Quoted from leitskev Hey Mac If I went feature, I'd have to give the audience some sense of satisfaction. I think I would do two things. One is really build up an evil guard or commandant, and have Deana kill him at the end. The other is try to make Yoska's survival a triumph. If we really see him on the precipice of death for a long time, hopefully his recovery and survival will feel rewarding. Those are my current thoughts, anyway. Thanks! I welcome any other ideas.

I think that's the key. The audience needs to feel some sort of triumph by one of your main characters, if not, the protagonist. They'll need to feel rewarded for staying with you throughout the story. I think you're right - you'll need some antagonistic characters - someone who can represent the oppression and cruelty. I think it could also serve you well that there were guards who were not cruel, but just following orders (not all camps had SS/Nazi guards - some were German soldiers).

Stew