The story Runners to Nowhere by Isaac Bashevius Singer seems to be more about the human race, and how people act in certain situations than it does about the Holocaust. My reaction to this story was one of disbelief and sadness. One of the runners, Tsvetl ran as fast as she could, and left her husband behind, while stuffing herself with as much food as she possibly could. While Fetil was running in a futile attempt to catch up to her, and keep his beloved plays at the same time, she was eating everything, not offering a morsel to her faltering husband. Yet, when she caught up with a man she wanted to be close with, she fed him tidbits out of her hand, while her husband was left kilometers behind. In the meantime, Fetil had to decide "where his immortality lie" thorough his plays in the large valise he was carrying. What pieces of himself, no matter how small or insignificant would be left behind in the commotion.

During a crisis, people decide what is best for them, and only them. Tsvetl illustrated that through the fact that she would give no food or assistance to her struggling, heartbroken husband. This crisis brought out the worst in everyone, a man Bentze decided to approach Tsvel, and he was successful, Tsvel decided to leave her husband behind to perish, and she succeeded. Yet when it came to herself, and a man she wanted to be with, she stopped and shared her most important possessions with him. The food, the possession that would make is possible for him to keep running physically, and her embrace, the possession that would keep him going emotionally. Meanwhile, Fetil demonstrated what was most important to himself, his plays. He demonstrated this through stopping, even though it meant sure death, and picking through his plays to decide which one would represent his immortality and capture his soul.

One of the character Bentze, also decides to betray who he was, and betray his people in this crisis, simply to get on the good side of the people that could have caused harm to him. He brought cigarettes, and offered the Stalinists cigarettes, whereas when on of his own would ask him for a cigarettes, he spat on them, and praised Stalin. Yet, after, this man went back to his people and decided to try to entice Tvsel. This two sided example portrays the extremities to which one will go in a crisis. One will defy their own culture, and what every fiber in themselves tells them is right and go against those feelings simply to be safe, then completely turn around and defy themselves again. This nature is the most abhorrent behavior that one can exemplify, and the most cowardly as well.

The man who narrates this story, Zeinvel, had carried nothing, and his reaction in a crisis seems to be quite different from any other in the tale. Zeinvel ran, yet he takes the time at the end of the story to converse with Fetil, whereas his wife did not take the time to wait for her husband, much less talk to him. Zeinvel does not mention himself much in this story, except what he had observed. I suppose no one likes to analyze what they do in a crisis, because sometimes their actions are so detestable that one doesn't want to think about them.

In a crisis, everyone acts in a different manner. This one story, Runners to Nowhere illustrates what war and crisis can and does bring out in people, the good and the bad. The sadness and terror that comes with ones actions in a crisis, and how going against ones morals is not the way to go .