Themes: Faith and Doubt
When Eliezer is thirteen, he is committed to his faith, studying the Talmud during the day and crying at the synagogue each night. He locates a mentor to guide him through what he believes, based on his limited life experience, to be some of the more challenging questions of Judaism. When Moishe the Beadle asks young Eliezer why he prays, Eliezer considers it a “strange question” because he’s never really considered it before. Because of the cruelty and inhumanity he experiences while imprisoned, Eliezer begins to question the God he has always believed in.
As he witnesses his fellow prisoners turned into smoke “under a silent sky,” he believes that those same flames have “consumed his faith forever.” After witnessing the execution of a young child, Eliezer’s faith is again shaken as he reflects that God must also be “hanging…from [the] gallows.” On Yom Kippur, Eliezer chooses not to fast, as tradition would indicate, because he refuses to accept the “silence” from a God who would allow such suffering. Even Akiba Drumer, who attempts to encourage the prisoners to be steadfast in their faith, eventually proclaims that “it’s over” because “God is no longer with [them].”
The horrors Eliezer witnesses and endures while imprisoned force him to examine the foundation of his beliefs. Instead of finding comfort in faith, Eliezer is angered by the apparent absence of God within the concentration camps. Because he develops such anger toward God during his imprisonment, there is a sense that young Eliezer has not completely lost faith that God exists but is instead questioning the nature of the God he has always believed in.
Expert Q&A
In chapter 5 of Night, why didn't Elie fast on Yom Kippur?
In chapter 5 of Night, Elie did not fast on Yom Kippur both because his father told him not to and, more profoundly, because he had lost his faith in God.
What does the quote "I thanked God, in an improvised prayer, for having created mud in His infinite and wonderful universe" from Night mean?
This quote reflects Elie Wiesel's complex relationship with faith during his time in the concentration camp. While grappling with his spiritual beliefs amid immense suffering, Elie thanks God for the mud that conceals his new boots, sparing him from the Kapos' wrath. The mud represents a small, yet crucial, protection in a brutal environment, highlighting Elie's instinctive gratitude for divine intervention in a dire situation, despite his overall struggle with faith.
What does the quote "This is where—hanging from the gallows..." in Night imply about God?
The quote "This is where—hanging from the gallows..." signifies the death of Elie's faith in God. It follows the traumatic event of witnessing a child being hanged, symbolizing the loss of divine presence and justice. Elie, overwhelmed by the suffering, perceives the child's death as a metaphor for God's absence, marking a pivotal moment in his spiritual crisis and inability to reconcile such cruelty with his previous beliefs in a benevolent deity.
Which literary device does Wiesel use to depict his disillusionment with God?
Wiesel uses rhetorical devices like anaphora and hypophora to convey his disillusionment with God. In "Night," he employs anaphora by repeating phrases such as "Never shall I forget" and "Because" to emphasize his loss of faith following the Holocaust's atrocities. He also uses hypophora, posing questions such as "Where is God now?" and answering them to express his belief that God is absent or complicit in the suffering.
What prayer is said by the people disembarking the train in Elie Wiesel's Night, and why is it unusual?
In Night, what are the results of Akiba Drumer's struggle with faith?
Akiba Drumer's struggle with faith in "Night" reflects the profound impact of the Holocaust on spiritual belief. Initially, Akiba maintains strong faith, viewing the suffering as a divine test. However, his eventual loss of faith signifies a deeper tragedy, highlighting the psychological and emotional cruelty inflicted by the Holocaust. This loss mirrors Eliezer's own spiritual crisis and symbolizes the "murder" of God, reinforcing the theme of spiritual desolation amidst the horrors endured.
How do the prisoners in Night, including rabbis, reconcile their agony with their faith?
In "Night," prisoners struggle to reconcile their faith with the horrors of the Holocaust. Some, like Elie, lose faith entirely, feeling abandoned by God. Others, such as certain rabbis, maintain belief, viewing suffering as a test or mystery of God's will. For some, faith serves as an escape from reality. Characters like Moshe the Beadle and Akiba Drumer initially hold strong faith but are ultimately broken by their experiences, while Rabbi Elihaou clings to belief despite personal betrayal.
What examples of imagery in Night embody the loss of faith?
Imagery in "Night" that embodies the loss of faith includes the pervasive darkness symbolized by night itself, representing death and the absence of God. The quote "NEVER SHALL I FORGET that night..." highlights this symbolism. The imagery of fire and flames, introduced by Mrs. Schächter and fully realized at Auschwitz, signifies suffering and the erosion of faith. Additionally, the hanging of a child and Eliezer's reflection that "God is being hung" illustrates the brutal loss of spiritual belief in the camps.
Why do the people of Sighet repeatedly doubt the advance of the German Army?
The people of Sighet repeatedly doubt the advance of the German army due to a natural human tendency to deny and rationalize troubling realities. This denial stems from the desire to maintain comfort and avoid confronting the horrific truths of the situation. Such indifference and dismissiveness were common during the Holocaust, allowing Nazi atrocities to continue. In Sighet, this mindset led to ignoring warnings, like those from Moshe the Beadle, highlighting the peril of indifference.
How does Wiesel's understanding of God and faith change throughout Night?
Wiesel's understanding of God and faith undergoes a profound transformation. Initially, he is deeply devout, eager to explore Kabbalah. However, witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust, his faith begins to erode. He grapples with God's silence and questions divine justice, especially after witnessing atrocities. Though he ceases to pray and struggles with anger, remnants of his faith persist, as seen when he hopes for his father's peace in death. Ultimately, he survives, feeling spiritually hollow yet clinging to life.
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