Faith Lost In God The book Night by Elie Wiesel, tells a story about a young religious boy who begins to lose his faith in God at such an early age. The book deals with the tragedies as well as the occurrences which has happened during the Holocaust and at the Nazi concentration camps. The young boy named Elie Wiesel deals with the death of his family as well as the painful times during the Holocaust. There are many representations in this book on how Elie Wiesel is shocked with tram a at such an early age. With all the painful times during the Holocaust, Elie has lost his innocence and beliefs in God as well.
Even though Elie is a very young boy, he is very serious about his religious beliefs, and studies the Jewish religion almost endlessly. Before the Holocaust began, Elie would go to the Jewish temple every night and pray to his God with all of his beliefs. When Elie was praying at the temple one night, his spiritual mentor Moshe the Beadle asks him, “Why do you pray?” (Wiesel 2).
Elie is shocked to hear such a question because to him, praying is as natural as breathing. Elie believes very strongly that there is a God which should be prayed to. But soon after the Germans arrive, Elie and his Family are deported.
He and his father are sent to the concentration camps. As Elie and his father at the concentration camps, Elie begins to pray to God, but seems to never get and answer. The people at the concentration camps begin to say, “Where is God now?” (Wiesel 63).
The Essay on Burning Flesh Elie God People
Where is God now (A man behind me asked) He is hanging here on this gallows This is where the Holocaust left young Elie. It left him with a feeling that there is no God, or if there is, he is not as wonderful as everyone has been proclaiming that he is. The story begins in the small town of Sighet near Transylvania were Elie lived with his parents and two little sisters. Elie studied the Talmud ...
Which is an example of loss in faith relating to their God. Page 2 Another example of loss of faith in Night, is when the Jews are talking about the secrets of God. It all begins when a religious man named Akira Drummer starts singing Hasidic melodies.
Many of the Jews in the camps like to deal with their situation by praying to God. But as for Elie, he refuses to pray. Elie begins to question God by saying ‘I did not deny God’s existence, but I doubted his absolute justice” (Wiesel 42).
As a week goes by, a young pipe is hanged with two other adults at the gallows. As the three Jews are being hanged, the two adults die right away, but as for the young pipe, he struggles to die very slowly. As Elie is watching the hanging, a man behind Elie asks him where God is at this time and Elie replies, “Where is He? Here He is-He is hanging here on this gallows…
.’ (Wiesel 62).
Elie feels as if it is God who his hanging from the gallows. Elie feels as if the death of the young pipe resembles the same death of his faith in God. Lastly loss of faith is seen as the Jewish New Year passes, and the Jewish prisoners at the camps are celebrating and giving thanks to God.
Before the Holocaust, New Year’s Day was very important to Elie. But now, Elie refuses to give up any prayers or things that praises to God. Elie does not fee like he needs to give thanks to God, but blame him instead. On the day of Atonement, the Jews begin to fast. As a revolt against God, Elie refuses to fast.
” But further, there was no longer any reason why I should fast. I no longer accepted God’s silence” (Wiesel 66).
Elie feels a strong rebellion towards his faith in God. But in his heart he feels very guilty of his actions which shows loss of faith.
In conclusion, the story Night, written by Elie Wiesel, takes place during the Holocaust. The story is about a boy named Elie and his father who live through the experiences and the t tragedies of many concentration camps. Even though religion is very important, it can be lost due to tragedies. Due to the occurrence of the Holocaust, the Jewish people, as well as Elie begin to Page 3 loose their faith and humanity in God.
The Essay on Jewish People Wiesel God Faith
In Night, by Elie Wiesel, there is an underlying theme of anger. Anger not directed where it seems most appropriate- at the Nazis- but rather a deeper, inbred anger directed towards God. Having once been a role model of everything a good Jew should be, Wiesel slowly transforms into a faithless human being. He cannot comprehend why the God who is supposed to love and care for His people would ...
