Summary:
Elie Wiesel's book Night describes the various conflicting forces that Wiesel faced during his ordeal at Auschwitz during World War II. The following overview covers how Wiesel overcame these forces.
Life is an uncertain pathway lying before us. As move on in life, we never fail to meet difficulties and be troubled by them. However, with enough courage and determination, everyone will be able to conquer the conflicting forces in our lives. The same goes for Elie in the novel "Night" by Elie Wiesel himself. Having lived through the ordeals in the concentration camps in Auschwitz, he himself can describe his ordeals he had to go through and survive through them.
Born in the town of Sighnet in Transylvania, he was the third of four children. His childhood was very inspired by a religious man called Moshe the Beadle, whom guided Elie in his religious studies in the Talmud. All way going well till one day, Moshe the Beadle was captured and brought away for a long time. The months passed and one day, Moshe the Beadle came back, but not quite the same man as before. He started warning the people that war was breaking out in everyone's lives soon. The first reaction from the people was panic, however as the days passed and they saw that nothing was happening, their lives soon went back to normal. Only young Elie believed Moshe the Beadle, and patiently listened to him rattle on every night that war was happening. Lucky for Moshe, he was able to escape despite a bad leg. He had conquered the fear and conflicting forces during his capture to have the courage to escape from the Hungarian police. That was in 1942.
Then in Spring 1944, German soldiers rolled into his little town. At first, the sight of the soldiers were most reassuring and the people were not afraid as the Germans treated them politely. However, weeks passed and then suddenly the Germans arrested the Jewish leaders, and the Hungarians moved into action. The Jews had just starting to face their worst nightmare. They were forced to wear the Star of David and then, the ghettos. All the Jews were evacuated to the ghettos and were kept away from the outside world. The Jews thought that life was going back to normal, and that the Nazi just wanted to isolate the Jews in one place. As Elie's dad was one of the more important persons in the Jewish council, he had first hand information from the Gestapo. Just as when things were going back to normal, bad news came. Deportation. It was now time for Elie to face the most conflicting force in his life.
Elie and his family were pushed into cattle wagons when their time came to be deported. Their future unknown, they just obeyed the orders in order not to be shot and killed. One of the prisoners in the wagon had left a huge impression on Elie till today. Madame Schachter had gone out of her mind after her husband and two other sons were deported on the wrong day. The separation had made her crazy. However, in the midst of her craziness, she had become a psychic in a way that what she had been screaming about non-stop in the wagon was true during the journey. When they reached Auschwitz- Birkenau, the soldiers made the men and women separated to left and right. It was the last time Elie was to see his mother and younger sister. Elie and his dad were told to tell their ages as fourteen and forty although it was not true. Elie and his father were sent to the save side during a selection. The tough work had just begun. Elie by then was A-7713 and nothing else. Elie and his father were kept for the last deportation as they were "skilled labourers." With God by his side, he was ready to face whatever conflicting forces he had bravely.
After being deported to Buna, Elie and his father were put in the same unit and got he easy jobs to do. Idek was in charge of the unit Elie was working in, and one day his nerves were on the verge and suddenly charged at Elie and beat him up. However, Elie could do nothing but to keep quiet and let Idek do what he wanted. Another time it happened to Elie's father who was targeted by Idek and was badly hurt. Elie wanted very much to defend himself and do something to Idek, but he realized that what he was going through was part of concentration camp life. Conflicting forces was what he was facing. He was being confused as God was always by his side, but why not helping him.
Selections came after a while and everyone was nervous about it. It determined if they would live or die. As Elie and his father were not living in the same barracks, they had selections at different places. They were lucky as both of them were healthy enough to pass the selection. Soon after the selection, the prisoners who were still alive were deported to another camp. It was deportation on feet in the cold winter, with hardly any warm cloth on themselves to the trains. Elie was constantly in pain because of the operation he had just days ago, but pushed himself to support his weak father. Elie was constantly pushing himself in the mind to be strong for his father, but other sons had already abandoned their weak fathers as they were a burdened. By that time, many people were on the verge of giving up and many did. Event he most religious people starting losing faith and were constantly angry that God was not by them. Elie did feel that way, but no matter what, he had to stay strong for his father, although he was secretly feeling constrained by the conflicting forces around him.
When they reached Buchenwald, Elie's father slowly fell ill with dysentery. However, the doctors could not do anything and were told to just leave him alone. His father was constantly being by the people and kept weeping like a child to Elie. Then the doctors gave him advice he had always been thinking about all the time. Elie had to think of himself now that his father was ill and could not do anything to cure him. Elie needed the strength to survive and to him, it was too late to save his father. He went to bed that night with his mind swimming with all the conflicting forces he had to face. The next morning, his father was gone from his bed and there laid another man. The first thought that came to his mind was that he was finally free of the burden with his father beside him. It was January 29. Elie was transferred to the children's block till his camp was liberated on April eleventh.
Elie had conquered his fears in the war, but he had one more conflicting force left. After 10 long years of suffering, he finally let out his thoughts and feelings to the world. He had done his last fear justice by letting the world feel how the lives of the prisoners were from a survivor himself. His mind is finally left in peace after dedicating his book to this mother and youngest sister, who perished in the war.
Elie has since then spread his wings and moved on the United States. Many people look up to him as an idol in finding courage and strength to move on in life after years of fighting their fears and conquering the conflicting forces in life. They should, as it would do them good, it would just take them some time, just like Elie.
This is the complete article, containing 1,268 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page).
