1. Stay Together or Separate: As they were herded into cattle cars during their deportation to Auschwitz, Elie and his father had to decide whether to stay together or split up. They chose to stay together, believing that their bond and mutual support would increase their chances of survival.
2. Work or Risk Starvation: In the camps, prisoners were forced to engage in grueling manual labor under deplorable conditions. Failure to work often meant reduced rations or even death. Elie and his father had to choose between enduring the arduous labor to obtain sustenance or face severe malnutrition and the threat of perishing. They chose to keep working, driven by the instinct to survive.
3. Share Meager Rations or Keep for Themselves: The food rations provided in the camps were barely enough to sustain life. Faced with hunger and constant deprivation, Elie and his father had to decide whether to share their meager rations with fellow prisoners or keep them for themselves to ensure their own survival.
4. Sacrifice Personal Belongings for Comfort or Survival: As their belongings were gradually confiscated or plundered, Elie and his father had to choose which items to retain for comfort or potential trade-offs with fellow prisoners to acquire crucial necessities like extra bread or medicine.
5. Resist or Succumb to Desperation: Throughout their confinement, Elie and his father grappled with moments of profound despair and hopelessness. They had to decide whether to resist succumbing to despair and maintain their will to live or let desperation overwhelm them and give up.