Night

When the book starts Elie is a very religious boy. He values his studies and wants to find a person to help him go farther/ he says things like, “Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?”(4). This shows just how much he values his god and he prayer that he is learning. Then, in the camps, he is changed. He no longer believes as strongly, and even then it is only anger he feels toward god. He abandons religion as he feels it has abandoned him, especially when he says, “For the first time I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify his name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?”(33) This proves how livid he is about what is happening, and even more furious that god has done nothing to help them.

This change is also reflected in his relationship to his father. In the beginning they are very close to and protective of each other. As stated in the book, "Only yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminal's flesh."(39). This shows that, at least in the beginning, Elie loved his father enough to defend him from injury and other prisoners attacking him. Alas, it wouldn't last. He (Eliezer) would eventually come to resent his father and his weaknesses. For example, "What's more, if I felt anger at that moment, it was not directed at the Kapo but at my father. Why couldn't he have avoided Idek's wrath?"(54). This shows how the brutality of the camp affected Elie and made him more harsh and cruel, even to the person he cares for the most.

These new developments in his character are not at all welcomed by Elie. He feels remorse for the things that he is doing, but doesn't know how to fix it. For example it says, "...against my will, I found myself whispering the words: 'May His name be exalted and sanctified'"(34) This shows that although Elie wishes to turn from god he still carries the instinct to pray in the face of death. There are also moment that he feels guilt for the things that he thinks of. As shown here, "I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep... And deep inside me...I might have found something like: Free at last!"(112) This shows that after the death of his father he is grateful, but doesn't want to be and that he feels guilty for that.

Wiesel, Elie. Night, Elie Wiesel. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006. Print.