Character Change In Night By Elie Wiesel

Throughout most novels, characters change. In the novel, Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie changed drastically in multiple ways. His religious beliefs, personality, and physical appearance all changed significantly. He had lost all faith in God, became more selfish, and became emaciated during the time he lived in the concentration camp. 

During the novel, Elie's religious beliefs changed immensely. In the beginning, he had a strong belief in God. For his age, his connection with God was rare, most kids his age were not as interested in religion as he was. He would always cry when he prayed because his connection with God was so strong.  As the novel progressed, he began to lose his faith. In chapter four, when the piple was hung, Elie wondered where God was when people were asking where he was. He wrote, "Behind me, I heard the same man asking: 'Where is God now?' And I heard a voice within me answer him: 'Where He is?  Here He is------He is hanging here on this gallows . . .'" (72). Later in the novel, Elie turned back to God and prayed, even though he did not believe in him anymore. Once his father dies, he lost all of his faith. Elie lost all faith because of everything he went through.

Elie’s physical appearance changed, from him looking healthy to looking extremely malnourished. When all of the Jews were first taken on the cattle cars, they were crammed in there and had no room. Later in the novel, the prisoners are taken in the cattle cars and there is so much more room because they were all unhealthily skinny. Once the Jews were rescued and freed, Elie looked in the mirror he noticed how emaciated he looked. While at the camp Elie lost an unhealthy amount of weight and looked like a skeleton. 

Elies personality changed so much from the time he first went to the camp, to the time he left. In the beginning, Elie was a responsible student and was close with God. As time in the camps got worse Elie started to lose hope. The only reason he had hope was because of his father but, the rest of the hope he had whenever his father died. After the passing of his father, Elie started to only care about himself and barely cared at all.

Night by Elie Wiesel showed a large amount of character development throughout its pages. Elie changed in multiple ways in the novel; his religious beliefs, physical appearance, and personality all changed. During his time in the camp, he lost all faith in God, started to only care about himself, and became emaciated. Despite never thinking he would change, Elie changed in multiple ways because of the horrible experiences he went through.