Dictionary.com defines the word decision as “the act or process of deciding...by making a judgement.” Deciding is something we do on a daily basis. Right now, you decided to read this essay. The Wiesel family is a prime example of having to make decisions; especially making tough ones. The Wiesel family had to make decisions which both positively and negatively affected them such as deciding not to escape, lying about their ages, and Elie deciding to not be by his dying father’s side. In this essay you will here from sources such as Night by Elie Wiesel, “There is No News from Auschwitz” by A.M. Rosenthal, and “An Evening with Elie Wiesel” as transcribed by Trisha Nord. The train to take the Wiesel family away was coming the very next day, …show more content…
This horrid process happened many times throughout Elie’s stay at Auschwitz. The Wiesel family was separated as soon as they had arrived. Women were forced one direction, while the men the other. Elie’s mother and sisters went to the right, while Elie and his father went to the left. Elie never saw his mother and sisters again after that; he never even had the chance to say goodbye. A man, came up to Elie and his father and told them to lie about their ages. This decision positively affected them because it saved their lives. If they had told their actual ages they both would have been sent to the crematorium. Elie was told to be 18 instead of 15 and his father 40 instead of 50. Now, they did not have to listen to this man, but when they got up to the front of the line, they did as the man had said. Their lives were saved, for now, by this one decision they made. They were given as good of jobs as you could get in a place like Auschwitz. In “An Evening with Elie Wiesel”, transcribed by Trisha Nord, Elie expresses, “It’s the price I pay for survival.” In order to survive Elie had to make many decisions some of which had very negative effects. Having to lie about his age was the price he paid in order to survive. But this one decision might have just saved his