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Loss Of Identity In Night By Elie Wiesel

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Famous Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, once said, “Even in darkness, it is possible to create light.” Elie, being a Jew, was taken away from his family very early on in life. He was forced to live in concentration camps, enduring even the most brutal conditions in order to survive. In the novel “Night,” Elie describes these horrific experiences, as he outlines many events that both changed him, and made him the man he was. In the book, Elie is greatly affected by the events that take place, as the events cause him to lose his identity, question his faith, and impact his willingness to live. The events that occurred when Elie first reached the concentration camps greatly affected his identity. Immediately after being sent to his first concentration …show more content…

Experiencing death first hand, caused Elie to question his faith in God. He doubted the strength of God, and nearly gave up on his religion. This change happened over time, but had a devastating impact on Elie’s mental state. As noted on page 4, Elie stated, “One day I asked my father to find me a master who could guide me in the studies of Kabbalah.” Elie was a very religious individual, who even wanted to improve his relation with God by studying the basis of Kabbalah. This belief, however, slowly started to diminish as the killings and mass murders of prisoners progressed. Watching the lives of his fellow Jews being taken every day caused Elie to criticize God. He was in a state of disbelief as he quoted, “Why would I bless him...He caused thousands of children to die” on page 66. He no longer had the trust in God that he profoundly had in his past. Elie was almost angry that God was not saving the lives of the Jew’s. He continuously challenged God and repeatedly wondered if God’s presence was within the Jewish community. As noted on page 66, Elie questioned, “Why do you (God) keep on troubling these poor people’s wounded minds, their ailing bodies?" Elie’s statements were in opposition to the belief he once had. He was no longer living under God’s hands, and rather at his own

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