Night By Elie WieselThe Halocaust, a horrible time for the world.
Just as any war is. War is thesingle most destructive thing our world has. It can take the lives of millionsof people in just a few seconds. War however may seem bad from the perspective ofmany people, but it is even worse from the perspective of a single person. A boyfor instance, trapped between two opposing forces. Elie for example has livedthrough this.
A boy of only 15, how much he has suffered through. During thecourse of the book Night it is obvious that Elie lost faith in his god. “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless hisname? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Poerful and terrible, wassilent. what had I to thank him for?” (31).
This is Elie’s first sign oflosing faith. In his mind he wondered how a god, so great and wonderful hasn’thelped out his people, But rather let them see how cruel people can be. Eliesaid this after he had witnessed babies sent to their doom in a pit of fire. Howcould he not ask his god why he hasn’t done anything.
A boy of 15 years oldshould not witness this, nor should anyone witness these acts of hatred. “Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. “(32) From that moment on, Elie had no reason to believe in God. The flames whichMadame Schachter had spoke about on the train. If only they realized it sooner. God, the most important role in human civilization was going to let theslaughter of innocent people go on in his world.
Many people lost faith duringthis time. The sight of someone being beaten infront of you, but knowing that ifyou help, it’ll be even worse for you. Never shall I forget that nocturnalsilence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shallI forget those moments which murdered my god and my soul and turned my dreams todust.
Never shall I forget these things even if I am condemmed to live as longas God Himself, forever. Never. (32) Something so powerful it could murder aonce very religous boy’s faith forever. He would never be able to turn back likehe once did, to ask God “Why?”. God lives forever, Elie will neverforget these images inprinted in his mind.
It is too hard to forget somethingthat impacts yourself, you life, and the people around you in such a way thatyou lose all the faith you have. No matter how much you had to begin with, youcan lose it in an instance. Just like Elie, no longer can he pray at night, nolonger can he look in the sky and say to himself “Im lucky to have such agreat god to look over me”. I had new shoes myself. But as they were coatedwith a thick layer of mud, no one had noticed them. I thanked god, in animprovised prayer, for having created mud in His infinite and wonderfuluniverse.
(35) Sarcasm, in a time like this, to mock the “Allpowerful”. Its just another point proving that Elie did lose faith in hisGod. How can he believe in somthing that won’t prevent a catastrophe. I know onehas no right to say thinks like that.
I know man is too small, too humble andinconsiderable to seek to understand the mysterious ways of god. But what can Ido? I’m not a sage, one of the elect, nor a saint. I’m just an ordinary creatureof flesh and blood. I’ve got eyes, too, and I can see what they’re doing here. Where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how could anyonebelieve, in this merciful god? (73) Faith, the one thing man has over animals,the belief in a god, the All Powerful the savior of the earth.
But it candissapear, and quickly. If no one believes in somthing than how does it exist? Idoesn’t I no on remembered our past, or left clues behind, we wouldn’t knowabout the civilizations on earth. Even the loss of faith in a single boy canhurt. Especially when he is so young to whitness pure evil. Elie has definitlylost faith in his god.
He may no longer pray nor go to church.
