During the Holocaust, over eleven million people were killed with six million being Jewish people. Elie Wiesel tells his horrific story in his memoir Night. He tells us about his shocking experiences during the Holocaust with his father from the perspective of when he was fifteen. Even though Elie was very fortunate to survive the Holocaust, he did not leave unscathed. Author Elie Wiesel undergoes drastic physical, emotional, and spiritual changes throughout his ordeal. First, Elie experiences many physical changes. Elie unwillingly receives a tattoo and gets his head shaved. On the first day as a prisoner in Auschwitz, Elie and the others are branded. Elie declares, “The three ‘veteran’ prisoners, needles in hand, tattooed numbers on our …show more content…
Elie becomes desensitized to violence. When Elie and his Father are working in the warehouse, Idek is furious and decides to take out his anger on Elie's father. Elie says, "And he began beating him with an iron bar. At first, my father simply doubled over under the blows, but then he seemed to break in two like an old tree struck by lightning" (54). Because Elie has witnessed and been through so much violence, he does not even react when he witnesses his father being beaten. Next, Elie experiences overarching fear. When Elie’s father gets beaten. Elie does not help his father because he is scared about getting beat. Elie says, “I stood petrified. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked”(39). Before, Elie would have not let that happen. Since he knows that he will be beaten, he is scared to help his dad. Finally, Elie becomes depressed to the point of suicidal thoughts. When the prisoners were running away, Elie thought about ending his suffering. Elie states, “The idea of dying, of ceasing to be, began to fascinate me. To no longer exist. To no longer feel the pain of my foot. To no longer feel anything, neither fatigue nor cold, nothing. To break rank, to let myself slide to the side of the road …”(86). Elie has experienced so much pain. He thinks that dying would be a relief. This shows how depressed he has been and how he just wants to let go of it …show more content…
Elie begins to question God and is furious at him. When Elie and his father are heading for the crematorium, Elie’s father celebrates God. This makes Elie furious. Elie says, “For the first time I felt anger rise inside me. Why should I sanctify his name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?” (33). Elie is mad at his dad for celebrating God because God is silent. He thinks that God is letting all of this happen and questions his judgment. In addition, Elie feels abandoned by God. On the Eve of Rosh Hashanah Elie feels abandoned by God but feels that he is stronger than before. Elie says, “My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long.” (68). Elie who used to be religious now thinks that God is not in his world anymore. He feels stronger because he is not bound by God anymore. Finally, Elie rebels against God. On Yom Kippur, Elie decides to eat instead of fasting as a rebellion against God. Elie declares, “I no longer accepted God’s silence. As I swallowed my ration of soup, I turned that act into a symbol of rebellion, of protest against Him” (69). Elie is tired of believing in God. He should be fasting on Yom Kippur but instead eats his rations. This is an action
After Rosh Hashanah, Elie knew that what he said was wrong, and pleaded for forgiveness before God. Elie had stopped pleading and lamenting. He felt stronger without any of these, he was the accuser. He even mentioned that he was in a world without God and man. He felt like nothing but ashes.
The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe chose to be silent” (Wiesel 33). Elie started to wonder why he should worship God when God stood silent and didn’t do anything while innocent people were slaughtered en masse. Elie started to lose religious faith in and not show his devotion and love for God. Elie’s faith changed
It was very brave of him to go through all the trauma. "I shall not describe my life during death; nothing matters to me anymore." (113) When Elie's father died nothing else mattered to him. He became an unemotional man because of all the trauma he had been through and the loved ones he had
In the beginning of the story, Elie goes through traumatic experiences with questioning his religion and even contemplating suicide. Elie speaks out by stating, “That's what I wanted to do. To scream out, to cry out—to die. But I no longer had the strength to do so. I was alone.
This shows how Elie wants his father to realize that he has to fight, not give up. He did not sacrifice his father for its own good, as many children do to their parents in order to survive. However, as the days passed, he began to feel some resentment when he was unable to protect himself from the brutality of the guards instead of pitying
What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent” (Wiesel 39). Elie is shocked by his reaction because normally he would stand up for his father, but what he has experienced has taught him to stay silent in order to not be punished himself and enhance the
On the Eve of Rosh Hashana Elie becomes angry with the people praying to God. The inmates gathered as a group to participate in a solemn service, which was attended by ten thousand men, including the Blockälteste, and the Kapos. Elie hisses “Blessed be God’s name? Why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled”
When they were being evacuated on the death march Elie was quickly losing strength and “the idea of dying, of ceasing to be, began to fascinate” him (86). He was put in a hard spot where if he stopped for a break he would be trampled or shot, but to continue to run meant more pain, especially for his throbbing foot, and he was already so exhausted. In this case, it was Elie’s father who helped him survive. Elie knew he was his father’s sole support and that if he died his father probably would too. Since his father was there, Elie gave himself the mindset that he had to push on, but if his father had not been there beside him he could have easily chosen the other option and let himself fall to the ground.
When Rosh Hashanah arrives, thousands of Jews dangerously gather to pray. As they are praying, Wiesel thinks to himself, “Blessed by God’s name? Why, but why should I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled.” Elie is now very angry and clearly disapproves of God’s actions.
The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?” (Weisel 33). This valid evidence demonstrates Elie questioning his prayer due to his reference of god being negative and questioning why he should follow and thank god. Elies anger with God is building up leading to him wanting to give up his beliefs.
He learned how to lie and commit acts of selfishness. Elie lies to people he was related to, just to give them hope that their family was alive. Elie had believed God would protect the people but he then rebels against him, he didn't neglect the existence of God he just felt that it would be good to rebel against him; Elie just doubted God. Elie’s anger is now targeted toward God, even though Elie survived the ordeal he had changed losing his profound
“ I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now..” (68). This quote proves Elie was becoming lonely and more independent.
Had I changed so much? So quickly?” (Wiesel 37). This quote shows that Elie’s greatest fear, even if he does not realize it is his fear of death; He fears losing his father but, it does not change the fact that he is driven by survival. The last time this happens is just before his father dies and Elie finds himself unchanged, still unable to give up his fear.
I no longer accepted God’s silence. As I swallowed my ration of soup, I turned that act into a symbol of rebellion, of protest against Him” (69). An obvious split from God is in this quotation. Elie refuses to honor this sacred holiday to rebel against the God who appears to have left him. He rebels against God’s notion of grace and protection of the Jewish people, for neither of these ideals are apparent in the live he seems to have been cursed to live.
I stood petrified. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent.” This quote shows how Elie himself did not stand up for his own father when he was involved in an injustice act.