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105 pages 3 hours read

Heather Morris

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2018

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Activity

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Real Tattooist of Auschwitz: Exploring the Biography of Lali (‘Lale’) Sokolov”

In this activity, students will explore the real-life stories of Lali Sokolov and Gita Furman, the two individuals at the center of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, while also grappling with a larger question: When it comes to historical fiction, how “true” does it need to be?

In a 2018 New York Times article, “‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ and the History in Historical Fiction,” journalist Christine Kenneally writes about some of the discrepancies between the historical details of Lali Sokolov’s life and how they were presented in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. For example, Gita’s prisoner number in the novel was 34902, but the real Gita said in an interview that her number was 4562.

In this activity, you will explore for yourself the biographies of Lali Sokolov and Gita Furman. Each small group of 4-5 students will:

  • Conduct internet research to find any details they can about Lali Sokolov’s and Gita Furman’s personal histories and their experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
  • Write a 2-page report on the group’s findings, making note of where the story in the novel diverged from the facts and where it adhered to them.

Then, as a class, discuss and attempt to answer the question that Kenneally poses in her article, drawing on what you learned from your research: “Is there is a greater imperative for novels about an event as catastrophic as the Holocaust to get basic facts right?”

Teaching Suggestion: As this activity relies heavily on internet research, you may want to remind students of best practices for conducting online research. You may want to review yourself, or read with students, 5 Ways to Make Online Research Easier.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from a more interactive approach or an additional challenge, try making the final portion of this activity a debate. Splitting the class into two teams, assign one side the responsibility of defending the position that “Yes, historical fiction about the Holocaust must maintain the highest level of factual accuracy” while the other side defends the position that “No, historical fiction needn’t be a perfectly accurate account of history, especially when it is a memoir of sorts.” Have each side present their arguments; individuals can also pose and field questions to/from the opposing side.

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By Heather Morris