Mimi S.-Blog 2

In Night by Elie Wiesel has two major themes loss of faith and family. Loss of Faith is one of the most noticeable changes throughout the novel. Because the Jews were not seen as part of the Aryan race, believing in the Jewish faith was a big part of the Holocaust. No matter how much one person relied on faith before the Holocaust, there beliefs were soon tested to such extremes where they doubted there was even a God watching over them. “It’s over. God is no longer with us.” (76 pg.) While today faith may be more dismissive or less important to modern society during this time religion was important to most. A Rabbi that Elie Wiesel knew began to believe there was no God, and yet felt guilty for thinking that way. Throughout the entirety of the concentration camps the idea that the entire holocaust was just His test for the Jews faith. Many people continued to believe this no matter what was killed whether it was a person, a family, a place, or any other important relic or being there faith would still be alive. A large portion of my family is orthodox, which means they are dedicated to religion and still follow traditional rules of the Jewish religion. To think that any of their faith could be shaken is nearly impossible to imagine. Elie Wiesel aspired to be a rabbi, and is an orthodox jew and yet through such a traumatic event not only doubted God, but doubted himself as a human being.

One of the most haunting passages in Night so far was not about the bloodshed, and carnage but about the prisoners faith being changed. "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people." Elie himself, a Jew, held captive by Hitler’s army, trusted his enemy more than God Himself, an idea he's believed in since as long as he could remember. Elie’s point was valid, although horrible Hitler had promised to annihilate the Jewish population and he was making undeniable progress. It seemed although misguided Hitler was completing every task he began, no matter who it negatively impacted. God to Elie had not provided safety, comfort, food, water or any positive necessity, while supplying plenty of pain to bring down an entire culture. Most followers were taught one thing, if they do good, surely good will come to them. The one question everyone follower must have been asking, What had they done wrong?