Night By Elie Wiesel: An Analysis

The definition of frightening is to make afraid or fearful. Yet this definition is nothing compared to the death march and terrifying train ride Elie Wiesel and his father had to go on. Frightening really isn’t the right word for their journey, agony means prolonged pain and suffering which is exactly what the Jews experienced. The agony they felt should have killed them. But they had to be strong, even in the darkest hour because if not, you die. “And something deep inside me rebelled against that death.” (Wiesel 89). Death was a release from the misery they called life, yet Elie didn’t want the release. During an evacuation all the Jews were told to march. That march turned into a twenty kilometer run. While running, Elie wanted to give up and die, but he couldn’t. He needed to be strong …show more content…
“The road was endless. To allow oneself to be carried by the mob, to be swept away by blind fate. When the SS were tired, they were replaced. But no one replaced us. Chilled to the bone, our throats parched, famished, out of breath, we pressed on.” (Wiesel 87). The SS guards received orders to shoot anyone that couldn’t keep up. Shots went off often, a reminder to the Jews that wanted to live, to keep running and you won’t get shot. While running, Elie saw a young boy get trampled by the mob. Zalman, the young boy, was running next to Elie and began to get stomach cramps. Zalman took off all his clothes and dropped to the ground, getting trampled on by thousands of people. Elie was contemplating the same thing, to die meant no more pain. But, his father’s presence stopped him. Elie thought it was selfish of him to die and leave