Night By Elie Wiesel: Book Analysis

Night Prompt #2 Many know of the victims of the Holocaust and how fragile they were, but not many know how the few that survived did so. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who was only fourteen when he arrived at Auschwitz, he talks about his life alongside his father who was the only family member he did not get separated from in the concentration camp. Eliezer explains how he overcomes the horrors he witnessed in order to survive and be freed. Through cautious behavior, selflessness between himself and his father, and having physical advantages due to his age, Wiesel is able to survive the harsh conditions while millions of others perish. Elie’s cautious behavior while in the camp is one of the main reasons he is able to survive. He always obeys orders and only talks when necessary. Elie states, “I ran without looking back” (68), which shows he listens to the head of his block’s advice in order to survive selection. Elie stays out of trouble when he’s in a cattle car full of inhuman people by staying away from those who are beating each other for food. He says, “A piece fell in our wagon. I decided that I would not move, I knew that I would

Wiesel and his father look after each other. For example, on page 85 Elie says, “We can lie down a bit, one after the other. I’ll watch over you, and you can watch over me. We won’t let each other fall asleep. We’ll look after each other,” which shows how they both keep each other from any danger, in this case being death from sleeping in snow. Eliezer always thinks of his father. When they are running from Auschwitz to Gleiwitz, Elie states, “My father’s presence was the only thing that stopped me… What would he do without me? I was his only support” (82), which shows how the thought of his father motivates him to stay alive. Of course, Wiesel and his father have a big age difference, which does benefit him in some