There are many examples of irony in this story. Madame Schachter is considered crazy and annoying by the passengers on the train. She screams about the fire and about everyone being burned up, and her fellow passengers want nothing more than to silence her, thinking that she is hysterical. However, in her fear, she is the most honest and accurate about what is going to happen, as everyone realizes when they approach the camp.
Ironically, also, Eliezer talks much about having "lost" his faith and his God.
"Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my Soul"
However, despite claiming that his God has been murdered, Eliezer constantly refers to God as a witness and an essential part of his life. The quote - "I no longer accepted God's silence" - shows that he is still accepting of the existence of God, despite his previous assertions.
The irony of Eliezer's last days is very poignant. He is desperate to get out of the hospital and to join his fellow prisoners as they march from the camp; however, he learns later that he would have been quickly freed had he remained.
Allusions - or references - are another device, and there are many to the Bible. Eliezer and his father's relationship - the way they look out for each other - is an allusion to the relationship of Abraham and Isaac in the Bible. The hanging scene, in which there is one innocent child and two thieves, is a reference to the crucifixation of Jesus.
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