Shelbee's 3rd reflection

The last section of Night cannot be described with any adjective. In fact, there is no adjective that can accurately describe the accounts of Elie Wiesel’s life. No word would do it justice. After reading these last pages I feel not only emotionally distraught, but also as if there is a part of me missing even though I know that I have gained so much from reading Night. It’s a book that will stick with me forever- one that I won’t soon forget. Night has opened up my eyes and I realize now why Elie Wiesel would wish for his story to always be known. It is incredibly important for humans to understand the evils that they can produce.

In the last 40 pages or so of Night all of the victims are more exhausted than ever. Basically any hope that still remained was quickly thrown out the window with the sad realization that in most of their cases, there was not going to be a happy ending because even if they did survive they would never overcome the trauma that comes with surviving. At one point in the story, Elie Wiesel even expressed his lack of hope when he said, “Suddenly, the evidence overwhelmed me: there was no longer any reason to live, any reason to fight.” (99). Like I said before, Wiesel was not the only one to feel this way – many others did too; at one point a person asked, “Why don’t they just shoot us now?” (103). Faith no longer existed in the concentration camps. In addition to this, one of the main conflicts in the last part of Night was between Elie Wiesel and his father on whether or not Wiesel’s father should keep battling to survive. Wiesel would do anything to keep his father alive, but his father wished otherwise and just wanted to give up because it became too agonizing.

Lastly, I must discuss the savagery that was uncovered in the camps and Wiesel’s darker feelings on his father’s death. First off, as the end neared for the victims of the concentration camps, many people became vicious and walked all over other humans to survive. An “every man for himself” theme started to apply when savage instincts kicked in. At one part of the story, when many of the people haven’t eaten in several days, a father and a son were given some bread and Elie Wiesel described the aftermath, “His son searched him, took the crust of bread, and began to devour it. He didn’t get far. Two men had been watching him. They jumped him. Others joined in. when they withdrew there were two dead bodies next to me, the father and the son.” (101-102). I had to read this short passage over a few times just to digest what I had actually just read. Humans resorted to murdering a father and his son – with their bare hands – over a piece of bread to keep themselves alive. This had my mind racing. What would I do in this scenario? Would I or anyone I know today, resort to this savage nature? What would be more important: surviving or keeping my morals intact? I’m not sure if I can even answer these questions because I have never been faced with a similar scenario.

Towards the end of Night Elie Wiesel explains that the Rabbi’s son knew that he was running further from his father and purposefully putting a gap between the two even though he knew his father might’ve died because he was weak. After this, Wiesel pledges to never be like the Rabbi’s son and abandon his father when he says, “Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Elihau’s son has done.” (91) Ironically, when Elie Wiesel’s father is on his death bed, the Blockalteste explains something to him, “In this place, it is every man for himself, and you cannot think of others. Not even your father. In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.” (110). Sure enough, Wiesel ends up ignoring his father’s last wishes; even when he is desperately being summoned to his father’s deathbed. Elie Wiesel let his savagery get the best of him and he gave into his “id” desires and ignored his father to spare himself. Although it seems awful, I have to ask myself, would I do the same thing if I was in such a fragile state? So, I ask you, reader, do you know what you would have done? Would you have given into the id desires like Wiesel? Although you think you may now the answer, the truth is you do not because you will never know how you would react until you are placed in the same situation.

Here's more information on ego/superego/id

http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/personalityelem.htm