Document Summary
Frankl"s personal experiences in auschwitz and other nazi concentration camps were extremely difficult. The horrific events that transpired within the walls of the prison cell were beyond description. In the beginning of the story, every prisoner"s heart missed a beat at the sight of auschwitz. The very name stood for all that was horrible: gas chambers, crematoriums, and massacres. Barbed wire fences, watch towers, searchlights, and prison guards were common. They were confined and deprived of freedom, basic needs, happiness, peace of mind, and their whole being. Everyone is suffocated with the smell of death and despair. Yet, still one can find some ways of discovering meaning in this myriad of sufferings. Even when death appears inevitable, people possess the inner ability to reflect positively on their own accomplishments and achievements in order to put in perspective the current meaning of their suffering.
