Night by Elie Wiesel is a memoir of the author’s experiences during the Holocaust, as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. Although the book to the naked eye seems to simply by another horrific depiction of life in Nazi concentration camps, it was not only written to show the horrible truths about the Jewish experience during this time. It was also a window to the emotional trauma experienced by this people. During the course of this book Eliezer has many of his basic beliefs challenged and questioned, mainly his faith in God and his fellow man. After this horrific experience comes to an end Eliezer finds himself completely changed. “The Holocaust forever shakes his faith in God and the world around him, and he sees the depths of cruelty and selfishness to which any human being including himself can sink.”In the beginning of the book, Eliezer’s faith in god is quiet strong, as he spends every evening studying and learning more about his faith. While studying Eliezer learns that “God’s divinity is reflected in everything around us”, and through his divinity God effects everything on earth, “thus this benevolent, omnipotent being is everywhere and Eliezer’s faith in him is unconditional.” “When Eliezer asks Moshe the Beadle ‘why do you pray’ Moshe replies ‘I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask him the right questions.’” This sentence is echoed throughout the book while Eliezer struggles with his faith showing that faith is not based on answers, but questions. Eliezer begins to question his faith while in captivity in the Nazi concentration camps. After seeing so much inhumanity and death, he begins to seriously question this benevolent and loving God. How could God let this happen? Why would God allow his people to suffer this way? These and many more questions are brought to light because of this ...
