The Theme Of Identity In Night, By Eliezer Wiesel

Great Essays
The memoir ‘Night’ is written and narrated by Eliezer Wiesel-Holocaust survivor. Author Wiesel provides readers with a jolting and revolting account of his experiences from the year 1941 through 1944, the unfortunate times of the Holocaust. Wiesel gives a vivid depiction of himself and others, before, during, and after the holocaust. Throughout the book, Night, author Wiesel, and other characters, struggle with the theme of identity. This paper will discuss the theme of identity featured in the memoir ‘Night’.
The memoir’s beginning is told from the perspective of a young innocent praying Elie bound to God by unconditional love. The young Elie perceives God as a perfect, kind and loving omnipotent being. Because of his youth and inexperience
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Before the onslaught of darkness, he is describing a young brilliant man that loves God. He constantly identifies himself as being smart. He’s smart for being Moishe the Beadle’s friend, and even smarter for listening to his advice. Although, none of the town’s people believed him or heeded his warnings, the young Elie did. This is another example of identifying or placing value on friendship.
Moishe the Beadle, Elie’s best friend, first warned of the impeding danger at the end of 1942. The townspeople remain complacent and so 1943 passes with Elie’s innocence left intact. Later in the spring of 1944 all innocence will be lost. The young innocent Elie, the naïve townspeople, Elie’s belief of a God, and the good life will cease to exist, because this marks the beginning of the Holocaust experience for the characters in the
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Elie is wrecked with guilt because he didn’t go to his father’s side to be with him during his final moments. Author Elie doesn’t describe life after his father’s death because nothing mattered. His days were filled with hunger and idleness. He remained at the concentration camp until April 11, the day of liberation. Three days after liberation he became ill and was hospitalized for two weeks. Elie had not seen his face in a mirror since before the Holocaust, and when he saw himself for the first time he saw a corpse staring back at him and the memoir ends. His final identity is death, but it is the death of the animalistic survival mode

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