Elie Wiesel: Survival and Faith Amidst the Holocaust

Many Jews were persecuted and murdered in the 1940’s. They faced a undodgeable opponent, one that they couldn't escaped. His name was Adolf Hitler and he started World War II. The Jews treated each other like they were enemies, which they had to do to survive. Elie Wiesel was Jew who had survived the Holocaust as a young boy. Elie Wiesel changed greatly through the story. His religion was tested, his relationship with his father was stretched, and his mental state was worn down.

Elie’s relationship with God was tested to an extent that he had never imagined. At the beginning of the story, Elie Wiesel had a strong belief in God. He would never question, disobey, or challenge the authority of God. When Hitler started to follow through with his plans for Jews, this is when Elie’s faith toward God began to be tested. When Jews were being rounded up and deported to camps, Elie believed that God would save them. As the story progresses the challenged to stay alive is hard and Elie’s feelings towards god began to sour. Elie Wiesel shares, “Why should I sanctify His name? The

Before the move to concentration camps, Elie’s mental state was fairly solid. He had nothing wrong with his life or anything that seemed to be important enough to affect his mental health. When people started dying and getting beaten in front of Elie, he began to wear down mentally. He saw babies being thrown in the crematorium. Elie said, “I’ll run into the electrified barbed wire. That would be easier than a slow death in the flames” (Wiesel 33). As Elie progressed through the concentration camps, he slowly declined mentally. He began to think of his father as a hindrance, and would debate to kill himself and not live anymore. Elie's mental health was worn down greatly. He had gotten to the point where the choice of dying was better than living. But he wasn't the only one, plenty of other Jews suffered the same