How Does Elie Wiesel's Religious Belief And Identity Change In Night

Elie Wiesel’s Night described his life during World War II. His experience and situation forced him to adapt and persevere which changed Elie’s being as whole. Throughout his experience from living in Sighet to his liberation at Buchenwald, Elie’s religious belief and identity changed dramatically as he endured.

While Elie was living in Sighet during the beginning of the book, he was a very strong believer in his faith and he was very interested and dedicated to learning about his religion and this can be seen in the first few chapters of the book. In fact in the beginning of the book Elie asks his father “ When can I get a master to guide me in my studies? (Elie Wiesel, Night pg 14). This is only one example of Elie’s eagerness and the priority to continue his religious beliefs. His father

For example, after hearing his father pray blessing the Lord’s name he stated “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name?”(42) Later however, he found himself out changing his mind as he faced death “words forced themselves… May His name be blessed and magnified. This shows how Elie’s hardship and experience has begun to affect him and made him start to question his belief for the first time. This also shows how he is still hardwired to his belief and in times of trouble, he instinctively goes back to it. Upon hearing other Jews chant a prayer, he furiously thinks “Why, but why should I bless Him? In every fiber I rebelled.” At this point, Elie has begun to build a resistance toward his automatic beliefs and begun to question God. He has also become angry for the lack of guidance from both God and his father and for his situation that feels like a punishment.
“I heard the man asking: “Where is God now?”... voice answered within me “Here he is… hanging on the