Final answer:
Elie, a camp prisoner, worried more about the possibility of his family being torn apart than the prospect of death when faced with rumors of liberation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the camp prisoners hear the rumor that the camp may be liberated, Elie is less concerned with death than the fact that his family would be torn apart. This fear reflects the intense emotional bonds that often sustained prisoners amid the horrors they faced, as well as the uncertainty of what liberation could truly mean for them after enduring such trauma.
The experiences in concentration camps were life-changing, and the pending joy of liberation was met with complex emotions, including fear for the family's fate.