Eliezer's Struggle With Faith
At the very beginning of the book Night by Elie Wiesel, Moshe the Beadle claims that "man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him" (2). This statement by Moshe sets the tone for the way Eliezer deals with his faith throughout the rest of the book. Eliezer starts off a very religious youth growing up in the Jewish town of Sighet. From this setting he moves to Auschwitz where he begins to grapple with his belief, and questions God. At points it seems as though there is no more God left for Eliezer, but by some of his words and actions it is evident that he still has the slightest bit of faith in God. This religious struggle of Eliezer ends with his questions being answered, and his realization that there is no God anymore. In this paper Eliezer's constant tussle with faith will be tracked until his very final realization of the lack of God in the world of man. Eliezer grows up in the town of Sighet in Transylvania, where the majority of the population is Jewish and very religious. Eliezer's father is one of the well esteemed Jews in the city council and is looked up to by many. Due to this it is obvious that Eliezer holds God in the highest regard puts all of his faith into the Almighty. When looking back on his p
Eliezer has been raised up above God through his questioning. He feels the better person as he is just and works with reasoning, so in using these means God is very inferior to Eliezer. ast from Auschwitz, Eliezer claims that "once, New Years Day had dominated my life. I knew that my sins grieved the Eternal, I implored his forgiveness. Once, I had believed profoundly that upon one solitary deed of mine, one solitary prayer, depended the salvation of the world" (64-65). Eliezer's has complete faith in God at this young point in his life, and places all of his trust in the Eternal. Even after the deportation from the ghetto, after being piled onto the train to Auschwitz like herds of cattle, Eliezer still possesses faith. When Eliezer and the rest of the Sighet Jews arrive at Auschwitz, they all give thanks to God. "The barometer of confidence soared. Here was a sudden release from the terrors of the previous nights. We gave thanks to God" (24). This is very ironic because the Jews feel that God is aiding them and relieving them of their terrors, and they give thanks. But God is delivering them into one of the most horrific establishments ever known to man. It is as if God has tricked Eliezer and the rest of the Jews into thanking him and believing him. This instant marks the extent of Eliezer's religious beliefs. Eliezer completes a devastating cycle during his time at the concentration camps. His condition grows worse and worse. It starts with full faith, and then questions but still belief, followed by stronger questions, and then ended with complete dissipation of all his religious hopes. Eliezer when looking back at his arrival to Auschwitz, utters these words: "Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever... Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust" (32). This
Some common words found in the essay are:
Moshe Beadle, Eliezer Eliezer, Sighet Eliezer, Auschwitz Eliezer's, Sighet Jews, Auschwitz Eliezer, God God, God Auschwitz, Hashanah Eliezer, Sighet Transylvania, faith god, thanks god, eliezer's father, questioning feels, questions answered, eliezer looking, eliezer rest, town sighet, god god, jewish people,
Approximate Word count = 1254
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
