Faith In Night

In his autobiography Night, Elie Wiesel shares his experiences in Auschwitz-Birkenau with his father. Wiesel was one of the minorities of Jews to survive the Holocaust during World War II. Wiesel’s identity changed completely during his experiences in Auschwitz; he lost his faith in God and he became indifferent to his survival and the survival of his family members. How the Jews had faith in god, and then how much the people suffered and questioned him, and lost faith. Therefor its major, theme is how in times of inhuman the strongest faith can be challenged. As Eliezer stated, “ why did I pray? Why did I live? Why did I breath” (7)?

During the beginning of the story, the people of the ghettos had loads amount of faith. They will all meet up and pray together. Eliezer faith is a product of his studies in Jewish mysticism, which teaches him that god is everywhere in the world, that nothing else exists. Moshie answered “ I pray to the god within me for the strength to ask him the real question” (5). The people are grounded on the idea that god divinity touches every aspects of their daily life. Since god is everywhere in the world therefor it must lie good.

The Holocaust forces Eliezer to ask horrible questions about the nature of god and evil about whether god exists. But the very fact that he asks these questions reflects his commitment. In the starts of the camps, the prisoners start praying every night. Praying for god to come. This is when which Eliezer starts to struggle with his faith. Eliezer loses faith in his family. He and his mother and sister were parted at the camp and he has no hope to see them ever again. "Men to the left! Women to the right..." 27). Eliezer beliefs in an omnipotent, benevolent god is unconditional, and he cannot imagine living without faith in a divine power. God silence. As the Gestapo hangs a young boy a man asks, “ where is god”