Compare And Contrast Night By Elie Wiesel

A Comparison of Emotion through the Holocaust

Through its duration, and for decades following, the Holocaust has been a topic of literary work that has ignited emotion globally. Many countries, especially those in Eastern Europe were directly impacted by the work of Hitler and his followers, all of whom felt the weight of the tragedy. Though most impactful to those who felt it firsthand, the death of millions also fell onto the shoulders of many by proxy. Night by Elie Wiesel expounds on the gruesome firsthand experience many Jews faced during the Holocaust that negatively impacted the emotional state of its victims, while Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye illustrates the positive support those not directly inflicted

Night follows the story of Eliezer Wiesel, aged 16, who endures the worst of the Holocaust with his father, until his death. Elie spends a plethora of time with Moishe the Beadle, which whom he studies the Kabbalah prematurely. Eventually, Eliezer and his family are taken from their home to the ghetto in Sighet in 1944, where the Jewish community still think themselves safe. From the ghetto, the Wiesel’s are taken to Auschwitz, where Elie and his father leave his mother and sister for a final time. The two men are put to work at the labor camp, where Elie’s father begins to grow weak, his care falling to Elie. From Auschwitz, the two are moves to two other camps, and participate in a death marth to Buchenwald. As Elie spends more time in the camps, he becomes angry and resentful, toward the camp itself, as well as his father for falling ill and not being able to care for him. In Buchenwald, his father dies, from illness and a beating from the SS, only three months from liberation. As the story progresses, Elie also begins to lose sight of his faith, becoming bitter, and stating “Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust” (Wiesel, 32). Being subject to the cruel and continuous torture of the Holocaust left Elie

Both Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep, as well as Night used their popularity to touch different people and enlighten them of the tragedy that occurred in Eastern Europe during the early 1940s. Though Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep was written from an outside perspective, many Jewish people are able to relate to the poem due to their own losses during the Holocaust. Frye was able to write the poem in a way that was relatable to not only those who saw the event from an outside perspective, but also those deeply involved. Wiesel was also able to approach a secondary audience with his work by incorporating dark emotions that pull at the hearts of the readers, and by using his resentment and self-loathing in a captivating manner. By nature, people tend to be curious, and Wiesel played to his audience by leaving them something to look forward to in each chapter. By using such heavy emotions, both authors were able to articulate their experiences with the Holocaust and those around them. The two authors also successfully managed to capture an audience that appeals outside of the works timeframe. With an event as memorable as the Holocaust, it’s not difficult to focus plenty of attention on the event, but both authors managed to appeal to people who could not possibly have any real insight on the happenings of the Holocaust. The