Final answer:
The passage asks the reader to consider the deeper meaning of survival beyond immediate threats, highlighting the psychological and spiritual challenges faced by Holocaust victims.
Step-by-step explanation:
The significance of the passage: "Will we perhaps be able to survive the illnesses and escape the selections, perhaps even resist the work and hunger which wear us out-but then afterwards?" is that it points the reader to consider the meaning of survival in more than just a physical sense (option a).
This passage reflects on the broader implications of enduring the horrors of concentration and death camps, prompting readers to think about the psychological and spiritual aspects of survival. The speaker is contemplating not only the immediate challenges of survival but also what life may hold beyond the immediate threats to life, such as illness, work, and starvation.
Option b, which suggests exploring the nature of the Nazi evil mind, and option c, the understanding of the work load they received, while pertinent to studying the Holocaust, are not the direct concerns of this specific passage. Option d is related, but it understates the depth of the reflection in the passage, which extends beyond fear to encompass the existential crisis faced by the victims and the complex nature of enduring such relentless dehumanization.