Group discussions might begin with the question of the narrator's decision to allow the car to run him over. Why can't he cope with what he endured and witnessed? The answers to these questions should provoke much valuable discussion. The importance of Gyula's entry late in the novel and his esoteric ramblings should help provide insight into the narrator's decision to end his life and his attempt to hinder Dr. Russel's treatment of him immediately after the accident.

The issues of death and nihilism as symbolized by the narrator lead to an examination of his personality. Do readers like the narrator; do they consider him too nihilistic; do they view him as a traumatized individual?

Group discussions should include some historical information regarding the Holocaust because people who are unfamiliar with it may have difficulty understanding the conflicts, fear, and shame that Eliezer experiences.

1. What role...