Literary Analysis
Arjun Subedi
Mr. Mahesh Tripathi
English B
3/2/13
Loss of Faith
“There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times.” said the Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg. (Herzberg) Holocaust was the most terrific event in the history of civilization that comprised genocides of Jews, physically disabled, homosexual and gypsies, in death camps. Elie goes through torture and terror and is treated as animals like other Jews. Elie doesn’t see any hope of light coming to his life which is dark and unpredictable as Night. Night is a memoir inscribed by Elie talking about the dreadful incident, his relationship with his father and how he lost his faith in God. It is endured with sorrow, horror and sufferings. Revolted by the torture he must sustain, Elie questions if God really exists, “Why, but why should I bless him? Because he in his great might, had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? (67). Elie’s faith is devastated and shaken. He has changed from how he was as a child. Holocaust changes him as a person, takes away his interest in religion, makes him loose his faith, fills him with hatred and changes his view towards the Lord. Right from his childhood Elie was fascinated in his religion and always wanted to study Kabbalah and Talmud even when his father denied on finding him a teacher. This is very unusual for a 12-year old kid. Elie meets Moishe the Beadle and makes him his master. Even when sent to the ghetto, he believes in the Lord and is conventional. Elie has dedicated himself in studying the Jewish religion. It becomes hard for him to lose faith during the horrifying events in the holocaust. “I continued to devote myself to my studies. Talmud during the day and Kabbalah at night” (8). Holocaust succeeds in shattering the faith of this 12-year old child who had dedicated himself for his religion and studying the holy transcripts. Faith is a complete trust and confidence in someone and like
Mr. Mahesh Tripathi
English B
3/2/13
Loss of Faith
“There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times.” said the Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg. (Herzberg) Holocaust was the most terrific event in the history of civilization that comprised genocides of Jews, physically disabled, homosexual and gypsies, in death camps. Elie goes through torture and terror and is treated as animals like other Jews. Elie doesn’t see any hope of light coming to his life which is dark and unpredictable as Night. Night is a memoir inscribed by Elie talking about the dreadful incident, his relationship with his father and how he lost his faith in God. It is endured with sorrow, horror and sufferings. Revolted by the torture he must sustain, Elie questions if God really exists, “Why, but why should I bless him? Because he in his great might, had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? (67). Elie’s faith is devastated and shaken. He has changed from how he was as a child. Holocaust changes him as a person, takes away his interest in religion, makes him loose his faith, fills him with hatred and changes his view towards the Lord. Right from his childhood Elie was fascinated in his religion and always wanted to study Kabbalah and Talmud even when his father denied on finding him a teacher. This is very unusual for a 12-year old kid. Elie meets Moishe the Beadle and makes him his master. Even when sent to the ghetto, he believes in the Lord and is conventional. Elie has dedicated himself in studying the Jewish religion. It becomes hard for him to lose faith during the horrifying events in the holocaust. “I continued to devote myself to my studies. Talmud during the day and Kabbalah at night” (8). Holocaust succeeds in shattering the faith of this 12-year old child who had dedicated himself for his religion and studying the holy transcripts. Faith is a complete trust and confidence in someone and like
Bibliography: (n.d.). Herzberg, Abel. http://www.auschwitz.dk/. n.d. 6 March 2013. Wisel, Elie. Night. London: Penguin Books, 2006.