Examples Of Alienation In Night By Elie Wiesel

Eliezer, at the time a young Jewish boy, lived in his hometown of Sighet with his father Shlomo, his mother and three sisters Hilda, Bea and the youngest Tzipora. Shlomo was a very busy community leader who was well respected among the Jewish. Shlomo was so involved in the community his duties left little time for interaction with his son. Eliezer recalls “ He rarely displayed his feelings, not even within his family, and was more involved with the welfare of others than with that of his own kin.” (Wiesel, 4). Eliezer speaks about the lack of communication in his early years and displays some sort of resentment towards his father’s alienation. As a young boy Eliezer studies the Talmud and Jewish mystical texts of the Cabbala, an usual study for a teenager and one that was against his fathers wishes.

In 1944 the Nazi invaded Hungary, forcing all

At this time Eliezer him self had become the “Patriarch” and still reassured his father that he would not die. Around this time his father had contracted dysentery, limiting his ability to work and move about. Throughout this ordeal Eliezer and his father help each other survive by means of mutual support and concern. I believe by this time Eliezer was so mentally abused he didn’t know what he believed in any more. As Eliezers father grows weaker from dysentery, he helps his father while at the same time questioning his own beliefs about family. On his fathers last night, Shlomo calls out for water in the silence, the guards yelled at him to be quiet. As he kept calling out for his son the guards hit him violently on the head with their truncheon. Eliezer afraid to move doesn’t stay with his father as he is dying and calling out his name; after an hour of painful listening, Eliezer goes to sleep. When Eliezer awakens another sick prisoner had replaced his father. “ I did not weep and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears” (Wiesel,