Knowledge, Uncertainty, and Power Theme Analysis

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 he can’t understand German. Later, his job as the camp’s tattooist gives him a modicum of certainty that he’ll survive each day, at least insofar as the position generally keeps the Nazis from randomly harming him. Nonetheless, Lale’s entire life remains infused with uncertainty, since he doesn’t know what happened to his family after he was taken by the Nazis and, in a more immediate sense, he doesn’t know what his future in Auschwitz holds. Still, though, Lale finds ways to use knowledge to his benefit, especially when he’s moved to a concentration camp in Mauthausen, Austria in the final days of the Nazi regime, at which point Lale uses his fluency in German to win the favor of an SS guard, who allows Lale to transfer to a less dangerous camp in Vienna even though the camp doesn’t normally accept Jewish prisoners. It is from this camp that Lale finally escapes, simply walking out of a hole in the fence. Bearing this chain of events in mind, readers see that knowledge is a powerful asset, one that not only helps people withstand the emotional torture of uncertainty, but also overcome oppression.

From the very beginning of Lale’s experience during the Holocaust, he is faced with an ominous kind of uncertainty. This is made evident early in the novel, when he wonders what has become of his family now that he’s been taken to Auschwitz—a question that will continue to haunt him throughout his time in the camp. The effect of uncertainty on Lale’s predicament is actually apparent even before he reaches Auschwitz, since the ambiguity surrounding the exact nature of the Germans’ agenda is what leads him to leave home in the first place. Indeed, he willingly presents himself to the Nazis when the Germans announce that all Jewish families must present a child over 18 to work for the government. Not knowing that he’s destined for Auschwitz, Lale follows these orders, thereby underlining the tangible impact of uncertainty and ambiguity on his life—the lack of knowledge surrounding what will happen to him directly informs his willingness to submit to the Nazis, though it’s worth noting that he also presents himself to the enemy as a way of trying to ensure that the rest of his family remains safe, something he would most likely do regardless of whether or not he knew what was in store for him. As a result, readers see that the uninformed decision that Lale makes by offering himself to the Nazis is later compounded by the fact that he doesn’t even know if his sacrifice had the intended effect, since he has no idea what has become of his family. This, it seems, is one of the ways that the Nazis are able to take control: by withholding information and spreading uncertainty, they are able to oppress Europe’s entire Jewish population.      

Although Lale lacks vital information about what will become of him, he attempts to make up for the uncertainty pervading his life by putting what knowledge he does have to use. To that end, his eventual job as Auschwitz’s tattooist gives him access to information he wouldn’t otherwise have, and it also lends him a rare sense of stability, since most guards won’t randomly kill the camp’s tattooist because the job is considered part of the SS. Emboldened by this small sense of protection, Lale uses his insider’s knowledge to benefit other prisoners. For instance, Lale overhears one day in an administrative building that there will be a transport leaving for another camp at midnight, and he uses this knowledge to save a prisoner who is supposed to be executed the following day, pulling strings to get the man on the list of people leaving that night. In this regard, it becomes clear that knowledge can—in the right circumstances—be a very powerful tool, one that can mean the difference between life and death.

The insider’s information Lale gains as the tattooist isn’t the only way he uses knowledge to his benefit. He also puts his language skills to use, finding himself in a unique position as one of the only prisoners who can converse with seemingly everyone present—a rare asset, since so many prisoners hail from different countries. During Lale’s first day of labor, he talks to two Russian men, learning the best ways to go about his job. While listening to them, he senses he’s gaining valuable “ammunition” by absorbing the ins and outs of daily life in Auschwitz. Similarly, he uses his language skills when he’s transferred to another concentration camp in the final weeks of the war. After observing the dynamics at this camp, he learns which SS officers are approachable and he develops a rapport with one of them, impressing the officer with his flawless German. This particular officer is intrigued to hear about Auschwitz, having never been to the camp himself. This puts Lale in a relative position of power, allowing him to share information with the officer and endear himself to the man, who offers to have Lale transferred to a safer camp in Vienna. That this final camp leads to Lale’s freedom is important to note, as it highlights the crucial role that his mastery and knowledge of foreign languages plays in his ability to survive the Holocaust. Simply put, Lale’s capacity to manipulate his base of knowledge to his benefit emerges as a form of power, proving that a clever command of information can often become an unmatchable weapon for people who are otherwise at a complete disadvantage.