The Human History and the Desire for the Agony in the Novel Night by Elie Wiesel

The Period of Time When Agony was Inevitable. Humans avoid confronting the afflictions of others, but the impacts of the suffering gives humans a pessimistic view on the world. Sometimes a form of escapism from suffering is unobtainable. In the autobiographical novel Night by Elie Wiesel, the author narrates his story of being sent to Nazi concentration camps. Along with many other Jews, he and his father are severely oppressed. The harsh conditions at the camps cause the author to redefine himself emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

This is conveyed because “night” is used throughout the novel to symbolically represent intangible aspects such as death, suffering, and loss of religion. As exemplified, the word “night” represents many different eradications, including death. Wiesel says, “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night” (32). Even though the word “night” is used for its literal meaning twice, the author is explaining the first night at the camp, which consisted of many deaths: “…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” (32). The narrator says “never shall I forget that night” but also says “never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke” (32). He describes how he will never forget the death he saw that night. Moreover, it is important to note that Wiesel’s father’s death occurred in the night.

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He says, “I have nothing to say of my life during this period (after his father’s death). It no longer mattered. After my father’s death, nothing could touch me any more” (107). In this instance, “night” symbolizes death because Wiesel’s father passed away in the night, and this had a major impact on him.

Furthermore, another aspect that is symbolized by “night” in this novel is suffering. As an example, the narrator says, “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in the camp… Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke” (32). In other words, Wiesel observed little kids being burned, which demonstrates the aspect of suffering. Then he says, “Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever” (32). “Night” represents suffering in this example because the author claims that he will never forget that night, but he also states how he will never forget how children suffered by being burned to death. Likewise, the author says, “The last night in Buna. Yet another last night. The last night at home, the last night in the ghetto, the last night in the train, and now, the last night in Buna. How much longer were our lives to be dragged out from one ‘last night to another?” (79). To put in another way, the author uses “night” as a way to highlight how he suffers throughout his journey. He emphasis the point of how there is never a “last night” and the suffering never ends.

Subsequently, “night” exemplifies a loss of religion within Wiesel. For example, he states, “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp…Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever…Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God…even if I am condemned to live as long as God” (32). This quote portrays that the harsh conditions of the first night at the camp leads to the narrator losing his faith in God. He uses “night” to express how he will never forget the things he saw and how he will never believe in God the same way as he did. It is important to note that the author was extremely religious before arriving to the camps. However, during his time at the camps, the author begins to question his religious views. While others are repeating a benediction, the author loses his faith in God in a flash: “Why, but why should I bless him?” (64). He begins to doubt his religious convictions:

Why…Because He had had thousands of children burned in his pits? Because he kept six crematories working night and day, on Sundays and feast days? Because in His great might He had created…so many factories of death?… Who chose us from among the races to be tortured day and night, to see our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, end in the crematory? (64)

Wiesel not only blames God for all the suffering he has seen/been through, but he also loses faith in the God he once deeply believed in. “Night” is used here to emphasis the amount of ill treatment the Jews received in the camps. This emphasis leads Wiesel’s uncertainty in God. This also illustrates the author’s inner struggle with his own devotions. Given these points, “night” is used by Elie Wiesel in his novel Night to represent death, suffering, and loss of religion. The author is affected negatively by all these aspects. The conditions of the camp reveal how dehumanization consistently occurred. People were killed endlessly or tortured until they couldn’t take it anymore. The thought of survival becomes the driving force of Wiesel’s conscious. He redefines himself as an individual physically, emotionally, and religiously. When he is finally free from the suffering, he isn’t the same person that he was when he had entered the camp. The autobiographical novel Night reveals that works of literature speak the truest of human experiences.

Works Cited

1. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam, 1982. Print.