Sunday, April 12, 2015

12.4.15: Night: Changes in Elie

At the beginning of Night, there is a small separation between Elie and his faith.  Soon, the two become one, and Elie embraces and accepts faith as a part of his being and life.  It's important to note this because as the story progresses, we see a different separation of Elie and his faith taking place. Before the ghetto and the concentration camps, Elie hints at the happiness his Jewish faith gives him in statements like, "I told him how unhappy I was because I could not find a master in Sight to instruct me in the Zohar.." (Wiesel 4).  This shows his faith is not a burden, but a welcome and a comfort to him.

In consecutive sections, perhaps Two and Three, the author begins to question his beliefs.  Furthermore, when Elie thinks, "for the first time I felt anger rising within me.  The Almighty... Master of the Universe chose to be silent.  What was there to thank?" (Wiesel 33) it is clear a change in spirituality has taken place.  Here we see Wiesel growing separate from his previously all embracing-faith, which is the first change.  However, a second change is brought to light too.  No longer is Elie comforted by his faith, and this is shown through his anger at his God.

Later, he finds his faith to be a burden.  When the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur come around in the concentration camps, the reader can see Elie struggling to hold on to his faith.  No longer does it guide him, as it did throughout his first trials and inhumane situations, but it becomes a burden.  This is shown in his refusal to fast, stating, "But there is no longer any reason I should fast, I no longer accepted God's silence" (Wiesel 66).  He later says he felt a great void in his heart for doing so, but it also shows the change that has been made in his closeness and happiness with faith.

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