Literacy Analysis Essay
Tragic experiences cause individuals to react in certain ways, whether these people respond negatively or positively affects the world around them. In Eliezer Wiesel’s memoir Night and Gerda Weissmann Klein’s memoir All But My Life, the authors explicitly share their accounts of how the relentless situations they witness and experience during the Holocaust create positive and negative effects. In Wiesel’s young life, he and his father are separated from the rest of the family by the Nazis, obligated to withstand the rigidness at concentration camps, as well as take care of one another till the end of the Holocaust. Similarly, Klein is a youthful Jewish girl, who is transported to concentration camps, forced to endure …show more content…
As Rabbi Eliahu is running helplessly for his life, his son leaves him alone during the Death March. Through the myriad of people, Wiesel points out, “[Rabbi Eliahu] losing ground, sliding back… letting the distance between them get greater… [Rabbi Eliahu’s son] had thought by this separation to free himself of a burden” (Wiesel 91). As a consequence of self preservation, Rabbi Eliahu’s son perpetrates against his own father, feeling that the burden of taking care of another person will go away, relieving him and allowing him to focus only on his self-care and protection. Furthermore, Wiesel witnesses defenselessly as his vulnerable father is beaten down by an SS officer. As Wiesel’s father is in a helpless state,“the officer wielded his club and dealt him a violent blow to the head. [Wiesel] didn't move… [his] body was afraid of another blow, this time to [his] head” (Wiesel 111). Seeing the assault towards his father, Wiesel’s self preservation makes him worry that if he steps up for his father he can get in trouble, therefore, he does nothing and stands by as his father get slapped. As equally significant, the Death March is occurring where Jewish Hungarian girls along with Klein are a part of. From the need to survive, Klein points out that “[the Hungarian girls] stole shoes off the feet of those who slept” (Klein 9). For the selfish nature to stay alive, the Hungarian girls are perpetrators as they willingly steal from the others around them and risk others’ lives. As a consequence of self protection and care, the Jews act selfishly due to the self preservation they acquire from the need to
Tragic experiences cause individuals to react in certain ways, whether these people respond negatively or positively affects the world around them. In Eliezer Wiesel’s memoir Night and Gerda Weissmann Klein’s memoir All But My Life, the authors explicitly share their accounts of how the relentless situations they witness and experience during the Holocaust create positive and negative effects. In Wiesel’s young life, he and his father are separated from the rest of the family by the Nazis, obligated to withstand the rigidness at concentration camps, as well as take care of one another till the end of the Holocaust. Similarly, Klein is a youthful Jewish girl, who is transported to concentration camps, forced to endure …show more content…
As Rabbi Eliahu is running helplessly for his life, his son leaves him alone during the Death March. Through the myriad of people, Wiesel points out, “[Rabbi Eliahu] losing ground, sliding back… letting the distance between them get greater… [Rabbi Eliahu’s son] had thought by this separation to free himself of a burden” (Wiesel 91). As a consequence of self preservation, Rabbi Eliahu’s son perpetrates against his own father, feeling that the burden of taking care of another person will go away, relieving him and allowing him to focus only on his self-care and protection. Furthermore, Wiesel witnesses defenselessly as his vulnerable father is beaten down by an SS officer. As Wiesel’s father is in a helpless state,“the officer wielded his club and dealt him a violent blow to the head. [Wiesel] didn't move… [his] body was afraid of another blow, this time to [his] head” (Wiesel 111). Seeing the assault towards his father, Wiesel’s self preservation makes him worry that if he steps up for his father he can get in trouble, therefore, he does nothing and stands by as his father get slapped. As equally significant, the Death March is occurring where Jewish Hungarian girls along with Klein are a part of. From the need to survive, Klein points out that “[the Hungarian girls] stole shoes off the feet of those who slept” (Klein 9). For the selfish nature to stay alive, the Hungarian girls are perpetrators as they willingly steal from the others around them and risk others’ lives. As a consequence of self protection and care, the Jews act selfishly due to the self preservation they acquire from the need to