Night Essay, Research Paper

Night

The Halocaust, a horrible time for the world. Just as any war is. War is the single

most destructive thing our world has. It can take the lives of millions of people in just a

few seconds.War however may seem bad from the perspective of many people, but it

is even worse from the perspective of a single person. A boy for instance, trapped

between two opposing forces. Elie for example has lived through this. A boy of only

15, how much he has suffered through. During the course of the book Night it is obvious

that Elie lost faith in his god.

“For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless his name? The

Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Poerful and terrible, was silent. what had I to thank

him for?” (31). This is Elie’s first sign of losing faith. In his mind he wondered how a god,

so great and wonderful hasn’t helped out his people, But rather let them see how cruel

people can be. Elie said this after he had witnessed babies sent to their doom in a pit of

fire. How could he not ask his god why he hasn’t done anything. A boy of 15 years old

should not witness this, nor should anyone witness these acts of hatred.

“Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.” (32) From

that moment on, Elie had no reason to believe in God. The flames which Madame

Schachter had spoke about on the train. If only they realized it sooner. God, the most

important role in human civilization was going to let the slaughter of innocent people go

on in his world. Many people lost faith during this time. The sight of someone being

beaten infront of you, but knowing that if you help, it’ll be even worse for you.

Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me,

for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those

moments which murdered my god and my soul and turned my

dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things even if I am

condemmed to live as long as God Himself, forever. Never. (32)

Something so powerful it could murder a once very religous boy’s faith forever.

He would never be able to turn back like he once did, to ask God “Why?”. God lives

forever, Elie will never forget these images inprinted in his mind. It is too hard to forget

something that impacts yourself, you life, and the people around you in such a way that

you lose all the faith you have. No matter how much you had to begin with, you can lose

it in an instance. Just like Elie, no longer can he pray at night, no longer can he look in the

sky and say to himself “Im lucky to have such a great god to look over me”.

I had new shoes myself. But as they were coated with a thick layer

of mud, no one had noticed them. I thanked god, in an improvised

prayer, for having created mud in His infinite and wonderful

universe. (35)

Sarcasm, in a time like this, to mock the “All powerful”. Its just another point

proving that Elie did lose faith in his God. How can he believe in somthing that won’t

prevent a catastrophe.

I know one has no right to say thinks like that. I know

man is too small, too humble and inconsiderable to seek

to understand the mysterious ways of god. But what can

I do? I’m not a sage, one of the elect, nor a saint. I’m

just an ordinary creature of flesh and blood. I’ve got eyes,

too, and I can see what they’re doing here. Where is the

divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how

could anyone believe, in this merciful god? (73)

Faith, the one thing man has over animals, the belief in a god, the All Powerful

the savior of the earth. But it can dissapear, and quickly. If no one believes in somthing

than how does it exist? I doesn’t I no on remembered our past, or left clues behind, we

wouldn’t know about the civilizations on earth. Even the loss of faith in a single boy can

hurt. Especially when he is so young to whitness pure evil. Elie has definitly lost faith in

his god. He may no longer pray nor go to church.