Diction In Night By Elie Wiesel

“Have we ever thought about the consequence of a horror that, though less apparent, less striking than the other outrages, is yet the worst of all to those of us who have faith: the death of a God in the soul of a child who suddenly discovers absolute evil?” (Francois Mauriac ix) In other words, the worst thing that can happen to a faithful person is the death of their faith due to the unearthing of sinful reality. In the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel a young boy is taken away from his family and is placed in a Nazi concentration camp where he witnesses absolute evil, which leads him to change drastically from the boy he once was. Elie Wiesel’s characterization from a faithful, spiritual, and innocent character to a religiously detached character …show more content…
During a moment where the Jewish prisoners are walking towards the crematory of Auschwits, Elie Wiesel mentions, “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name?”(31) The author’s use of the word “revolt” brings to mind the concept of resistance and hatred, which makes it seem like Wiesel is distancing himself away from his religion. This example of diction serves to accentuate how detached he has become compared to the other Jewish prisoners who still confide in God and are blessing Him despite the situation they are experiencing. Wiesel uses this specific diction because he wants the audience to realize that at this distinct moment Wiesel starts to question and doubt his faith and religion, instead of following and trusting God how he used to before he entered the concentration camp and shifted his religious views. This reveals to the readers that Wiesel is losing his faith and it gives the audience insight as to how he will develop throughout the …show more content…
Wiesel describes his first night at the concentration camp stating, “Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust” (32). This emphasizes how unforgettable that first night at camp was and how the camp transformed him into losing his faith. This example of repetition serves to accentuate that the horrific camp experiences were the primary reason why Wiesel lost his faith. What he went through changed his perspective completely, it is as if his mind was reconstructed differently due to the experiences at the concentration camp. Wiesel seems to highlight his loss of faith to reveal to readers that when an individual is enveloped by absolute evil, their faith will weaken because they will start to feel isolated and not trust in God for not bringing greatness to the