How old is Elie when he observes a son kill his own father for bread?

In chapter 7, the prisoners are packed tightly together into a train car heading towards Buchenwald, and Elie witnesses a son kill his father over a piece of bread. A few days into their journey to Buchenwald, the train stops in a German town, and a worker throws a piece of bread into one of the train cars. Elie recalls watching dozens of starving prisoners fight violently for the piece of bread. German spectators begin to gather and start throwing more pieces of bread into the wagons to watch the emaciated prisoners fight among each other to grab the bread.

Elie recalls seeing an old man inconspicuously grab a piece and put it into his mouth. Before the old man can swallow the bread, another younger man suddenly strikes him. The old man collapses and begins crying for his son to stop beating him and tells his son that he is willing to share the bread. Unfortunately, the old man's son beats his father to death and searches his body for more food. Shortly after killing his father, two prisoners beat the son to death.

This horrific, violent story reveals the fragility of human nature. The son's ruthless actions reveal that humans are willing to do anything to survive and meet their primitive needs. In the midst of extreme hunger, humans disregard relationships and social standards to satisfy themselves. This incident reveals that humans are debased beings, who are willing act savagely towards anyone in order to survive at all costs.

Explanation:

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