In paragraph 16, ayer discusses the idea that
many jews “simply refused to believe that things
would get any worse.” helen echoes this opinion
in the next paragraph, commenting that her
father “was still stubbornly optimistic about the
future." what do you think caused this disconnect
between the brutal experience of the pogrom
and the persistent optimism ayer mentions?
support your inferences with textual evidence
and make annotations to explain your choices.