The basics of this tale are centered on a concentration camp in what I believe to be the early 1940's. While it could be concentrated on other aspects of everyday life in the camp, it mainly centers on the executions by hanging. The story also went as far as to point out two momentous executions. One of these executions is what I would like to base my analysis on. I would like to be able to show how the child's execution symbolized many religious and human rights innuendos. .
Now throughout the whole story many human rights symbols appear. The first one that I would like to point out is the mentioning of coming back from work. It struck me personally as slavery considering they were in a concentration camp and did not want to be there in the first place. The many people that were there were forced to work every day and were not paid anything at all for being there, therefore enslaving them against their wishes. .
Also a few times throughout the piece it mentions objects that they call "the black gallows." When I first read that it seemed something to be fearful of. The gallows were what the SS soldiers used to execute or hang their so called prisoners, or as I see them, slaves. Referring to them as "black," holds a significant purpose of possibly being used for a dark purpose. And that is exactly what it struck me as, not to mention that is what it was used for. The black gallows were used to put innocent people to death. .
After each execution there was a so called "ceremony," in which there was a march around the bodies where everyone tipped their hats in respect for the departed. Now every time they did this they would put their hats back on "as quick as lightning." Even though being respectful, none of the prisoners wanted to waste their time sitting around dead bodies. Also they were so used to seeing it all of the time that it didn't seem much to them anymore.
An excerpt from this passage points out that the guards feared the prisoners.