According to William Ernest Henley, an English poet, writer, critic and editor,“In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance, My head is bloody, but unbowed”(Henley 2). Within William’s poem, “Invictus”, he elaborates on the idea that everyone will have to face challenges in their life at one point or another, however, it’s important to not let these hardships destroy their spirit. These ideals can be seen within many of life’s individuals, including the Jewish Prisoners, Elie Wiesel, and Eva Kor as they take these factors head on, and channel them. For instance, the novel, Night, written by Elie Wiesel, illustrates the way the Jewish community was able to come together for survival …show more content…
Near the beginning of the book, Elie and his father get fed important information by a fellow Jewish prisoner before entering the camp, in which they change their ages when Elie claims he’s, “‘Fifteen.’ ‘No. You're eighteen.’ ‘But I'm not,’ I said. ‘I'm fifteen.’ ‘Fool. Listen to what I say.’ Then he asked my father, who answered: ‘I'm fifty.’ ‘No.’ The man now sounded angry. ‘Not fifty. You're forty. Do you hear? Eighteen and forty.’ He disappeared into the darkness.” (Wiesel 30). This seemingly urgent conversation between the men highlighted the importance of being young and healthy when it came to the Holocaust. After all, due to the harsh conditions pertaining to work within the Kommandos, punishments by the SS officers, and eventual escape, those who were weaker or more fragile were left to die while the strong prevailed. The Jewish prisoner who gave Elie and his father this information was looking out for them, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. By telling them to switch their ages, he gave them a higher chance to not be pulled for selection, as those who seemed to be too young or too old were deemed unfit to work. This secret aided them in their survival while simultaneously emphasizing the generosity of the Jewish prisoner, as he easily could’ve kept the information to himself. As the communal goal during the Holocaust was to survive the concentration camps, it makes sense for the Jewish prisoner to attempt to help his community through his learned knowledge. Not to mention, the attempt to help Elie and his father was in fact successful, as they were able to pass selection and learn more about the camps and rules