“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.” -Elie Wiesel
Eli Wiesel shared these feelings with the world in the book Night. Do you believe his experiences have turned him into a bitter person or a more compassionate one? Does he seek retribution? Does he seek to retaliate for the crimes against humanity? Or, does he seem to remember these moments in an effort to communicate his feelings to the world, hoping to ensure the Holocaust is remembered and nothing like it happens again? Find textual evidence to support your thoughts.
I personally feel that these experiences have turned him into more of a compassionate and bitter person. I think he is compassionate for two reasons, one he went through one of the toughest times the world has known. I feel like he has a better understanding of the world because of it and realizes to take nothing for granted because we are lucky that this hasn't come upon us. Two, he realizes what the Germans have done is despicable and uncalled for, yet he has the determination to keep living especially what he has left and doesn't focus on what he has lost. I think he is now more bitter because he wrote this book to show and tell everyone what the Germans have done and what he went through and saw. He has seen images that don't even occur to the human imagination. He has seen actions from the Germans that no man or woman can endure. For example he watched the Germans burn babies to their deaths and watch them throw the babies up in the air for target practice and watch them get shot into smithereens. These are images no one wants to see but for him it was everyday, someone was dying. This is why he is biter he shows his emotions and attitude through this book. I don't think he seeks retribution, only because he doesn't want to stoop to the German's level of immaturity. Elie will not seek revenge or retaliation, he will just hope for the best and plan for the worst. Hoping that nothing worse or of equal destruction or harm like the Holocaust happens again.
ReplyDeleteAre there words he uses that make you think he is bitter or is it just writing about his experiences and exposing the evil what makes you come to that conclusion?
DeleteTo me it is about writing about his experiences and taking what he feels into words.
DeleteThis passage that Eli so willingly states made me see deeper into the point of view of, not only, a prisoner but one who has been in a Nazi death camp and made it out alive. Eli explains his experiences with great detail and emotion. The experiences haven't made him into a bitter person, or a compassionate one. His experiences have just made him more analytical about life itself. Anyone who has witnessed pure evil and the death of millions of innocent people SHOULD feel this way because it is natural of a human being to do so. Eli shouldn't feel the urge to do crime in retaliation towards society because Nazis aren't and never will be part of our society. Yes, they do still exist (Neo-Nazis etc.) but they are not accepted among the main population. I think that it is ok that Eli questions his faith during times in the book. Who wouldn't? Yes, God gave us free will but how could he stand by while so many innocent people died by the hand of such an evil person. Eli isn't a bad person for questioning his faith, he just feels as if all hope is lost.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that he admitted he questioned his faith. It adds a truth to the story. I agree, it would be a natural reaction...no harm in being honest...the readers appreciate it!
DeleteI agree with Matt. I believe Eli's experiences did not make him more compassionate or bitter and that it just gave him a larger and more understanding view about the world. He didn't wanted to retaliate about the crimes that he had witnessed because he knew that it wouldn't change anything. I think that he held a grudge against the Germans because of the immense punishment they put on the Jews and other slaves. He continued to have faith through the most difficult times and accepted the punishment knowing that he will persevere until the end. For example, when Eli was assigned his first job when he arrived at the camp, he was walking with his father towards the building where they burned people alive. He had faith that he wasn't going to die and that nothing bad will happen. When they were told to turn left away from it he felt a huge sign of relief and knew that faith will help him during the Holocaust. Like Garrett said, he expressed his emotions in his book about his life throughout the Holocaust to communicate his life to the world. He hoped for the best to come and that the Holocaust will not occur again.
ReplyDeleteNate, I see the point you are making. What strikes me is how MATURE of a response that is for a young person to have in the moment. Do you think the words he used in his MEMOIR reflect they way he feels remembering or the way he was IN the moment?
ReplyDeleteEli used his experience during the Holocaust to help teach the world a lesson. His goal in writing this book was to tell his story in order to prevent another Holocaust from happening again. I think he became both more bitter and more compassionate from his experience. For example, the Nazis threw bread to the Jews and laughed as they watched Jews murder each other is a great example of this. Eli saw the evil side of humanity. Just this example would have made anybody less compassionate to people. I think that Eli became more compassionate to people suffering and more bitter to those who do not give back to the less fortunate.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that these experiences have turned him into a more compassionate person. The reason i think he is compassionate is because two things, one he want through one of the worst times that has happened in this world. I also feel like he now doesn't take anything for granted and just lives his life free. Second, even though the Germans have done this nasty thing to his race he is still willing to live on and doesn't focus on the bed. He is also kinda bitter because he wrote this book to tell everyone about what the Germans did to them and what he want through. He wants you to feel the pain that he went through. Watching people die and babies getting thrown into flames. watching people be target practice for the Germans. He doesn't really seek retribution because he stays at his own level and does what they say to do. He doesn't seem like the type a guy to retaliate because he just does whats best for them and doesn't want to make anything else worse.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion his experiences turned him into a whole new man. He became more compassionate person at least in my eyes. I think this because he went through one of the most horrid times the world has seen or read about. Because of that now he would not take anything for granted. I also think he became more compassionate because even after everything the Germans did to their race they were still willing to stay strong and live their lives willing. I also find him brave. I find him brave because he spoke out by writing this book. He wanted the world to feel the same pain he did when he went through all the events. And I must say I do feel his pain while I am reading this book.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though he changed into a stronger person. He because compassionate and he stayed strong through everything the germans did to his race . He spoke out and wrote a book so the world could try to understand what the germans did to them and so we could feel the pain while reading this. Not to make us be sad but to think about how good we have it here and to not be so greedy.
ReplyDeleteKelsey steiner
I feel like he has turned into a stronger different person. He was tough troughout everything the germans did to the jews. he witnessed babies thrown into fire and people as targets.
ReplyDeleteEric Rohall
I think the Holocaust made him a more individual person, stronger, and more compassionate. I also feel that he does not seek retribution on the crimes committed he just wants them to never happen again.
ReplyDeleteAlec Leibensperger