The Last Night (from Charlotte Gray)

Comp atomic number 18 and contrast the ways in which adults and children are presented in the extract. The adults and children are presented differently in the extract through their actions, reactions and feelings. This extract deals with the helplessness of being sent to a density camp, conveying the effects of the departure on them, the adults powerlessness to the event, and the childrens resistance. In the extract, the adults are presented as being aware of what was deprivation on, and of their current situation. They know where theyre deviation, and what its want in concentration camps.They are completely aware of their fate, yet they did not resist it, or exertion to prevent it from happening. Although they did not do anything significant to try and change their horrific fate in the concentration camps, in their minds, they were trying to stop it from occurring, by refusing to drink coffee. That is significant because the coffee means a fortune more than just coffee for drinking. It meant breakfast, and accordingly the departure. By refusing to drink coffee, it meant they didnt have breakfast yet, and therefore their departure is belated.The adults are also portrayed as being restless and powerless, it could be because theyre scared, or maybe because they know they cant do anything, and have accepted their fate. This makes me as a referee feel sympathy for the adults as they have no quality and are unable to control their keep and fate. The writer used strong adjectives to describe the state the adults in, it helps the reader sympathise with the adults and understand their feelings, provoking a sense of grief. The writer used adjectives such as sobbing passion to describe the state in which some of the adults wrote their letters back home in.It makes the reader visualise that, and almost hear it. This conveys sorrow, as they are sobbing passionately, meaning its deep and from the bottom of their hearts. As a reader, I find that actually touc hing, and it makes me feel some of their sorrow, like it was my own. The writer also described the adults actions and feelings in such a way it will leave an impact on the reader, and making it unforgettable. The way in which they were remembered, depended upon their choice of words. I find that quite ironic, as the writers words and how he described this is memorable.This provokes a sense of sympathy from the reader, as this portrays restlessness, and that the adults have given in and accepted their fate, without fighting back. It also provokes a sense of sadness, as the adults do not want to be forgotten by their families, just as the writer does not want them to be forgotten by us. It sounds final. On the other hand, the children are carnal and do not fully understand the situation. They are only aware of the fact that they are going to a concentration camp, but do not understand the horrors of that. That makes the reader feel pity for the children. strange the adults, they are resistant to this, and try to stop it. In the filthy straw they dug their heels and screamed. The reactions of the children portray the chasteness of their minds, and how to them this is a normal journey not a fateful one. This is also shows by their ability to render asleep where they lay, to dream of other places. That is also quite ironic, as the place they are going to, is a nightmare rather than a dream. The children are also left with nothing, but each other, Jacobs limbs were intertwined with his for warmth. This conveys how wee they have, and how they count on each other, despite their young age. They dont even have high temperature to keep warm, so they rely on each other for that. This makes me feel pity for these children as a reader. The children are also thankful for what little they have, One of the older boys embraced her in his gratitude, but the bucket was shortly empty. This conveys misfortune, and makes the reader feel pity for them. Some of the children were too small to manage the step up and had to be helped on by gendarmes, this shows how young they are they are unable to get on the platform of the bus.This portrays the unjust and cruelty of the situation, little children who are unable to get on the platform of the bus are being sent to concentration camps, to face the most horrific times of their lives at such an age. They will be forever psychologically scarred. The adults and children are presented in completely different ways, yet we sympathise for both. As they are both about to face the same thing, except the children dont know what theyre going to face. As a reader I sympathise for the children more, as they are innocent and young, and do not deserve to go through such a thing at a young age.