"Helmut," Section 4 (Pages 38-43) Summary

Helmut, weeping with grief, now homeless and alone, continues to try to find his parents, but they do not appear. As he travels to the neighborhood of Gladigau, he is in awe of the unburned buildings. Gladigau and the other residents have left the area. Following another night of nightmares in the darkroom, Helmut finds shelter in an abandoned cellar. Responsibly, he closes the shop after securing it from looters, and then takes to the streets, viewing the destruction. The days pass as those unable to flee are fed from soup kitchens and given warm winter clothing. Helmut sees corpses being pulled from rubble, and dreams consistently of the death of Mutti, Papi, and Gladigau.

Left alone without purpose, Helmut makes a home in the cellar and spends his days watching the trains. After making...