Madame Schachter is a Jewish mother on the train with Elie with her son. She is in her fifties, and she was separated from her husband and other two sons accidently when the Jews were deported. That experience shattered her and left her emotionally broken. Thus, the state she is in while on the train with Elie is not a good one.
Shortly into the train ride, she starts screaming and moaning about "the fires". This irritates and scares the people packed into the train car with her, and she is viewed as a nuisance. After starting and stopping several times, the people in the train car finally get fed up with her and they bound her to calm her down. However, that wasn't enough, and she soon started screaming again. At this point, the people started beating her and eventually she withdrew and was silent again. However, towards the evening, she started up again and this time, too weakened by the heat and long ride, the people in the train did nothing to stop her. The next day when they arrived at the camp, she started up one final time, and this time the Jews could see the fire that she was talking about. After everyone noticed it, she fell silent and said no more.
At first she screams because she senses the evil that is to befall the Jews, but she later becomes quiet because they ignore her and start beating her. Then again, she warns the Jews with her screams as they pull into the camp, and finally stops when everyone realizes the horrible truth that it is now too late to stop.
In my opinion Madame Schachter was a witness to the terrible doom that awaited many of the Jews of that trip to the camp.
Shortly into the train ride, she starts screaming and moaning about "the fires". This irritates and scares the people packed into the train car with her, and she is viewed as a nuisance. After starting and stopping several times, the people in the train car finally get fed up with her and they bound her to calm her down. However, that wasn't enough, and she soon started screaming again. At this point, the people started beating her and eventually she withdrew and was silent again. However, towards the evening, she started up again and this time, too weakened by the heat and long ride, the people in the train did nothing to stop her. The next day when they arrived at the camp, she started up one final time, and this time the Jews could see the fire that she was talking about. After everyone noticed it, she fell silent and said no more.
At first she screams because she senses the evil that is to befall the Jews, but she later becomes quiet because they ignore her and start beating her. Then again, she warns the Jews with her screams as they pull into the camp, and finally stops when everyone realizes the horrible truth that it is now too late to stop.
In my opinion Madame Schachter was a witness to the terrible doom that awaited many of the Jews of that trip to the camp.