“There are victories for the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.” -Eliezer Wiesel. Elie is victorious because he went through many tough events throughout the camp, yet he survived. When Wiesel first arrived at Auschwitz, his mother, Sarah (Feig) Weisel and younger sister, Tzipora Wiesel were murdered almost immediately, and Eliezer was pushed around and beaten to get in line. At the front of the line facing them was Dr. Joseph Mengele, “The Angel of Death.” Dr. Mengele was the officer who told the prisoners where to go, and was standing in front of the fire where Elie saw many men, women and children being burned, some even still alive. He was getting closer and closer to the fire until, when he came face to face with “The Angel of Death” himself, he was ordered to turn left and head into the barracks …show more content…
Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever (34).” In chapter six, Wiesel’s foot swelled up from the cold which caused a festering infection that he had to get surgery to drain, in place of amputation. The following day, the SS officers told all of the prisoners to evacuate the camp and march. The prisoners in the infirmary were the only ones allowed to stay back because they were unwell. Eliezer, however, had to make a choice: he could have either stayed in the infirmary and let his foot heal for two weeks and have his father be “sick” with him, or join “The Death March,” and risk both of their lives, and more than likely, reinjure his foot. He then chose to stick it out, not knowing what he was getting himself, and his father into. They were forced to run 12.5 miles to another camp in heavy snow, and Wiesel’s foot reopened and bled into the snow, turning