Elie Wiesel Essay Night

757 Words4 Pages

The Holocaust changed the lives of many people. Over eleven million people were killed during this tragic time in history, six million were the Jewish people. The small percentage of those who survived were terrified to tell their stories and relive through the horrendous moments of the past. Elie Wiesel was able to overcome this fear and publish a candid and horrific autobiography illustrating his survival as a teenager in the Nazi concentration death camps. Elie Wiesel's Night is a powerful and moving story uncovering the truth of when life is reduced to the essential struggle to survive, insensitivity and cruelty can occur. Natural life instincts kick in and the prisoners began to live the life drive theory in which they are only worried …show more content…

Although many prisoners sadly became reduced to brutes, Elie seems to be able to keep his humanity intact and escapes the fate of others by directing his anger towards God, maintaining a strong bond with his father, and observing how people suffer rather than partaking in the barbarism around him. Initially, Elie shows great devotion to God, but soon becomes enraged by the series of events that take place against the Jewish people. This anger becomes disillusioned with God’s power and Elie begins to doubt God’s preeminence. Innocent people were tortured in the most horrendous ways: starved, beaten, everyone was barely hanging onto life. During the beginning of Elie’s time at the concentration camps he noticed, “some of the men spoke of God: His mysterious ways, the sins of the Jewish people, and the redemption to come. As for me, I had ceased to pray. I concurred with Job! I was not denying His existence, but I doubted His absolute justice.”(45) Many lost complete faith in God upon the arrival in the concentration camps due to the suffering they face. This was an interesting moment marked by Elie as he …show more content…

Before the camps, Elie considered humanity as part of his fatih, something God would maintain if he remained a true believer. During this time Elie was trying to understand the chaotic feelings of abandonment and injustice. Elie believed there was little to no justice in the camps, he was angry, wondering if God was really there how could he be so silent, punishing his own people. Elie walked into the concentration camps watching innocent babies being consumed by flames. Elie understood the Nazi’s were wrong and evil, he knew there was nothing he could do to change his family’s situation. Instead of lashing out his anger against his fellow inmates and those in charge, in this moment he still believes God is there, but his anger has caused him to lose faith in God’s justice. He does not act childish and acts out against the Nazis, rather he continues to question God, “What