- [last lines]
- György Köves: [narrating] People only ask about the horrors, whereas I should talk about the happiness of the camps next time, if they ask. If they ask at all. And if I don't forget myself.
- Rozi: So people don't hate you?
- György Köves: Who would hate me?
- Rozi: Everyone.
- György Köves: But why?
- Rozi: Because of this!
- [points at his star]
- György Köves: Oh, that? Well, they may hate me, but I don't think it's me they hate. Net me personally, just in general.
- Rozi: They hate in general?
- György Köves: In general, yes. Not you, not me, but... the idea of a Jew.
- Rozi: Great. Because I for one don't really know what that is.
- György Köves: [hearing bombers overhead] Will it drop or won't it? That was the question. I just had to recognize the pittance of the stake, so that I could enjoy the game. I was beginning to grasp the simple secret of my universe. I could be killed anywhere, any time.
- Man on train: You must have suffered many dreadful things.
- György Köves: Depends on what you call dreadful.
- Man on train: The main thing is it's over, you survived. What do you feel now you're home again, in the town that you left behind?
- György Köves: Hatred.
- György Köves: I tried to comfort you, but I had no right because I was a Jew too.
- Rozi: Why, what are you now?
- György Köves: I don't know. Maybe I don't even exist.
- [first lines]
- Narrator: [narrating] I didn't go to school today. Well, if only to ask my teacher to let me go home. I gave him father's letter. He asked what the reason was. I told him father had been called up for forced labor.