The Holocaust, one of the most terrifying events in history, teaches us many rules that we should all live by about treating others. In Elie Wisel’s novel Night he teaches us to always treat others as equal, help others in need, and to persevere in life. Through the novel he travels from camp to camp fighting to survive living in horrifying conditions. By going through the Holocaust he is able to teach us values and lessons that should always be kept.
The first and maybe the most important is to treat others equally. The only reason that the Holocaust happened is because people did not treat others equally. The Germans and Hitler mainly used the Jews as their scapegoat for their problems. They believed that they needed to exterminate them since they were of less value than the Germans or “Aryans.” Germans treated the Jews less than human, but more like animals. “If anyone is missing, you’ll all be shot, like dogs….” (Wiesel 22). This is the reason that there were so many deaths, the Germans were unable to accept that Jews were people like them. In the camps we see how treating others equally can benefit everyone. The Jews although oppressed by the Germans were able to keep to their morals and treated each other equally. The Jewish leaders did not oppress the ones they were ordered to take care of. They helped each other and were able to survive the German’s beatings.
The second lesson that Elie Wiesel teaches is to help others in need. One of the most significant parts in the story is when Elie gets beaten in the electrical warehouse. As he sits back down, a girl speaks few but powerful words to him. "'Bite your lip, little brother....Keep your anger and hatred for another day, for later on. The day will come, but not now....Wait. Grit your teeth and wait....'". This is important since Elie was about to retaliate uselessly and could’ve gotten himself killed. The other instance of help that Elie receives and gives is with his father. Throughout his time in the camps his father shares food and gives him words of wisdom. Without them, he would’ve died and given up.
The third lesson is that