Beauty: a Savior and a Killer There isn’t one person that does not aspire to be beautiful. One's beauty is judged solely off their looks, often referred to as “judging a book by its cover.” Society is constantly judging what defines beautiful and willing to do whatever it takes to meet those standards. Cilka was graced with natural beauty, something that many women and girls in common day society would be jealous of. However, during Cilka’s time at both Auschwitz and Vorkuta, her beauty condemned her. Cilka was imprisoned at the young age of sixteen and since her first day at Auschwitz, her beauty was her biggest demise. The senior SS officers chose her to be used as a sex slave otherwise known as a “comfort woman.” Cilka was smart enough to not fight back or resist the things the SS officers were doing to her because she knew resisting would get her killed. Her beauty granted her many privileges as well, that other girls were not able to have. However, Cilka’s beauty also caused her to be imprisoned in Vorkuta. Once the Russian liberation of Auschwitz took place and the prisoners were freed, Cilka was transported to yet another prison on the charges of sleeping with and accepting favors from the senior SS officers. Upon her arrival at Vorkuta, Cilka was once again chosen based on her looks by men working at the prison and used for sex. Cilka was an educated young girl and new resistance would just make her time in prison more dreadful so she chose to not fight back. Her beauty helped her survive both prisons because it allowed her extra privileges, but it also caused much hardship, resulting in her having to spend eight more years in Vorkuta The novel Cilka’s Journey is a heart wrenching display of how beauty can be a strength and a demise. The constant desire to meet all beauty standards, is a demise for people in modern day society because people are always comparing themselves to one another. This novel serves as a reminder that in some situations it can be helpful to blend in with the crowd and that standing out can be one's demise. Beauty is often defined by the looks that are presented on the outside. True natural beauty is found within and can be damaged when the visual beauty is taken advantage of. Throughout this novel, beauty is a savior and a burden. Cilka was able to use her beauty to help her survive, however, it also caused her to have to suffer eight years in Vorkuta.