Jordan 3rd Post

Elie, you wrote a heat wrenching book that details such inhumanity, yet bring out the specialty of life itself. After reading your book, it is hard to imagine that this actually occurred. As Elie said himself, you can’t make sense of something as immoral and dehumanizing as the Holocaust. At times, I ask myself why? Why would they ever do this? How can no S.S. officers question what is happening in front of them? How can no officers show sympathy for the millions of people that they are starving and working to death? But I can’t answer them, as I have and wish that I will ever experience something like this to find these answers.

            I mean how inhumane to a human be to another human. On bone chilling quote was said by the S.S officer as he demanded them to run faster in the cold snow. “Faster, you tramps, you flea ridden dogs!” (Wiesel 85). Seriously? How can a human be compared to a dog, and then be treated even worse than a dog actually would be? There is no point in trying to make sense of it because none can ever be made. It is just the idea of the Holocaust that makes me uneasy. But after hearing the details, like from this book, it is unfathomable. The one line that I found the most remarkable in the entire book was when he said how “the last day was the most lethal. We had been a hundred or so in this wagon. Twelve of us left it” (103). It is just sad how they really were never given an actually chance to survive. They basically put them in a freezing cold train for a few days without food and water, and they didn’t really care if you lived or died. In their eyes, if you died they didn’t care, and if you lived they didn’t care. It is gruesome and I like to look through the eyes of Wiesel after reading this. With the book, and his interview, the best thing in my opinion is to say nothing.

Ethan Lanciaux third post

Dear Father,

            I understand that you can not go on and that this struggle has taken much too hard of a toll on you. But I’m writing this letter not to tell you of my grief and sorrow but to inspire myself. To almost reassure myself that I must carry on for you and for mother and Tzipora. To tell you that I promise to carry on with the thought of you and my mother in mind. To be honest I struggle to hold on to those thoughts of you. I struggle to believe in myself that I can carry on and keep you in mind. As hard as this is to say, I struggle to feel sorrow and emptiness in your absence. As a matter of fact it is almost a weight of my shoulders. To be lifted of the stress and pressure just tearing me apart. I struggle enough trying to keep myself alive now that you are gone and to think that I was doing that and carrying your life on my shoulders amazes even me. It shows me that I do have the strength to survive anything to persevere through the hardest struggles and come out alive. But I continue to ask myself what you will think of this. I know that someday in the afterlife we will be rejoiced again and that we will look back onto what happened in the camps. I wonder will you be angered that I feel this way. Does it hurt you that you were just added stress in my life? I am angry at myself for feeling this way but I have no other feelings. All I want to say is I love you and hope that you are in a better place in the great beyond. But then again even hell might be better than this place. And I here its warmer there too. 

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

Nicole Mowry Post 3

I have reached the end of your story, the end of your troubles and misery, at least the end of the beginning.  Forever, you will be haunted by these memories.  The story you told was unbelievable, truly.  Your fathers death was inevitable, as he did not have the same inner fighting spirit that you did. Once he did die, you were put in the children's block. This made me double take because as I was reading your story, I never thought of you as a child, a mere 15, 16 year old boy.  Your actions towards your father and the situation forced you to grow up so fast. You didn't really have a teenage life as you went straight from a child to a grown up, a weary adult.  At Buchenwald, he was intensely sick and had lost the will to live.  When he asked you for water, you acknowledged that it would be the, "worst poison for him," (Wiesel 110).  Even though giving in to his wishes and giving him water wouldn't be helpful to his health, you did it anyways because he wanted you too.  That decision must have been hard to make because on one hand, you want him to be able to live.  On the other, you know that he won't be able to survive mich longer, so you obey him.  The loyalty to him is admirable.  A few months after your fathers death, you and those remaining are saved. You just barely escaped death for almost the last time when the SS officers were starting to kill everyone left in the camp (the struggle with the poisoning after being free being your last dance with death).  After your execution is pushed back more than once, the Americans penetrate the camp and the survivors, you included, are freed.  It is still strange to me that you are able to forget about revenge on those that killed your loved ones and put you through so much pain and angst.  And it is not only you, but everyone.  You say that all you could think about was food, "no thought of revenge," (115).
One last thought that I have on the end of your story is of the last couple of lines you say, "From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me.  The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me," (115). These words are extremely powerful and sum up how you must be feeling all these years later, haunted by your past.  The shadow of the past must linger in your mind all the time, making you question humanity and your own actions, but yet you preserve your strong idea that humans have flaws, and we all have these flaws no matter who you are.



Here is a link to an article written by Elie Wiesel himself:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89357808

Caitlyn's 3rd Reflection

Dear Mr. Wiesel,
   
     I must say, I was relieved that you were able to make it out of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. The torture that you endured should never be experienced by any living creature.

