Answer: The correct answer is C. If they fell asleep in the snow, then other prisoners might steal what little rations they have left.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eliezer and his father were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. They were being transported in a cattle car, and when the train stopped to rest, they were forced to sleep in the snow. It was extremely important for them to stay awake, even though they were exhausted, because the Nazis were shooting any prisoners who were not able to stand up on their own. This is a reference to the selection process that took place at the concentration camps, where prisoners were chosen for work or for extermination based on their physical condition. If Eliezer and his father fell asleep and were not able to stand up on their own, they would have been killed. Therefore, staying awake was a matter of survival.