Elie Wiesel’s harrowing memoir of his personal accounts during the Holocaust recounts the dehumanization and brutality endured by those persecuted within the camps. Despite this, Wiesel reflects on the moments of compassion and consideration of other individuals even whilst enduring atrocities and how these instances of altruism can serve as a form of resistance against the Nazi regime. Ultimately, Wiesel exhibits throughout his novel that individuals who were once unified can turn into savage and immoral beings within places of brutality. Wiesel demonstrates that humans can still be sympathetic and exhibit decency towards others even whilst enduring atrocities. After Eliezer endured public humiliation and punishment by Kapo Idek, a French …show more content…
During the Jewish New Year, an assembly of Jews in the concentration camp, Buna, had gathered to solemnly pray in God’s name, with “thousands of lips repeat[ing] [a] benediction” within the camps. Through the collective action of the imprisoned Jews, Wiesel explores the concept of spiritual resistance as the practice of Judaism was prohibited within concentration camps. Religious rituals within a place of brutality insinuate that those within the camps still preserved their strong sense of faith and hope. Furthermore, as Elie was left with an ultimatum from a violent prisoner to either “let [him] have [Eliezer’s] crown”, or else it will “cost much more”, being the exploitation and torment of Elie’s father. Ultimately, Elie decides to surrender his golden tooth at the expense of his father’s well-being. Through such acts of altruism, Wiesel affirms that humanity is the consideration of others' welfare, as he was resistant and opposed violence especially targeted towards his father to the detriment of his only luxury within the concentration camp. Thus, Wiesel affirms that the preservation of one’s sense of hope and the consideration of other individuals can be a form of defiance against