Night by Ellie Wiesel describes his experiences as a Jew in the concentration camps during World War II. During this time, Wiesel witnessed many horrific acts. Two of these were executions. Though the process of the executions were similar, the condemned and the Jews’ reactions to the executions were very different. During the first execution, the condemned was a youth from Warsaw. He was a strong, well-built boy. He had three years of concentration camp life behind him. The rest of the prisoners wasn’t too sad to see him be hanged. In fact, two prisoners volunteered to help with the execution in trade for two plates of soup. The condemned that was being hanged was even moved by his own execution. He shouted, “Long live liberty! A curse upon Germany! A curse . . .! A cur---“ At the time the execution was taking place, everyone was so hungry and just wanted the “ceremony” to be over as soon as possible. They weren’t worried about the condemned being hanged, they were more worried about when they would get to eat. Wiesel explains, “I remember that I found the soup excellent that evening” (60). Unlike the first execution, the second hanging was very intense and heart breaking. The condemned this time was a very young, sad, abused …show more content…
When the older man was being executed, prisoners volunteered to help for extra food. However, when it was the young boy that was living a very tough life, it was very disturbing and really messed with the other prisoners minds. It was very tough for them to watch that happen, have to look the young boy’s lifeless body straight in the eyes, and continue living life as if nothing ever happened. If it was me then a part of me would have been relieved knowing that the little boy would no longer have to suffer, to go without food and water, and he wouldn’t have to live such a horrible life anymore but it would still be really hard to watch him be