The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Chapter 24 Summary & Analysis

Autumn turns to winter. It is now 1945, and Lale tells Gita what he has heard about the possibility of liberation at the hands of the Russians—news she relays to the women in her block. As time passes, fewer and fewer new prisoners come to the camp, leaving Lale with less work. In fact, everyone in the camp has less work, including the Sonderkommando, who feel threatened by this new development—without work, after all, the chances that they will be killed increases. What’s more, workers like Victor and Yuri have stopped coming, and large numbers of prisoners are transported out of the camps each day. In keeping with this, Baretski tells Lale one morning that Leon is “gone,” and when Lale asks what has happened, Baretski gives no extra information, simply telling Lale that he might soon find himself being shipped out of Birkenau, too.  

When Baretski tells Lale about Leon’s disappearance, it’s clear he doesn’t care what happened to the man. Angry, Lale says, “You see your world reflected in a mirror, but I have another mirror.” Baretski looks upset, but Lale continues, saying that when he looks into his own mirror, he sees a world that will topple Baretski’s. In response, Baretski asks if Lale thinks he’ll even live long enough to see this happen. Lale says he’s sure he’ll survive, at which point Baretski reminds Lale that he could kill him whenever he wants, putting his hand on his pistol. “You won’t do that,” Lale replies, to which Baretski suggests that he’s been outside in the cold for too long and he should go warm up. As Baretski walks away, Lale thinks about how he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the merciless Nazi if given the chance.

In January, Gita rushes to Lale and she tells him that the SS officers are acting oddly. Knowing there haven’t been any new prisoners for weeks, Lale goes to the administration building and he discovers utter mayhem as officers rush about destroying documents. As one administrative worker drops a handful of files at his feet, Lale stoops to help her, and she whispers that the Nazis are going to start emptying the camp the following day because the Russian Army is near. Lale then runs to Gita’s block and he tells everyone there what he’s heard. Before leaving, he tells Gita not to leave the block because the guards might be especially merciless. Turning to Dana, he thanks her for being a kind friend to Gita. He also tells Cilka that she’s the bravest person he knows. When he turns to Gita, though, she doesn’t let him say anything, insisting that she’ll see him tomorrow.

In the middle of the night, Lale wakes to the sound of commotion outside. Running into the snow, he sees the Nazis organizing an extremely large group of female prisoners, forcing them into lines and marching them through the camp’s open gate. Searching the crowd, Lale spots Gita and he desperately tries to reach her, but it’s impossible for him to make his way through the chaotic crowd. Seeing him, Gita and Dana try to force their way backwards, but the momentum of the prisoners is too strong to fight, and an officer hits Lale with the butt of his rifle, preventing him from advancing. Lale screams Gita’s name, and just before she’s completely swept away, she says, “Furman. My name is Gita Furman!” Falling on his knees, Lale screams that he loves her but he doesn’t hear her reply.

When the female prisoners are gone, Lale remains in the snow on his knees. Before long, an SS officer walks by Lale and the officer tells him that he’s going to freeze to death if he doesn’t return to his block. Reaching down, he helps Lale to his feet—“an act of kindness from the enemy at the eleventh hour.” The following morning, Lale wakes to the sound of explosions. Outside, he sees frantic SS officers and prisoners running around with the camp’s gates standing open. Some prisoners rush through the gate and walk around, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, a train idles nearby, and guards begin to collect prisoners and usher them onboard. Lale soon finds himself in a group of prisoners who are loaded onto the train, and as it begins to pull away, he watches as the SS start shooting the remaining prisoners.