As our language arts class finished reading “Night”, we have witnessed many changes that have impacted Elie as a person and character in the book. His struggles to maintain his faith. In the book, while Elie and all the other prisoners were marching to Buchenwald, Akita Drumer lost his son on the way. Unfortunately his son was trampled to death. Elie responds to this by asking,” Where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how could anyone believe, in this merciful God?” (Wiesel 73). This quote shows how Elie has changed because in the beginning of the book, it really explains how pious, Elie was. Elie had no teacher to teach him the Cabala, however he finds Moche the Beadle, and Moche becomes the teacher. It states,” We would read together, ten times over, the same page of the Zohar. Not to learn it by heart, but to extract the divine essence from it” (Wiesel 3). This quote differs from the first quote because it shows the change Elie has been through relating to the relationship he has with God. At first he was religious, he even wept while he prayed, but now he doubts his God and believes he doesn't help him in anything. This is one way that Elie has changed as a character, the faith he has in his God.
Another way Elie has changed as a person and character in the book is that he becomes emotionally mature. In the beginning of the book, it states,”I didn't know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever” (Wiesel 29). This quote shows how Elie was separated with his mother, and this really affects him because he is so young, losing a parent and a sister is difficult to cope with. Elie was innocent and naive, his childhood was beginning to fade by entering a concentration camp. In the beginning of the book, he is really devoted to his family, his mother, his sister and dad. As a result, Elie’s mom and sister die. The way he changes is that he becomes mature and focuses on only surviving, once his father passes away, he watches out for himself. It states in the book,” Your age?" he asked, perhaps trying to sound paternal. "I'm eighteen." My voice was trembling”(Wiesel 31). This quote shows how an age difference can mean life or death. Now that Elie is “18”, he has to go through painful obstacles and he has to make sure he comes out alive in the end. It states," I spent my days in total idleness. With only one desire: to eat. I no longer thought of my father, or my mother” (Wiesel 113). This quote shows how he only focuses on himself and the only desire he has is to get food. The thought of his parents do not pop into his head because now that he has no one, he must stay persevered and determined to survive. In the beginning, he is naive but he transforms into a mature, single minded, young man.
In conclusion, after reading "Night", we have witnessed many transformations with Elie as a character. The Holocaust really impacted his life and changed him into a completely different person than he was, back then living in Sighet. Elie changed in positive and negative ways, he lost faith in his God but also started focusing on his survival. He was selfless because he had his dad, his dad was the reason that he kept going and not give up, but now that his father passed away, he shone the light on himself.
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York : Hill & Wang, 1960. Print.
