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Symbolism In Night By Elie Wiesel

Decent Essays

This quotes from Elie Wiesel's Night is one of the more famous quote from the novel. This passage occurs just after Eliezer and his father realize they have survived the first selection at Birkenau. This is also one of the first sections that he shows his loss of faith in his religion. This particular passage holds a lot of underlining themes that present themselves again throughout the book. When analyzing the text the first part states one long night this can show the theme of darkness and the terrible acts that happen throughout his time in the concentration camps. Going on with that same section the seven seals come from the Kabbalah, teachings of Jewish mysticism. As a soul takes a mystical journey to approach God and or death, it must pass through seven gates each guarded by fire and …show more content…

So he is saying he will never forget all the death that he was witness to. In the next passage he says he will never forget the faces of the children. Again he is referring to death and he will especially never forget the forget the children who died. Then he contrasts this awfulness with the thought of a beautiful blue sky. This could also symbolize the souls of the children going to heaven. Then he states that the flames consumed his faith forever meaning he is starting to lose faith in his God because of all the horrific things he is seeing. Again he is referring to night and again bringing up the theme of darkness and horror. It is also stated that what he is seeing is depriving him of his will to live. The next section again states his lose of faith and how these events have crushed his dreams. Coming back to when he said he no longer had a desire to live he is saying that if he were to live forever or as long as God he would not want to because of how these memories would haunt him forever. He is saying that eternal life to him would be a punishment and a curse that he wishes not to

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