Night Blog

Night Blog

Prompt: How do Elie's experiences during the Holocaust change him as a person?

        These horrific events greatly change Elie and as well as many other survivors. Before the war Elie had a great life. He had friends, faith, and family. Before he knew it, all of that was taken away. He was separated from his mother and sister, he became distant from his religion, and only thought to stay with his father. As the war progresses he forgets about his other family and friends, revolts against his previous religious views, and almost start to think his father is a burden.

        The first sign of seeing him change is when he first arrives to Auschwitz. He saw the people and children being born. He thought of running to the electric fence to end the horror. He thought to himself, "For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank him for?" P.31. This shows Wiesel's thinking during this disturbing event. He can't believe that his all mighty God would let such a thing happen. As events like these go on for this part of his life, he doesn't follow his beloved faith anymore. When Rabbi loses his son, Elie still prays for him. However, he says, "And in spite of myself, a prayer formed inside me, a prayer to this God in whom I no longer believed. "Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son has done." Wiesel specifically states he doesn't believe in his God anymore, he doesn't believe in his justice and his ways. However he still accepts his existence because he still prays to him.

        Throughout the entire war Elie is absolutely determined about one thing: staying with his father. Both at some point are weaker than the other. They cared for eachother. When Wiesel's father was sick he gave him his rations and would do anything for him. When Elie hurt his foot his father got help. They lived for eachother. Even with all of this love and care, Elie in the end basically saw him as a burden. After Elie wakes up and knows his father is gone he says, "I woke up at dawn on January 29. On my father’s cot there lay another sick person. They must have taken him away before daybreak and taken him to the crematorium. Perhaps he was still breathing … No prayers were said over his tomb. No candle lit in his memory. His last word had been my name. He had called out to me and I had not answered. I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!" This is showing when Elie and his father are separated for good, Elie feels that he has no more responsibilities. He feels as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. It shows how much he's changed because all he lived for was his father, now that he's gone he feels almost happy.