Wednesday, April 4, 2012

In Night, why do you think the Germans would often choose a Jewish holy day to deliver some new horror?

One of the most powerful elements that is present in
Wiesel's work is the dramatic erosion of faith Eliezer undergoes.  To this end, it makes
sense that the Germans would choose a Jewish holy day to deliver some aspect of horror. 
This fits in perfectly with Eliezer's experience of loss of faith and the gradual
disintegration of his spiritual sense of self.  For example, consider the moment when
Eliezer experiences Rosh Hashanah and hears the invocation of God's name.  Eliezer's
reaction indicates that he is unwilling and unable to pretend as if his religious faith
has not been shaken by what he has seen at the hands of the Nazis.  There is an intense
period of questioning, of rejection and of questioning that happens.  Part of this is
reflective of the fact that Eliezer cannot reconcile a vision of a God who cares with
one who would allow the torment of the Nazis to go unnoticed or unpunished.  In this
light, Eliezer's questioning makes even more sense when he sees that the Nazis take
special and sadistic delight in ensuring that what they do is done on the high holy
days.  This cruelty on the part of the Nazis and the questioning of fath on the part of
Eliezer converges in a powerful way to render a world in which values are inverted and
truth is difficult to find.

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