~James Collin, Class of 2024
Kindness and generosity can exist in times of cruelty and suffering. The book Night, by Elie Wiesel, illustrates the author’s experiences in the concentration camps during World War 2. Throughout the entire memoir, there are many examples of horrific acts and crimes committed against millions of Jews. The author also shines a light upon the kindness that he offers as well as the kindness that he received in the camps.
Eliezer experienced many horrific things, but he was often helped by his fellow prisoners. While working in the warehouse sorting building materials, the Kapo Idek would go into fits of rage pretty regularly. Eliezer was unlucky enough to cross paths with him amidst one of his tantrums. He was severely battered and bruised and was needing lots of help. “I felt a cool hand wiping the blood from my forehead. It was the French girl. She was smiling her mournful smile as she slipped me a crust of bread. She looked straight into my eyes” (53). The French girl helped Elizer out when he needed it. A crust of bread meant a lot to a prisoner and her giving him one is a strong act of kindness. Even through the hardships that the prisoners endured, the French girl was able to make Elizers situation better. Right around the time of Eliezer and his father’s first arrival, they were about to face their first selection. The selections were made to choose which people were fit to work and which people were too weak to work and would be killed. “‘No.’ The man now sounded angry. ‘Not fifty. You’re 40. Do you hear me? 18 and 40’” (30). This Veteran Prisoner helped out Eliezer and his dad in a very big way. They didn’t even know it at the time, but if they hadn’t lied about their age they most likely would have been killed. The prisoner didn’t have to help out Eliezer and his father but he did, which ended up saving their lives. Even during the dark times they were facing, The inmate was able to do Eleizer a big favor. In contrast to all of the atrocities that Eliezer experienced in the camps, he was offered many small acts of kindness throughout the whole story.
While Eliezer spent time in the camps, he also showed kindness to his fellow inmates. Once winter had started to wear on the prisoners’ bodies, Eleizer’s foot started to swell from the cold. He wasn’t able to stand on it at all. He went to the doctor and the doctor determined that he had to operate. He had to stay in the infirmary where he was given a bed with sheets to sleep on and more food. His father, however, was still slaving away in the cold. “From time to time I was able to send bread to my father” (78). When Eliezer was put into a situation where he had much more than any other prisoner, he could have kept all of the food he was getting to himself. Instead, he gave some bread to his father. This most likely helped his father get through the winter much easier than if he didn’t have food. Once Eliezer and the rest of the prisoners from Auschwitz had arrived at another concentration camp called Buchenwald, his father had grown deathly ill. He was exhausted and wanted to rest in the snowbanks. Eliezer noticed that many others had done the same and were now corpses. “‘Father,’ I said ‘you cannot stay here”’ (105). If it weren’t for Eliezer being there to help his father out, he likely would have died. Even in the worst situation in the entire book, Eliezer was able to push through and help the people closest to him. While Eliezer was dealing with his problems in the camps, he was still able to provide help to the other prisoners.
Throughout the entire book, there were many acts of kindness even in such dire situations. The other prisoners gave their help and showed Eliezer kindness. Eliezer also did his part to help the other prisoners get through the death camps even when he didn’t have to. Even though the concentration camps were horrible and dehumanizing to the prisoners, some people were able to keep their identity and be kind to the other prisoners. In times of suffering, kindness can go a long way, even if it’s a small amount of it.
