NIGHTNIGHT

Section 4Section 4

Life in the CampLife in the Camp

““For God’s sake, where is For God’s sake, where is God?God?

““WHERE HE IS? THIS IS WHERE HE IS? THIS IS WHERE- HANGING HERE FROM WHERE- HANGING HERE FROM THIS GALLOWS…”THIS GALLOWS…”

The frightening scene that The frightening scene that concludes this section shows a concludes this section shows a small child’s murder. This young small child’s murder. This young death, for Eliezer, death, for Eliezer, symbolizes the symbolizes the murder of his God.murder of his God.

Eliezer comes to believe that a Eliezer comes to believe that a just God must not exist in a just God must not exist in a world where an innocent child world where an innocent child can be hanged on a gallows.can be hanged on a gallows.

Experiencing this murder brings Experiencing this murder brings Eliezer to the Eliezer to the low point of his low point of his faith.faith.

The death of the innocent child The death of the innocent child symbolizes the symbolizes the death of Eliezer’s death of Eliezer’s own innocence.own innocence. In the camp, In the camp, Eliezer has become Eliezer has become someone someone differentdifferent from the child hefrom the child he waswas at at the beginning of the memoir.the beginning of the memoir.

EXAMPLES:EXAMPLES:

1. 1. He has lost his faith.He has lost his faith. 2. 2. He is also beginning to lose his sense He is also beginning to lose his sense

of morals and values.of morals and values. 3. In a world in which survival is almost 3. In a world in which survival is almost

impossible, Eliezer’s most important goal impossible, Eliezer’s most important goal is is to survive for himself.to survive for himself.

4. He admits that he only lives 4. He admits that he only lives to feed to feed himself.himself.

5. When his father is beaten, he shows 5. When his father is beaten, he shows no no sympathy or pitysympathy or pity; instead he ; instead he becomes becomes angryangry at his father for failing to learn at his father for failing to learn how to survive without attracting the how to survive without attracting the attention of the soldiers.attention of the soldiers.

Eliezer’s loss of innocence is Eliezer’s loss of innocence is proof of how a spiritual, loving, proof of how a spiritual, loving, young boy can change under young boy can change under such harsh, evil circumstances.such harsh, evil circumstances.

FATHER-SON FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP

Eliezer’s relationship with his father Eliezer’s relationship with his father is is incredibly important to both of incredibly important to both of themthem, because it provides them with , because it provides them with supportsupport..

However, though it is crucial to However, though it is crucial to Eliezer to remain with his father, Eliezer to remain with his father, even this even this special link between father special link between father and son becomes strained under the and son becomes strained under the stress of the Nazi oppression.stress of the Nazi oppression.

EXAMPLES:EXAMPLES:

1. Eliezer tells the story about 1. Eliezer tells the story about the the thirteen-year-old boy who thirteen-year-old boy who beats his father for making his beats his father for making his bed improperly.bed improperly.

2. It is Eliezer’s great fear that 2. It is Eliezer’s great fear that he too will he too will lose sense of his lose sense of his kindness and he may turn kindness and he may turn against his father for his own against his father for his own survival.survival.

JUMP INTO THE FUTUREJUMP INTO THE FUTURE Eliezer’s encounter with the Eliezer’s encounter with the

French girl who quietly comforts French girl who quietly comforts him after he is beaten by Idek him after he is beaten by Idek the Kapo is unusual. It is one of the Kapo is unusual. It is one of the the few places in the memoir few places in the memoir where Wiesel jumps into the where Wiesel jumps into the future to explain what happened future to explain what happened after the liberation of the after the liberation of the concentration campsconcentration camps..

This can be viewed as an This can be viewed as an extreme extreme coincidence,coincidence,

but in Wiesel’s mind, but in Wiesel’s mind, the fact of surviving the fact of surviving the Holocaust is in itself an unlikely the Holocaust is in itself an unlikely coincidence, a stroke of sheer luck.coincidence, a stroke of sheer luck.

The majority of concentration camp The majority of concentration camp prisoners did not survive. If one can prisoners did not survive. If one can survive in the face of such great odds, then survive in the face of such great odds, then any coincidence is believable, any coincidence is believable, even years even years later, meeting and recognizing a woman later, meeting and recognizing a woman who practiced a small act of kindness.who practiced a small act of kindness.

Wiesel wants to make the point Wiesel wants to make the point that his own survival is a result that his own survival is a result of luck and coincidence.of luck and coincidence.

It was not that he was clever and It was not that he was clever and outwitted, or defeated, the Nazis. outwitted, or defeated, the Nazis. He simply was notHe simply was not chosen to die.chosen to die.