The Tattooist of Auschwitz Themes

Heather Morris’s novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an examination of the lengths to which people are willing to go in order to survive harrowing experiences. Based on the true story of Lale’s time at the Nazi concentration camp known as Auschwitz-II Birkenau, the novel follows the young man’s attempt to stay alive throughout the Holocaust. One of the reasons Lale is ultimately able to escape death is because he becomes the camp’s Tätowierer…

The Tattooist of Auschwitz showcases the ways in which hope fuels resilience. This is made evident by the fact that many of Lale’s fellow prisoners turn to their religious faith in order to withstand the terrible treatment they endure at the hands of the Nazis. This belief in something greater than themselves helps them make it from one day to the next, but Lale finds himself unable to maintain his own Jewish beliefs in…

In The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris presents knowledge as a form of power, especially for people at the mercy of oppressive regimes. To illustrate the importance of knowledge, she shows the horror that accompanies the uncertainty surrounding what will happen to Lale and his fellow prisoners in Auschwitz. For Lale, some of this uncertainty is alleviated by the fact that he speaks multiple languages, enabling him to gather information from guards who assume…