In Elie Wiesel's autobiographical novel Night, he keeps a mental catalog of experiences he "never shall forget". Wiesel is a survivor of the Holocaust prison camps during World War II, and records his time there in order to preserve the lives of those who died. By listing off his traumatic experiences, Wiesel strives to honor the lives taken in the camp and what he lost within himself as a result of the experience. Without these memories, he fears the severity of the situation would not be taken seriously, and soon, the lives taken in the camps would be forgotten. Before retelling his experiences in the camps, Wiesel notes, "Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky" (Wiesel 3). By noting that the sky was silent, Wiesel conveys a tone of silence and horror. His persistence to maintain these memories is in the name of those lost in the crematoriums. Additionally, Wiesel mentions that some of the inmates "used whatever strength they had left to cry. Why had they let themselves be brought …show more content…
He notes, "Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes" (Wiesel 6). From the hangings, beatings, and constant famine, Wiesel turns his former religious spirit into one that resents God. He blames God for allowing this to happen to His people, and his faith is consumed like the flames in the crematoriums. As time continues, "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" (Wiesel 29). Although his wording seems exaggerated, the meaning behind his confession is genuine. Wiesel lost a piece of his faith that he believes will never heal properly, and blames God for this "punishment". He strives to honor what he has lost by preserving these horrific