     First off, I cannot imagine walking, even running, the distances that you traveled right after the surgery on your foot. Just the fact that you wanted yourself and your father to live is remarkable. Tell me, was it hard to hear that the prisoners left in Auschwitz were liberated, right after you and your father left? I mean, you were traveling on an injured foot, and your father was weaker that you. You were only, what, fifteen? Sixteen? I would have probably given up at that point if I had to help my father travel those distances, in such a weakened state. You even argued with him to sleep, when you knew he was right in saying "it's dangerous to fall asleep in snow" (88). You wanted him to sleep to conserve energy. Or, and I'm sorry if I offend you by saying this, did you want him to fall asleep so he would die, and be better off? It would've helped you. You could have traveled farther faster and not even worry about where your father is.

    How did you feel when you had finally traveled that far, made it that long, and your father got sick? I would be worried. You had used much of your energy to help keep him alive, and now he was dying. Or how did you feel, waking up on that morning and seeing "on [your] father's cot lay another sick person" (112). These men just took your father away from you, literally from right under your nose. The audacity of the doctors to not even alert you to this. How did you feel?

     Then, finally, you got out. The camps were liberated. How did you feel about that, knowing that the camps were liberated just days after your father's death? Were you relieved that you made it out? Or were you angry that the troops couldn't come sooner, to save your father?

     You survived unimaginable terror, and you live to tell our generation about it. Your story will never be forgotten.

Jordan 2nd Post

Dear, Elie Wiesel

                After reading part of your book there is still many questions in my head. The most surprising thing I found in your account was your willingness to lose faith in such an awful time. When you went as far to say “Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in my body rebelled. Because he caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves... Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar (Wiesel 67), I was shocked. As I recalled from the beginning you were sent to the camp in the first place because you believed in that religion. But, when times got bad it shocked me how you deny your own religion. I would think that someone would be praying even more to get help and out of that horrible situation that they were in.

If I were sent to one of these camps I would be the exact opposite. I would have less faith in the beginning, but as times began to get tougher, I, myself would prayting day in and day out, because what else could I do? There is nothing to but pray I would think. I can’t imagine something I have not and hopefully will not experience and I can never say I know what you feel,, but I can think. I wouldn’t know how much my opinion would change now if I was actually experiencing it instead of writing about it in front of a computer screen. But I can’t blame you for your thoughts. You were mad at the time and couldn’t believe that if a God was so holy, why he would test you by sending you to concentration camps. I understand and can see how you formed your thoughts, but I would think that times like these, would test your faith and strengthen one’s belief in that religion.

After reading parts of your book and viewing you interview with Oprah, it is no question that you are a wise, intelligent man. Yet there is one thing in common that I see with both. Was seeing the death of so many children the part that still haunts you today? As you said, you were mad at God for burning innocent children, and in the interview you said “the death of one child makes no sense. The death of millions, what sense could it make” (Wiesel). It seems the senseless death of children can be seen in your thoughts. After watching the clip found on YouTube, it makes me think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-xm6nUbeXQ. Was this why you felt his way about God at that time? Was it the death of innocence children that caused your loss of faith? I don’t know because you are the only one who can answer, and that is why I am asking you.

Shelbee's 2nd post (POV of Elie Wiesel)

Dear journal,

Life here is still unbearable, but I'm getting more used to it. I continue to be treated more and more like a wild animal and not a human. I have been beaten for foolish and unfair reasons, tattooed with a number for identification and stripped of my clothes – not to mention my dignity. I have switched camps and my father is the only thing I have left.

People here still seek God for comfort and a reassurance because they truly believe that God has organized all of this as a test. I, on the other hand have been questioning whether or not I should still trust god or not. Everything I am going through now points to the fact that God is not helping me whatsoever; at this point I’m not even sure if He really exists. “…He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves. He kept six crematoria working day and night.” (Wiesel 67). The only good thing that “God” has provided me with is the company of my father during these gruesome times.

          At the beginning of my journey, even before I came to any concentration camp, I was sort of in denial. I refused to believe that my family and I would ever be taken away. This half ignorant-half optimistic attitude continued even still when families (including my own) were put under house arrest and even on our way to Auschwitz. However, now, as my story progresses I realize that things are only getting to get worse. I know that i have to do everything in my power to get myself out of this Hell, but being oblivious and thinking that nothing awful is never going to happen won't help me at all. Many people I know here have that mindset, but I do not. At times I believe that I will not make it out alive, but I know that I have to hang in there. One thing that is helping me survive this for some reason is the fact that i believe God is not out there controlling these horrid, torturous acts being committed by the SS officer. I am second-guessing all of my beliefs about God, and for some reason that soothes me. Throughout my journey here so far I have come across many delusional optimists, but I have hardened and become a realist. I try to accept and prepare myself for anything that may happen to me in the camp; I will do anything to survive.

-Elie