After he is separated from his mother and sisters, Eliezer commits himself to being a dependable and steadfast son to his father. The two work together, sharing their meager food rations when one of them is particularly weak and finding ways to remain together when so many families are separated. When Eliezer witnesses other sons abandoning their fathers to improve their own circumstances, he becomes resolute in his desire to remain faithful. He fervently prays for God to give him the strength to never do what those sons have done. 

During one excruciatingly difficult march, Eliezer wants to give up and just “slide to the side of the road” where he can die; when he looks at his exhausted father forging resolutely on, Eliezer finds the determination to continue marching, believing that he has “no right to let himself die” and leave his already-weak father alone. When his father feels that he simply “can’t go on” because he is getting too weak, Eliezer remains by his father’s side, trying to navigate his medical care as best as possible with limited resources. 

Unable to locate medical treatment, Eliezer attempts to relieve his father’s extreme thirst by locating water; he is tormented by his father’s desperation for relief, which conflicts with the medical reality that water will only create further physical discomfort. Together, Eliezer and his father face unfathomable challenges and endure relentless abuse; however, the bond they share and their commitment to helping each other survive bring glimpses of humanity and tenderness into their bleak existence. Their devotion to each other offers a sense of hope and encourages them in their efforts to survive multiple rounds of selection, abuse, and mental anguish.