~Joe Galante, Class of 2024
Sometimes, certain experiences cause people to alter their ideas about what is valuable or important in life. In the memoir, Night, by Elie Wiesel, Elie exemplifies how the cruel experiences in the camps change his ideas about what he values and what he believes is unimportant. Walking with Elie, we observe how he slowly starts to question his religion and his religious beliefs that he once considered a core value in his life. Elie not only lets go of his religious beliefs, but he also starts to question his family’s importance in his life and how he slowly grows more distant from them.
Elie slowly starts to question his religious beliefs and how heavily he should value them in life in the camps. Elie and other Jews are praising their god on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. While all the Jews were praising God, a thought graced Elies head. Elie thought, “Bless god’s name? Why should I bless him?” (67). Elie is questioning his love for God due to the excruciating conditions in the camps. He feels like God does not deserve to be blessed for leaving the Jews in the camps. He thinks praising god is pointless if he has not done anything for them. Ellie also begins to question his traditions as well. At this time, it is Yom Kippur, and it was tradition to fast on that holiday. However, Elie and the other Jews had to think about their own wellbeing. They thought, “Too fast could mean a more certain, more rapid death” (69). Though it was tradition to fast, the Jews were concerned that they could not survive without food in the camps. They endure too much work to be able to fast for even a day. Elie and the Jews are feeling as if they are rebelling their religion by not fasting. In addition to his thoughts about his religion converting, his dynamics with his father were also changing.
Elie slowly grows more distant from his father as he finds himself growing angry at him and becomes more selfish throughout his harsh life. Elie and his father were loading diesel motors onto freight cars. Idek, a kapo, then began beating Elie’s father with an iron bar because he wasn’t doing a good job working. Elie’s father doubled over and took all of the hits. Elie then mentioned, “If I felt anger at that moment, it was not directed at the kapo but at my father” (54). Elie was growing mad at his father for letting himself get beaten by the kapo. Elie is slowly becoming more distant from his father by doing this. Elie is beginning to have different feelings towards his father because of the gruesome activity in the camps. Elie also performed acts of selfishness in the camps. Elie’s father is sick, and he wants to take care of him. Another person in the camps then reminds him that he is in a concentration camp, and he should start to think more about himself. Elie thinks, “I listened to him without interrupting. He was right, I thought deep down, not daring to admit it to myself. Too late to save your old father . . . You could have two rations of bread, two rations of soup . . .” (111). Elie is having thoughts about sacrificing his father to have more food. The life in the camps caused him to value extra bread and soup over his family. Elie was thinking about letting someone’s life used to consider valuable get lost to the Nazis. Elie’s values not only alter his religion, but also change his relationship with his father.
Elie’s religious values and his relationship with his father change in the memoir due to harsh experiences in the camps. Elie’s religious values change as he questions his god and traditions. Elie’s values with his father change as he grows angry at his father and puts himself over his father. One’s personal values are rarely ever changed or even questioned. But when grueling situations arise, one may rethink what they think is valuable and important in order to stay safe.
