Essay on Night summer reading

Submitted By cjb4459
Words: 996
Pages: 4
Open Document
Casey Brower
Mrs. Sorrells
Honors 2
25 August 2014
A Test of Faith, Love, and Survival (Theme 4) While the effects of the choices one makes may vary between positive and negative, they will often possess the power to greatly alter both their identity and innocence. Instances of this can be observed throughout Elie Wiesel’s Night. In Wiesel’s novel it is apparent that he and others were greatly impacted and changed by the decisions they made. Sometimes these decisions were made to benefit others, but ultimately most were self-serving. At times the choices one made could even be life or death. Those involved in the events of Night were often pushed into decisions as significant as questioning their faith, their allegiance to loved ones, and bringing harm to others in the name of self-preservation. While most of those sent to concentration camps were there for their Jewish faith, many began to question religion once subjected to such horrid circumstances. One prominent example of this is Wiesel’s struggle to maintain a strong trust in God. Before his admittance to Auschwitz, Wiesel’s faith seemed unfailing, as he prayed every day and longed to study Kabbalah. The first time Wiesel felt anger towards God was shortly after his arrival at the camp when he stated, “The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for” (Wiesel 33)? Even though Wiesel’s perception of religion was forever distorted, to an extent he managed to retain a belief in his faith. While some men who shared the camp with Wiesel spoke of God and his mysterious ways, Wiesel felt differently. He said, “I was not denying His existence, but I doubted his absolute justice” (Wiesel 45). Wiesel was not the only individual whose confidence in God faltered throughout the book. After escaping Gestapo firing squads near Kolomay, not even Moishe the Beadle, the jack-of-all-trades in a shtbil, could bring himself to continue speaking of Kabbalah. Even for the most devout Jews, once one endured the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust it was difficult to not question a supposedly righteous God. Another significant decision made by those transported to concentration camps was if, and by what means, they should support their loved ones. The son of Rabbi Eliahu was one who determined he would no longer support a loved one, namely Rabbi Eliahu himself. During the evacuation of Buna prisoners, Wiesel noted witnessing Rabbi Eliahu’s son running in front of his ever-growing weaker father. Wiesel came to the conclusion Rabbi Eliahu’s son had left his father to increase his own chances of survival, so at this point, Wiesel prayed, “Oh God, Master of Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son has done” (Wiesel 91). Although Wiesel’s decision was more subconscious than deliberate, he did eventually succumb to actions comparable to those of Rabbi Eliahu’s son. After arriving in Buchenwald, Wiesel continued to aid his ailing father, Shlomo, but in a reluctant manner. To Wiesel, his unwillingness to service his father was as contemptible as Rabbi Eliahu’s son leaving his father behind. When Shlomo finally passed, the thought “Free at last” (Wiesel 112)! lingered in Wiesel’s mind. With the emotional and occasional physical tolls one must pay to care for their loved ones, especially in the deathly circumstances of concentration camps, it is no surprise prisoners would make the taxing choice of giving up on family. Lastly, those in concentration camps would frequently opt for self-preservation, even when it meant direct harm to others. On a stop during the transport to Buchenwald, German workers threw bread into the cattle cars only to witness intense fighting between the hundreds of starving men. In Wiesel’s truck, a man was beaten to death by his son Meir for a crust, and moments later, Meir was attacked for the same scrap of food. “They jumped him. Others joined in. When
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Night summer reading

Creative Writing: The Shining By Stephen King

If I try to think back to a time when reading had an impact on me I immediately think of a bright blue-eyed woman. She was slim with long blonde hair. Her real name was Charlotte Elaine Hathaway but, I called her Memaw. Her friends and family called her Lanie, she never liked the name Charlotte. My mom always told me that I was close to Lanie because she was the first person to hold me when I was born. I can remember spending weeks at a time at Memaws house. Some of our favorite things to do together…

