concentration camp. We also see how the actions of being dehumanized affected the prisoners' state of mind. These examples illustrate the shock associated with being taken to this new environment, one that had a reputation for constant pain and death. As Frankl describes the journey to this concentration camp, he states that shock is the first of three phases of...