Research Paper On Night By Elie Wiesel

Dylan Rothman
Mrs. Rizk
English II
25 January 2023
Night Essay
In the novel "Night" by Elie Wiesel, the protagonist, Elie, struggles both spiritually and physically throughout the story. The novel is a memoir of Wiesel's time spent in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The physical and spiritual struggles that Elie faces serve as a powerful testimony to the atrocities of the Holocaust and the devastating impact it had on the lives of those who lived through it.
Throughout the novel, Elie is subjected to the harsh conditions of the concentration camps, including starvation, disease, and brutal treatment from the guards. He is forced to watch as his fellow prisoners suffer and die, and is left to question how humanity could be capable of such atrocities. In one passage, Elie describes the brutal conditions of the camp, saying, "We were nothing but numbers, mere numbers. We had ceased to be men" (Wiesel 25). This passage illustrates the dehumanizing nature of the concentration camps and the physical struggles that Elie and his fellow prisoners faced.

At the beginning of the novel, Elie is deeply religious and believes in the power of God to protect him and his people. However, as he witnesses the horrors of the concentration camps, he begins to question his faith and the existence of a benevolent God. In one powerful passage, Elie reflects on his experiences in the camps and his loss of faith, saying, "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky" (Wiesel 34). This passage illustrates the profound impact the Holocaust had on Elie's faith and his perception of the