A father, son relationship is a cherished experience full of games, sports, and joy. However the Holocaust deprived many Jewish children of these desired moments. The concentration camps of Europe, in World War II, instilled fear in the Jewish population. Although a perilous journey, the people of the Holocaust were able to survive longer periods of time due to the presence of a family member. The Italian film Life is Beautiful and Elie Wiesel’s Night portray parallels as well as many differences between the father and son protagonists. The father-son relationship between both Elie and his dad and Joshua and Guido is depicted as close and heartwarming. The film, Life is Beautiful, starts in a happy setting of the Orefice household. Guido is a very playful and extends his goofiness to his son Joshua. For example, Guido calls over …show more content…
Wiesel and Guido caused emotional grievances and physical relief between the sons. Although the relationship seemed rock solid between Elie and his father a weight was lifted off his shoulders when his father passed away in the concentration camp infirmary. Filled with guilt, Elie was able to focus on his own well being and survival. The guilt he feels still shows the reader the emotion of love, but in a different context than that of Life is Beautiful. The scene in which Guido is shot is fairly short but has a massive impact on father-son relationship depiction. When Joshua eventually leaves the crate his father placed him in, he seems confused, sad, and overwhelmed, until he is eventually reunited with his mother with the help of the US army. Furthermore the deaths of both fathers displayed two emotions relief and sadness.
The parallels and differences between the father- son relationships in Life is Beautiful and Night are characterized by emotion and role reversal. The Holocaust enabled the bond to strengthen and live on through eternity, due to the hardships in which both families