Reflections on Night, by Elie Weisel

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Recommended: Analysis of the book night by elie wiesel

Night, by Elie Wiesel, is an autobiographical novel which tells the story of Eliezer, a Jewish teenager from the small Transylvanian village of Sighet. He is 15 when transported to Auschwitz, Buna, and finally Buchenwald with his father during World War II. Eliezer loses his faith, argues with God, and is sustained only by the need to care for his father. As well as the appalling memory of the Holocaust resurrected in this novel, Night bears with it the unforgettable implication that this atrocity must by no means be permitted to occur again. However, what if it is possible that these horrors could be carried out again in present day? Furthermore, have we really learned enough from this tragedy to be sure nothing like the Holocaust could ever happen? I believe after the world has witnessed the wickedness of the Holocaust during World War II, it is very unlikely that such a mass slaughter of innocent people could ever happen again. Nevertheless, that does not mean that I think it is impossible for any group of people to try and make history repeat itself.

My first reaction when reading this book was simply “How could the world have not known about the crimes being committed by the Nazis?” In the novel, Elie Wiesel describes his first night in Auschwitz as “…life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke…the faces of the children…the flames…silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live…never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself.” Amazingly, the world had no notion of what the Nazis were doing, and didn’t stop them until over 11million people were killed. This was because the Nazi party did not make it known to t...

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... them responsible? Not to mention the people of Germany who supported Hitler and allowed their Jewish friends and neighbor’s be subjected to such oppression. Could they also be responsible? I suppose there can never be a right answer to this issue.

In conclusion, Night by Elie Wiesel is a spectacularly written and thought provoking novel. Not only does it tell of one young man’s struggle to survive, but it tells a story for all of those who suffered and died in the Nazi death camps. It brings up maddening thoughts that cause the reader to think and truly understand the outstanding terrors upon those not worthy of the Aryan race. Most importantly, it teaches the reader of the lessons of the tragedy that took place and how we must never allow another Holocaust to ever happen again which is what I believe is the main proposal Elie Wiesel tried to convey in his novel.

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