Words 1543 - Pages 7

RE: Methods and Experience Essay

Research Methods Case Scenario Tara Millisor General Psychology 111 Research Methods Case Scenario There have been studies that show how participating in activities and interventions, help students with lower reading scores significantly increase their reading scores. In one study, exercise not only builds your fitness, it also boosts brain power, which can help students do better in school and improve grades. Studies show that teens who do aerobic exercise, like walking and swimming…

Words 469 - Pages 2

El Deafo Cece Bell Analysis

Cece Bell shares her childhood in the reading, El Deafo. Throughout the comic we follow her from her first day of kindergarten all the way up to the fifth grade. The story transitions through the years by exercising creative setting details, which evoke time. An example of how Bell addresses this method is by the changing of seasons. The story starts off at the end of summer, before entering the first day of kindergarten. We follow Cece through her new school, which is designed to help her adapt…

Words 339 - Pages 2

The Lottery Symbolism

Summers had made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coal company office” (Jackson 242). With the black dot on her name, she was the chosen one, the one to be stoned. From reading the story the color black stands out most, but it stands out for a reason. The reason being, death, when there is black, there is death. For instance, funerals…

Words 786 - Pages 4

Summer Reading Suggestions 2013 1 Essay

2013-2014 Summer Reading Assignment Note to parents/guardians Below is a list of suggested reading titles for the summer reading assignment. Red Bank Regional High School is implementing a new format for the summer reading assignment for the upcoming school year. Students will have the option of reading any book from suggested list below or students can also choose a book of their choice. There will be a written assignment that is required of the students that will be turned in on the first day…

Words 637 - Pages 3

book talk :) Essay example

pages READING LEVEL: 9 (Flesch) INTREST LEVEL: 8th-10th Grades AWARDS & HONORS: I searched google.com, dogpile.com, bing.com, metacrawler.com, and mamma.com but could not find any awards or honors for this book. SYNOPSIS: Ellis has four days left of her sophomore year, and she can’t wait for it to be summer. But almost every night, Ellis has nightmares, about her dad’s accident that had put him into a coma for almost two years. Her mom is a radio host, and she works during the night, so her…

Words 457 - Pages 2

How Does Harper Lee Build Suspense In To Kill A Mockingbird

brother, Jem, breaks his arm. The kids go to school, and spend their summers with Dill, a friend who lives in Meridian, but comes to town in the summer. Atticus is a white lawyer, who is given a case to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, of rape. Harper Lee uses description, inner thinking, and symbolism to build suspense in the book. To start, Harper Lee uses description to build suspense in To Kill a Mockingbird. After dinner one night, Jem and Scout are in the bedroom. Scout suspects that there is…

Words 704 - Pages 3

Essay about A Midsummer Night ' s Dream and Moon

Shakespeare 4-1-15 The Moon Doth Shine The brilliance of Shakespeare’s “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” continues to transcend through time. Multiple readings and viewing performances of the play have given further respect to the motifs and themes that ascend from the page to the readers and audiences imagination. The most striking of all is the diverse symbolism brought…

Words 665 - Pages 3

Hiram Hillburn Research Paper

in the university and his mom was in home taking care of his other siblings Joseph, Emma, Eliza, Brigham. Every summer his grandpa invited him to spend the summer in greenwood but his dad never let him go. Every time Hiram and his dad fought about going to greenwood and see his grandpa. Some years later when Hiram has 16 years, his grandpa has a stroke and the diabetes. After reading the letter Hiram’s mom convinced Harlan to let Hiram go to greenwood to spend time with his grandpa. Finally after…

Words 663 - Pages 3

Legalizing Marijuana Essays

had to do was cross the street, but I made sure I looked both ways. By the time I arrived at my garage door I was panting so hard I sounded like my dog after he and I play fetch during a hot summer day. It was still warm this time of the year because summer came late, not including that it was the hottest summer of all time and broke the city record of how hot it was; almost 110 degrees. By the time I reached my garage door I was sweaty and sticky even though I live not even one minute away from the…

Words 1065 - Pages 5