Essay about Night: Terrible Circumstances. Wiesel

Submitted By Angelique-Ortega
Words: 1156
Pages: 5

Angelique Ortega 9/29/14
E­Band Greg

The Weight of War The holocaust was a very dreadful, dehumanizing tragedy that occurred during the early

1930’s. It made a very large impact on lives of those who survived to tell the story, and the

families of the ones who didn’t as he says “There is so much injustice and suffering crying out

for our attention: victims of hunger,of racism and political persecution….Human rights are

being violated on every continent. More people are oppressed than free. How can one not be

sensitive to their plight? Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere”

(Chapter 8 pg. 119). Elie Wiesel wrote the captivating autobiography, Night. Wiesel’s cruel

tone within the novel hits you with the reality of what it was trulylike to be a prisoner in the

Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps. He, a survivor of the holocaust

throughout his journey shows that the hardest battles are truly set for the strongest soldiers.

When the word “strongest” is used in the phrase “strongest soldiers”, it can either be

in the literal meaning of someone with very large muscles and is physically strong, however it

can also have the alternative meaning that someone has a great deal of determination and

overall are more resilient. People who are mentally strong are capable to withstand more

emotional trauma rather than someone who is not. The effects of this is more apparent.

People like this tend to have faced very tough situations but still ultimately persevered

throughout the position they were put into, only to receive the mental capability to still keep

their head held high. Like the main character Eliezer shows “Never shall I forget that night,

the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and

seven times sealed....Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my

soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned

to live as long as God Himself. Never." (Chapter 3, pg. 32). This presents the fact that even

though these horrific things he, has not only seen but experienced firsthand, have left such

an overwhelming impact on his life. He now exceedingly long after the event, looked back and

almost promised himself that he made it out a survivor for a reason. The event being one he

will never forget. This is due to the fact that the events that took place were so traumatizing

he has a mental scar of them. Eliezer manages to sustain this strong mindset; and how he

does this is that no matter what Eliezer never gave in, he never gave up. He states "Was

there a single place here where you were not in danger of death?" (Chapter 3, pg. 37) this

really emphasizes how miniscule the line between life and death was for the prisoners.

When this tragic event occurred. Many who believed in god or who were religious of

some sort were absolutely baffled at how they’re god who was supposed protect them from

evil; men and women who weren’t sinners. bewildered by the fact that the god who was

supposed to look over them would put them through such terrible circumstances. Wiesel

states, “I did not deny God's existence, but I doubted His absolute justice." (Chapter 3, pg.42)

meaning he didn’t believe god wasn’t real. But he was perplexed as to why this god who

he’s only done well for would do something like this to him. to all of them. He doubted that

god really did symbolize equality and righteousness. Because any god willing to do that. Was