Elie Wiesel's Transformation In Farewell To Manzanar

Perhaps the famous old saying, “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage,” applies to almost anyone. This saying also pertains to life especially when one is encountered by dreadful or horrific circumstances. This is very much true for three mysterious and valiant people who share their own stories. A true survivor has the ability to survive physically, mentally, and emotionally under any given circumstances and lives until the very end to signify it. The autobiographies, Night by Elie Wiesel, Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki, and Mud, Sweat, and Tears by Bear Grylls displays how having character traits, such as determination, helped them survive through their past journeys in life, to succeed in informing readers about their experiences.

For example, while Elie was trying to wake up his father on the train, “‘Father,’ I said, ‘just another moment. Soon, we’ll be able to lie down. You’ll be able to rest. . . ‘Father!’ I howled. ‘Father! Get up! Right now! You will kill yourself. . .’” (p. 104-105) This shows that with this caliber of determination, he can use it to his advantage to keep himself alive throughout his stay in Auschwitz. This is significant because without the determination he had presented, he may not be alive today to share this exact stories to future generations. Another example, when his father was at the “peak of death” in the barracks, “[Elie] ran to get some and brought it to my father. . . . ‘Don’t drink water, eat the soup. . . .’” (p. 111) Although Elie was starving himself, he offered his father, the soup, which shows selflessness. Being selfless gave him a goal to strive for: helping his father survive, which ultimately gave him a reason to live as well. Elie chose to be determined and selfless, to increase his chances of survival as well as his

For example, when he was self-noting that, “Acclimation is all about allowing the body to adjust to having less oxygen to function with, and the key is being patient about how fast you ascend. Once you start getting up high, the effects of altitude sickness can kill very quickly. If you get this process wrong, swelling of the brain, loss of consciousness, and hemorrhaging from the eyes are some of the pleasant symptoms that can strike anytime." (p. 273) This shows that he is exceptional at informing readers and has the knowledgeability to survive Mount Everest. This is significant because not many people have the knowledge to survive physically as well as mentally in Mount Everest like Grylls does, and he can use that knowledge to his advantage. When he was racing to the cookhouse, “Look at yourself, Bear, I thought. Today is Endurance. Yet you can hardly walk to the cookhouse.” (p. 197) This shows that with his uplifting conscientious, he can literally talk his way through almost any obstacle that lies in his path. Having conscientiousness lead him to conquer physical stress, mental obstacles, emotional instability, as well as Mount Everest itself. Grylls managed to conquer Mount Everest physically, mentally, and emotionally by his knowledgeability and his