The journey of Elie Wiesel in Night is not just a story about survival, but also a story of alteration as he grapples with the underlying questions of identity, religion, and faith. The holocaust was a genocide that sadly killed 6 million Jews. Luckily, Elie Weisel was not one of them. Even though Elie’s beliefs concerning his relationship with god varied throughout the novel, He overcame the harsh conditions and got liberated. As a result of what Elie undergoes during the Holocaust, the changes in his religious beliefs demonstrate the transformative power of trauma.
Elie describes himself a devout jewish boy, who is seeking to understand the mysteries of the universe, as well as the Nature of God. Firstly, at the start of the book, we notice
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Elie is very focused on praying everyday and making sure he acquires everything he needs to know about God. :"Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?" (Wiesel 4) This quote highlights the deep existential questions that Wiesel was asking himself in the beginning of the book. He began to question the very meaning of life and the purpose of his own existence. The quote captures the sense of commitment that Wiesel felt during this time. He believed that there was no point in breathing if you did not pray. Moreover, we pick up that Elie is leaning on Moishe as a resource for religious knowledge as he continues his religious path. A secondary source describes the opening of Elie wiesel's book and provides insight on how Elie sets the state for his upcoming religious developments. “Eliezer's story opens in a tightly knit and well-ordered Jewish community, …show more content…
He struggled to make sense of the senseless violence and suffering that surrounded him. In addition, This quote by a secondary source perfectly recounts the profound alteration of Elies religious views. “However, Eliezer's community is shattered and his religious quest is interrupted when the Nazis invade and begin rounding up all the Jews and transporting them to death camps. Which had seemed the most important things in the world to Eliezer and many of the other prisoners, is reduced to dust in comparison with the need to survive.”(Winters) This quote helps support that Elie is a dynamic character because you really see the turning point as Elie's faith begins to change as he witnesses the unspeakable evil. Nonetheless, Elie confronts the harsh reality of his own survival in the concentration camp. He feels rejection from God, and feels great despair towards God. This haunting quote indicates his once core beliefs being shattered by the inimaginable terror of the concentration camps, "Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes." (Wiesel 34)”This quote perfectly captures the moment where Elie officially had changed. It conveys the depth of his anger and his fluctuating belief that God will save