Chance in All but My Life

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Chance in All But My Life Chance plays a major role in Gerda Weissmann Klein's All But My Life. It is because of chance that Gerda Weissmann Klein survived the Holocaust. Gerda would have certainly be worse off if it was not for chance. Gerda survived the 3,000 mile death march because of chance. Before Gerda and her father were separated, he told Gerda to put on here ski boots and not take them off. Gerda said, "But Papa, skiing shoes in June?" (pg.86) Without those boots Gerda's feet would have turned out just as the girls who were wearing sandals or slippers. The chance that Gerda's father told her to wear the boots helped save Gerda's life. When Gerda and her mother were being separated Gerda jumped off the truck, and with chance the man Merlin put her back on. While Merlin was putting Gerda on the truck he said, "You are too young to die." (pg.91) With that chance Gerda was sent to what was said to be one of the nicest work camps. In the end of Book II when the German bomb did not detonate, Gerda and her friends were saved. Chance also helped Gerda survive in many other ways. Chance helped Gerda stay strong and alive during the death march. When the German's bomb did not go off some Czechs went and told the girls what had happened. They also told the girls that the S.S. Guards were going to go back to kill the survivors. It was by chance that the Czechs were nice enough, and told Gerda to run. After Gerda decided not to stay with Abek's family an S.S. Guard told Gerda that the Commander wanted her to stay in Sosnowitz. (pg.111) It was because of him Gerda had the chance to stay safe even tough she did not. Gerda survived pneumonia and typhus. "The doctors told me that I had come through both pneumonia and typhus, and I was out of danger…" (pg.228) Many people died from hypothermia during the Holocaust, and Gerda survived two life
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