Livi's Knife

The knife that Livi finds while clearing rubble at Auschwitz, and pockets, symbolizes autonomy. She keeps the small blade as an act of defiance and sovereignty in a death camp that seeks to obliterate her agency. She uses the knife to cut food so that she can share it with Cibi and Cibi uses it to slice the onion that helps Livi recuperate from typhus. Livi’s knife allows the sisters to physically survive and gives them the emotional feeling of freedom within the concentration camp.

The Candlesticks

The heirloom candlesticks that Magda hides in the ceiling of the Meller’s home symbolize memory. While the Nazi extermination of the Jewish community sought to physically and emotionally eradicate Jewish culture, the memories of past generations give the sisters hope for a new life. They know that, despite persecution, the legacy of their family lives on...