Symbolism In Night By Elie Wiesel

Although the German dictators are trying to destroy the minds of their prisoners in order to create more compliant slaves, the Jews find ways to rebel and reasons to live. The Nazi soldiers take away everything they can from the jews except the basic human needs, but however hard they try, they can not take away their faith, hope, and friendship. These forces can not simply be taken away and they have become a coping mechanism for the repressed Jews because they are reasons to live and they make the grueling work easier. Most of the Jews in Night come from religious backgrounds, so they pray to get through difficult situations. Practicing their religion is a way of “escaping from reality” and “not feeling the blows” from the truncheons that

As breakinging three sticks across your knee is harder than breaking one, three friends can safely endure more pain than someone alone because of the support they give each other. Support from a close friend can make the hardships easier to bear, but simply being kind and humane to someone can also b a big help and is usually underappreciated. During the second part of the election where Eliezer’s father is destined to be sent to the crematorium, Eliezer can barely function due to the fear that he will never see his father again and is like a “sleepwalker” (75). To sleepwalk is to walk around and perform other tasks while asleep, and even though the Kapo in charge of him gives him “easier tasks that day”, Eliezer is stuck in a nightmare where his father dies (75). Eliezer believes that by giving him easier work, the Kapo is treating him like an “orphan” and Eliezer is so scared to lose his father that it is hard for him to perform his everyday tasks (75). The kindness that the Kapo showed to Eliezer in his time of need goes unappreciated by Eliezer, however that readers can see that Eliezer will not be able to complete difficult tasks in his damaged state and desperately needs the

The German soldiers separating families and causing the Jews to live in constant fear has effects on the Jews like loss of faith and kindness that are the real success for the Germans. Contrary to popular belief, when difficult situations arise where people are forced to think only of food and survival, things like faith are thrown out the window because they are no longer necessary. As the novel progresses, Eliezer’s doubts in the faith he has been practicing his entire life grow increasingly larger. He never truly “[denies] God’s existence, but [he] [doubts] His absolute justice”, showing that Eliezer can never fully abandon the faith that he worshiped so faithfully in his childhood, but he doubts that everything God has done is morally right (42). When times get tough, many of the Jews worship and pray God that He will end the war quickly, but Eliezer is confused why everyone still has faith in God because He creates “Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death” (67). “Every fiber in [Eliezer] rebel[s]”, pushing away the god he used to worship wholeheartedly but now doesn’t understand. To “rebel” is to rise up against and oppose an established leader who the rebel disagrees with, meaning that Eliezer’s entire body is itching to lash out at God for His lack of support in the concentration camps. Along with