The Holocaust in Night by Ellie Wiesel Essay Example

The memoir Night, written by Elie Wiesel, is both a heartbreaking and inspiring firsthand account regarding the hardships and tragedies faced by Jews during the Holocaust. Prefacing the story, Wiesel states he does not yet know his purpose for writing, nor does he know why he, of so many others, was chosen to survive. Though what he does know is that he has given the audience a gut-wrenching perspective of the horrors he, like so many others, endured for years at the hands of Hitler and his Nazis. In addition to Night, Wiesel has written many more religious stories, none of which he believes are as important as the first. This memoir tells not only Wiesel’s story, but the people of Auschwitz, Buna, and Birkenau as well. Many themes have developed over the course of this book with the intention of informing the reader; however, the most prominent one revolves around the ongoing struggle to keep faith in difficult circumstances. 

In the beginning, Wiesel was a young boy immensely devoted to his religious practices, with no idea of the unspeakable terror to come. Although he was unaware of it at the time, the once God-loving boy Wiesel had known himself to be would eventually live to become a corpse in the mirror, contemplating his every move. When the Jews were first introduced to the devastation of the Holocaust, they were naïve and chose to stay ignorant to what was right in front of their faces. Much to his expectations, Wiesel recalls how “To the last moment, people clung to hope,” preparing food and packing bags. However, once they realized that the ‘vacations’ they were being sent on were death camps filled with starvation, dehumanization and crematoriums, the Jews’ hope began to falter. 

Once inside the firm grip of Auschwitz’s borders, Wiesel and his family were separated in the selection. He and his father deemed fit for work were sent to the showers, while his mother and sisters were sent to their eternal graves. After facing endless hours of torture, hunger and sleep deprivation, hope is diminished completely for Wiesel and many of his peers. He explains how some of the men still spoke of God, but “...as for [him], [he] had ceased to pray.” To lose faith in a God he was once completely devoted to angered Wiesel. Because this God had abandoned him in his most desperate time of need, Wiesel had every right to be furious, and had every right to deny God. Along with this, he began to completely abandon his faith and any remaining hope of survival. 

Furthermore, Wiesel’s already wavering faith diminishes completely by the end of the book, allowing for a new purpose for staying alive. Not only has he witnessed the deaths of family, friends and acquaintances, but also the hanging of a child - the symbol of innocence. As he views this tragic sight, Wiesel is presented with the question “For God’s sake, where is God?” To this, he answers internally “This is where-hanging here from this gallows...” Surrounded by constant pain and suffering, Wiesel’s abandoned faith has allowed food to become his reason for living, especially once his father joins their family in the world of the dead.