"praise lady, with long legs, long black hair

“ Praisebe your name, before the name of God” (Lustig, 1990: 142)Thisbook is based on two real stories which Arnošt combined into the one. In theyear 1943 German’s captured group of Jews with American passport on the islandof Sicily.

Under the pretext of trading them for German´s soldiers, Jews had tosacrifice their money for freedom. When they transferred all their savings, they were killed in gas chambers. (Memorial, 2017)Thestory of Kate? ina Horovitzová is probably based on the event of October 23, 1943. Transport of captured polish Jews who owned American passport whichallowed them to emigrate to South America came to Auschwitz. Franciszka Mann ayoung Polish Jewish dancer was part of this transport.

In an undressing roomnext to the gas chamber, she attacked a German officer Josef Schillinger, stolehis gun and shot him deadly. Then she shot another officer – Wilhelm Emmerich. The end of the story varies. One story said that other women attacked the restof the officers. Women were subsequently killed by machine guns. Other storysaid that after Franciszka shot the officers all women were pushed into the gaschamber and gassed.

If Franciszka Mann was truly the attacker is not certain. (Memorial, 2017)Kate? ina Horovitzová:” Youmy little one, you my gentle one, you my brave one” (Lustig, 1990: 142)Kate? inaHorovitzová is the main and only woman protagonist, her name is in the title, and she has not too much space in the book. Why? She is more than just acharacter, she is a symbol of bravery and female power. She is a beautifulnineteen years old naïve young lady, with long legs, long black hair andluminous green eyes. The things she experienced in these days made her becomean brave woman. Before the war, she was a cheerful girl with great plans, sheenjoyed life and wanted to live fully, she wanted to become a dancer. Unfortunately, war came and because of her Jewish origin whole her family andshe herself were transported to Auschwitz. Whenshe gets out of wagon in Auschwitz-Birkenau, she hears people talking about gaschambers and death, she resists loudly her father: “ I don’t want to die…” (Lustig, 1990: 9) She just hears it and she believes it can happen to her.

She cansee the road which is going unknown where. Historic and survivor of AuschwitzToman Brod said that arrival to Auschwitz was one big shock, they could see thebarracks and the gas chambers. They heard some rumors about gas chamber but didnot believe them because they already had them in ghetto and they did what theywere told, so it did not make any sense.

They though it was the end when hearrived. (Gális, 2017) Considerablenumber of people in Germany, in occupied countries, in the allied and neutralcountries heard stories about mass killings. But the information wasineffective because it seemed too improbable.

(Strom, Williams, 1978: 544) Kate? ina expresses her feelings and itshows that she is not part of the crowd. Scared and panic people do what thecrowd does. One person does what the rest of the people does so individualfeelings are restrained, and individual persons are replaced by a crowd withouta leader. (Sofia, 2014) Her courageand the will to live impress Herman Cohen. WhenCohen asks for her, she sees hope to survive, even though she must leave herfamily. Kate? ina goes with him and hopes that he can even safe her family. Doesshe even think it can be already late? At first, she does not, she denies herpessimistic feelings and she still believes in their survival even though manypeople suggest her the opposite – the tailor, rabbi Dajem and even Brenske. Shesuppresses bad feelings and she focuses on saving her family.

The reverse comesduring her wedding, when rabbi Dajem sings at hers and Herman´s wedding. But itis not a wedding song, it is a funeral pray. She asks for her family butBrenske replies that they are in shower and they can’t participate her “ luckyday”. When Dajem leaves he tells Kate? ina that she will wait for her in a roomfor drying hair where her family and everybody else are waiting for him. (Lustig, 1990: 101) She understands him. Herfamily and many others are dead, and she will be soon as well.

And she acceptsthe fact of a dead of her family quietly without telling anybody else becauseshe saw what happened to Rappaport-Lieben. Kate? ina does not want to die andshe still hopes they can be exchange. Whenthey are in undressing room she knows it is over. She has the knowledge of truth; little girl becomes a woman. She sees the right face of Brenske and she wantsto revenge her family, and Herman Cohen who were nice to her. In the undressingroom she is humiliated and is forced to get naked in front of many men.

Sheexploits the situation when one soldier is not careful, she hits him with herunderwear, takes his gun and every time she shoots she says one name of familymember, last name is her younger sister – Lea. For most of us, actingvengefully never gets past the fantasy stage; our rational minds kick in, alongwith our moral compasses, and perhaps our fear of continued reprisal. (Streep, 2017) But when we have nothingto lose, we don’t have any fear and other thoughts.

We know from the novel, that everyone from our group of Jews lost somebody in concentration camp, butthey still do not have the courage to face the Germans and revenge them.