From the beginning of the book it is obvious that Elie loves his father. However the impression Elie gives us of his dad is a negative. The first thing mentioned about his dad is that he is an important figure is the town of Sighet, but he seems to care more about the community than his own family. Elie also informs us that his father doesn't support his interests and suggests that he treats him like a young child.
In the fourth chapter Elie tells about how his father is beaten for working too slowly. Then the Kapo Franek tortures his father because Elie won't give him his gold crown. He talks about how he feels upset and disappointed with is father for not knowing how to deal with the situation in a way he sees fit.
I had watched the whole scene with out moving. I kept quiet.
In fact I was thinking of how to get farther away
Much changes in chapter eight when Elie is obliged to nearly take full responsibility for his dad. He has to nearly force is his father to go on.
'Father' I said. 'You can't stay here.'
"'Don't shout, son...Take pity on your old father. ... Leave me
to rest here...Just for a bit, I'm so tired... at the end of my
After his fathers death Elie feels extreme guilt for how he felt about his father. " I have nothing to say of my life during this period it no longer mattered. After my fathers death, nothing could touch me any more." (107)
Later in the book after Elie and his father survive the forty-two mile run, they see a man they know named Rabbi Eliahou. The Rabbi asks if they have seen his son and neither of them had. Afterwards, Elie realizes that he had seen him as he had been trying to get rid of his dad (the Rabbi) who h
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