Loss Of Identity In Night By Elie Wiesel

“Everything was fading into a fog. We no longer clung to anything. The instincts of self-preservation, of self-defense, of pride, had all deserted us,” exclaims Elie (36). This quote not only defines the author and main character Elie Wiesel’s thoughts in the memoir Night but also summarizes his loss of identity. Throughout the story, he recalls and shares the frequent acts of cruelty, harsh environments, and dehumanization he faces as a Jew during his time at Auschwitz in 1944. In Night, Elie Wiesel also uses his constant struggle of survival to convey the theme that, in inhumane circumstances, people tend to lose track of their morals and sense of self. This theme is important because it causes people in Elie’s situation to change in a negative aspect. Like Wiesel, people tend to disconnect from relationships and practice behaviors they do not believe in order to

These traumatic events cause him to quickly take on the mindset of the other prisoners and set aside his past customs. According to Elie, “the student of Talmud, the child I was, had been consumed by the flames. All that was left was a shape that resembled me. My soul had been invaded- and devoured- by a black flame.” (37). At this point in the story, Elie’s interest in practicing and studying religion starts to wane. These actions are out of character for him because in his home, Sighet, prayer and worship are a daily ritual. In fact, he commits himself to spending long days learning with his Kabbalah master and even longer nights praying at the synagogue. Consequently, at the camp, Elie feels that there is no need for religion because he believes God is no longer there for him. Elie’s actions directly correlates with the theme portrayed in the story because he let go a major part of himself due to the merciless environment of the