Night by Elie Wisel

Zakiya Douglas

Literary Analysis

1/22/15

        In the novel Night by Eliezer Wiesel you encounter the many experiences of man’s inhumanity to man throughout the entire Holocaust. In the story you notice these brutal attacks happening to Elie and his father as they take on the life as a prisoner along with the others. For example, as Elie’s father gets attacked by Franek one of the Kapos because he knew how weak he was and could not protect himself “That present Franek with the opportunity to torment him, and on a daily basis, to trash him savagely. Left, right: he punched him. Left, right: he slapped him” (Wiesel 55). Elie felt the pain that his father was feeling and was upset because he knew he could not help his father in his time of need. If Elie knew he could see that his use of knowledge is the key to success; Ignorance is the key to failure.

        Even though, Man’s inhumanity towards others speaks clearly throughout the book. Elie reveals the horrors that he has witnessed as he and the others approach Auschwitz. “Strange looking creatures, dressed in stripped jackets and black pants, jumped into the wagon. Holing flashlights and sticks, they began to strike at us left and right” (Wiesel 28). Anyone could understand the feelings that were going through their minds when they got on that train. We know they were hurting. We know how it felt. We know they wished it could have stopped. Because of this brutal beating the Jews knew that what was going to happen to them and there was only one way out of it. Also Elie hears that Moishe the Beetle experiences one of the worst things that ever seen in his life, the murdering of small children and people who are alive. “Without passion or haste, they shot their prisoners on by one and offer their necks. Infants were tossed into the air and used as targets for machine gun practice” (Wiesel 6). Why do people do things they should never do? Elie and the others do not understand the things they are about to face and the hard life they will encounter as a prisoner.

        Hence, while in the camp Elie has an encounter with Idek one of the Kapos as he walks past him from work. “He threw himself on me like a wild beast, beating me in the chest, on my head, throwing me to the ground and picking me back up again crushing me with ever more blows until I was covered in blood” (Wiesel 53). Life to man is priceless and should never be taking for grant, but life to man shall always be eternal and priceless forever. Elie then sees how thing work in the camps and try’s to care for himself and his father as well. The life as a prisoner in the camp comes really hard for Elie and his father as the face the challenges ahead of them along with the attacks from the Kapos.