Night

       Throughout the book of Night by Elie Wiesel, Eliezer has gone through many changes since the beginning of the book. Eliezer has always been very pious, and was always praying to God, hoping to God, and even believing in God. In the book, Elie states, " 'Why do you weep when you pray?' He asked me, as though he had known me a long time. 'I don't know why,' I answered, greatly disturbed" (Wiesel 2). This specific quote shows how pious Eliezer was in the beginnning of the book. It is shown that he prays, yet he doesn't know why he doesn't pray. Although the point I am proving is that he is religious. In the book, Eliezer then states, "I looked at our house, where I had spent so many years in my search for God; in fasting in order to hasten the coming of the Messiah; in imagining what my life would be like" (Wiesel 16).This quote from the book is another example of how Elie was quite religious. His whole life he has been believing God, respecting God, and even fasting for God to prove his beliefs.  Further into the book, Eliezer loses his faith and beliefs in God. In the book, Elie asserted, " 'Blessed be the Name of the Eternal!' Why, but why should I bless Him? In every fiber I rebelled. Because He had had thousands of children burned in His pits? Because He kept six crematories working night and day, on Sundays and feast days? Because in His great might He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and San many factories of death? How could I say to him: 'Blessed art Thou, Eternal, Master of the Universe, Whose chose us from among the races to be tortured day and night, to see our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, end in the crematory? Praised be Thy Holy Name, Thou who hast chosen us to be butchered on Thine Altar?'" (Wiesel 64). This specific passage is a good example of Elie no longer believing, and/or losing hope, in God. Wiesel questions as to why everyone was preaching God. After everything he and his father and other Jews have been through, he no longer believes in hope and God. Elie then wonders why God had created death factories, let His children die in a cremation chamber, and let Hitler just try to destroy the Jews, and specifically the Jews. After all the devastation that Elie has been put through, he had to question his own beliefs, and question his whole existence. This proves how Eliezer changed his ways since the beginning of the book.
     Another example as to how Eliezer changed throughout the book is how he no longer felt sympathetic for when his Father received beatings from German officers. Eliezer used to care about how his Father had gotten hurt, although he had no other choice but to watch him get hurt. In the book, Eliezer states, "My father was suddenly seized with colic. He got up and went toward the gypsy, asking politely in German: 'Excuse me, can you tell me where the lavatories are?'. The gypsy looked him up and down slowly, from his head to foot. As if he wanted to convince himself that this man addressing him was really a creature of flesh and bone, a living being with a body and a belly. Then, as if he had suddenly woken up from a heavy doze, he dealt my father such a clout that he fell to the ground, crawling back to his place on all fours. I did not move. What happened to me? My father had just been struck, before my very eyes, and I had not flickered an eyelid. I had looked on and said nothing. Yesterday, I should have sunk my nails into the criminal's flesh. Had I changed so much, then? So quickly? Now remorse began to gnaw at me. I thought only: I shall never forgive them for that. My father must have guessed by feelings. her whispered in my ear, 'It doesn't hurt'. His cheek still bore the red mark of the man's hand" (Wiesel 36-37). This shows how much Eliezer has had a drastic change. The way he reacted to major things had changed. Eliezer was surprised himself when he didn't do anything about it, considering the fact that if he were to do something, he himself would have received a hit as well. This occurred throughout the book. Every time Wiesel's father had gotten hurt, he didn't respond physically and/or verbally. Same thing with his father, Shlomo. HIs father couldn't do anything whenever Eliezer had gotten hurt. 

      To sum it all together, Eliezer Wiesel had such a drastic change throughout the whole book. He went from believing in God, to not believing at all. The amount of pain and suffering he had been through had changed his way of seeing life as it is differently. Also, to the point where he and his father were getting punishments and getting blows to the head, they both did not even feel bad for each other. It became a norm for them. It was always happening to the point where they both didn't even defend each other. Eliezer and his father knew the consequences they would face if one of them spoke up to the one who was beating them. In conclusion, Eliezer had changed big time. 


Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York City: Bantam , 1960. Print.