Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, once said “No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgements are wrong. Only racists make them.” In the 1900s, during World War II, the Germans were ordered by Hitler to gather all Jews. The Jews are moved to concentration camps, first to Auschwitz then to Buchenwald. The Holocaust was a horrifying time for the Jews. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, he captures the story of his and his father’s struggle for their freedom. Jews were treated as they were inferior to the guards and Hitler. In addition, Elie experiences dramatic events in the camps. The longer he stays in the camps, the more he is discriminated and reminded that he isn’t important. Through these experiences, Elie
…show more content…
During the Holocaust, the Germans have given numbers instead of names to the Jews. Your name is a big part of your identity. Elie “became A-2713. From then on, [he] had no other name” (Wiesel 42). Without their names, the Jews became less humane and themselves. It is important to one to maintain their identity and when the Jews were stripped of their names they lost a piece of themselves. This impacted Elie because he no longer heard his name, only when his father spoke it. Another thing that makes our identity is our beliefs. In the concentration camps, one night Elie looks at a smoke that’s rising from the crematorium. Knowing where it is coming from and what it means causes Elie to lose faith. He starts to recite,”Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever”(Wiesel 34). One’s beliefs are a guideline in life and having that taken away can cause one to get lost. Elie starts to lose himself and his values as he realizes that his beliefs will die in the flames. Without one’s beliefs, one’s sense of direction in life is altered. The impact of changing one's identity can turn someone into something they will regret. Another important example to note is when Eliezer and the healthy Jews stayed outside while the blocks were being cleaned. The sick could stay inside but they weren’t given food while everyone else was. Elie realizes that his …show more content…
A situation where Elie questions God was when an innocent pipel was ordered to be hanged publicly. After many of the Jews have just witnessed the death of the pipel, a young boy that was executed, they questioned God’s mercy and ability to save the Jews. The Jews are in shock as they wonder “where He is?” Elie answers those by saying “This is where-hanging here from this gallows..”(Wiesel 65). At this point Elie is angry and implies that God is dead, that the Almighty died with the pipel. Elie has a lack of faith in God, which creates Elie to wonder that if God couldn’t save an innocent pipel, there is no way He will save Elie. Also when adjusting to the camps, Eliezer starts to lose his connection with God causing him to deny that the Jews will ever be saved by the Almighty. “[Elie] had ceased to pray. [He] concurred with Job![He] was not denying [God’s] existence, but [He] doubted [God’s] absolute justice”(Wiesel 45). By focusing on his job and avoiding prayer, Elie has accepted that God won’t save him or the Jews. The Jews won’t get their justice and they have no future. Losing faith in God has caused Elie to accept his future in the camps, that there is no escape if God won’t help. Elie doesn’t only lose faith in God but he loses faith of his dad’s survival when his father has a disease. When Elie takes his father to the doctor, Elie’s block
During the Holocaust, the Germans have given numbers instead of names to the Jews. Your name is a big part of your identity. Elie “became A-2713. From then on, [he] had no other name” (Wiesel 42). Without their names, the Jews became less humane and themselves. It is important to one to maintain their identity and when the Jews were stripped of their names they lost a piece of themselves. This impacted Elie because he no longer heard his name, only when his father spoke it. Another thing that makes our identity is our beliefs. In the concentration camps, one night Elie looks at a smoke that’s rising from the crematorium. Knowing where it is coming from and what it means causes Elie to lose faith. He starts to recite,”Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever”(Wiesel 34). One’s beliefs are a guideline in life and having that taken away can cause one to get lost. Elie starts to lose himself and his values as he realizes that his beliefs will die in the flames. Without one’s beliefs, one’s sense of direction in life is altered. The impact of changing one's identity can turn someone into something they will regret. Another important example to note is when Eliezer and the healthy Jews stayed outside while the blocks were being cleaned. The sick could stay inside but they weren’t given food while everyone else was. Elie realizes that his …show more content…
A situation where Elie questions God was when an innocent pipel was ordered to be hanged publicly. After many of the Jews have just witnessed the death of the pipel, a young boy that was executed, they questioned God’s mercy and ability to save the Jews. The Jews are in shock as they wonder “where He is?” Elie answers those by saying “This is where-hanging here from this gallows..”(Wiesel 65). At this point Elie is angry and implies that God is dead, that the Almighty died with the pipel. Elie has a lack of faith in God, which creates Elie to wonder that if God couldn’t save an innocent pipel, there is no way He will save Elie. Also when adjusting to the camps, Eliezer starts to lose his connection with God causing him to deny that the Jews will ever be saved by the Almighty. “[Elie] had ceased to pray. [He] concurred with Job![He] was not denying [God’s] existence, but [He] doubted [God’s] absolute justice”(Wiesel 45). By focusing on his job and avoiding prayer, Elie has accepted that God won’t save him or the Jews. The Jews won’t get their justice and they have no future. Losing faith in God has caused Elie to accept his future in the camps, that there is no escape if God won’t help. Elie doesn’t only lose faith in God but he loses faith of his dad’s survival when his father has a disease. When Elie takes his father to the doctor, Elie’s block