What was ironic about the Czechoslovakian dentist who tried to take Elie’s gold crown?
a
Though he had dental instruments, he removed Elie’s tooth with a hammer
b
After he took Elie’s gold crown, the Nazis took his gold crown.
c
Though he was called a dentist, he had no dental instruments.
d
His own mouth was filled with yellow, rotted teeth.
d
His own mouth was filled with yellow, rotted teeth.
b
After he took Elie’s gold crown, the Nazis took his gold crown.
This is ironic because the dentist attempted to take Elie's gold crown for his own benefit but ended up losing his own crown when the Nazis took it from him.
The correct answer is option b: After he took Elie's gold crown, the Nazis took his gold crown.
To understand why this answer is ironic, we need to know the context of the situation. Elie, the narrator of the story, had a gold crown in his mouth, which he intended to keep as a form of currency or as an emergency asset in case he needed it. However, a Czechoslovakian dentist tries to take Elie's gold crown by force, using a hammer instead of dental instruments. This in itself is already ironic because a dentist typically uses professional tools, not a hammer, to remove teeth.
But the irony becomes even more apparent when we consider that after the dentist successfully takes Elie's gold crown, he himself becomes the victim. The Nazis, who are the oppressors in the story, take the dentist's gold crown, essentially delivering a punishment for his actions. So, in the end, the dentist, who thought he could benefit from Elie's gold crown, ends up losing his own gold crown.
This situation highlights the cruel and chaotic nature of the Holocaust, wherein even those who collaborate with the oppressors can become victims of their own actions.