All But My Life: Marla Bassetti

A part in the first section of the book that really stood out to me was when Gerda and her family were forced to move into the basement of their own home. The kindness of the Weissmann's to allow the young girl and her grandmother to live rent free in that two room apartment downstairs, was returned with a rude and evil exchange of homes. Only Because they were Jewish, the family was forced to live in the worst place of their own home. Reading this made me very upset. I could not imagine being forced to live in my dungeon resembled basement. It shocks me to think one command by a German officer, can relocate a family from one's home. This type of incident reminds me a lot of the story "Cinderella" and "The Little Princess." In both of these, the girls live wonderful lives until the father is not around anymore to watch over to make sure things are still perfect. Once this changes though, the girls are subjected to hard work and are given the poorest living conditions of their once owned or well ran home. The fact of how the Germans can turn on the Jewish people astounds me. In a matter of one man's speeches, not only did discrimination exist, but the murders of the innocent based only on their heritage, did as well. The relocation of the Weissmann family in their own home, really stands out to me.