Intimate Relationships In Elie Wiesel's Night

Elie Wiesel considers the nature of intimate relationships during the Holocaust in his book titled Night. Night reveals that kind human interactions are essential during such traumatic events. My thesis is that there are three main responsibilities people have towards each other during times of tragedy; friends and family must provide each other with comfort, motivate one another, and be understanding so that they can help each other through the most challenging times of their lives.

During times of distress, individuals must comfort one another. Elie and his father attempted to give solace to each other while in the concentration camps. For instance, when talking about Elie’s mother and sister, both Elie and his father portrayed optimism and assured one

Pain and suffering can make one say and do things that they otherwise would not. For instance, when Elie’s father was being beaten in front of him, Elie did not try to help him; he “had not even blinked” due to the fear he felt. Nonetheless, his father understood Elie’s actions and whispered, “It doesn’t hurt,” to make Elie feel less remorseful. Elie felt guilty for not doing anything to help his father, and if it had not been for his father understanding his actions, guilt could have consumed Elie to such a degree that it would have made it more difficult to live. By showing that he understood his son, Elie’s father made Elie’s survival more probable. Later in the book, after the young boy was hanged, Elie again felt as if his father understood him. He took his father’s hand, kissed it, and they sat in silence together. “Never before had we understood each other so clearly,” wrote Elie. One knowing that he or she is not alone and is understood by someone else can help them get through grim periods. Elie and his father understood each other and were overcoming struggles together, which helped both of them survive for as long as they