On the Bottom
- After passing under a gate with a sign marked Arbeit Macht Frei ("work gives freedom"), the prisoners are put into a large room and are made to wait for a ridiculously long time.
- They're extremely thirsty. And while there is a water tap in the room, there is a sign on it forbidding anyone from drinking out of it.
- Primo does so anyway, but the water tastes like it comes from a swamp.
- All the prisoners have to strip naked, and their belongings are swept into a big pile. Men in striped uniforms enter, and shave off the prisoners' hair.
- Waiting, waiting, waiting. And more waiting. Many hours pass as the prisoners wait, naked, in a shower room with two inches of cold water covering the floor.
- Finally, an Italian prisoner enters, and tells the prisoners that they're in a work camp in Auschwitz. There's a big factory that produces a certain type of rubber called Buna. So, that's also the name of the camp.
- This prisoner isn't Jewish, but a self-admitted "criminal."
- He also tells them some pretty crazy things: like how there are football (soccer) games and concerts on Sundays, and other entertainment and opportunities to get prize-coupons to exchange for luxuries like coffee and tobacco.
- Primo doesn't believe a word of what this guy says.
- Suddenly, the showers turn on, and after the prisoners are all drenched, they are ushered out of the shower-room into the cold and given ragged clothing and worn-out shoes.
- Primo learns he is a prisoner (häftling), and is tattooed with his prisoner number on his arm. The prisoners must show this number to get food and drink.
- Again, the prisoners find themselves waiting for a long time, this time in a bunkhouse, with neatly-made bunks. They're told not to touch the bunks or lie down.
- Everyone's still thirsty, and Primo tries to take down an icicle he sees hanging over the window, but is stopped by a German guard.
- When night falls, the prisoners are taken to a central square, where a band is playing. Tons of other prisoners march in (walking in a stiff and unnatural manner), and line up. Strangely, these prisoners are marching to the beat of the band.
- Everyone is counted, and this takes a long time.
- Finally, they are all dismissed.
- Primo meets a young boy who warns him against drinking the water. He tells him that he'll swell up if he drinks it. His name is Schlome, and by hugging Primo, he shows him the first kindness since he's been in the camp.
- There are a dizzying number of rules that everyone must follow in the camp. Most of these are senseless and brutal, like knowing to not take a shower on the scheduled day, but to instead take a shower on a day not scheduled.
- There's also a back-breaking work schedule for the prisoners. Basically, during all daylight hours, the prisoners are forced into hard labor building the rubber factory.
- In short order, Primo starts to starve, get sores on his feet, and suffer from the wet and cold.