Night+Essay+Janet+Tamayo

Janet Tamayo World Literature November 2011 “Night” __Elie’s abandonment: Essay__

In a situation of survival or death, should you look out for yourself or others too? Should you leave someone behind or stick with that person no matter what? Well during the Holocaust, which was a planned persecution of the Jews by the Nazi Party, this was a tough decision. Many of the victims stuck through with their families and did not give up on each other. Although, many others decided to keep on going alone and abandon those who they used to look up to. They thought their life at the Concentration Camps, also know as labor camps, would carry on easier for them. As drastic as a situation is, no one should abandon anyone. In the book called Night Elie Wiesel, the author and survivor of the holocaust, did abandon his father. Elie did abandon his father because even though it was his responsibility to look out for him, Elie felt he was carrying a burden and constantly doubted that taking care of his father was worth it. Also, in his father’s last hours, Elie didn’t help. Last but not least, after his father’s death, Elie was selfish to only think about himself and not lament his father’s death at all.

Elie did abandon his father because he felt looking out for his father was too much of a responsibility. Many times, he constantly doubted that taking care of his father was worth it because helping his father held him back. This is proved in the book when Elie and his father arrived at the concentration camp in Buchenwald. For example, when Elie, his father, and the rest had been told that they would be taking a shower, Elie’s father didn’t wanted to keep on going. He was weak and deeply exhausted. Therefore, Elie’s father had given up and stayed behind while Elie was looking forward to that shower. Later that day, Elie did everything he was ordered to do and at night when they all went to sleep, he forgot about his father. Until the next morning, when Elie woke up he remembered his father was left outside in the snow and went to look for him. Yet at the same time a thought consumed his mind: “If only I didn’t find him! If only I were relieved from this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care only of myself...” (106). In other words, Elie believes that he would have felt free if he had not found his father because he wouldn’t have to look out for him anymore and just worry about him self. This is one of the three reasons why Elie did gave up on his father during their imprisonment.

Furthermore, in Mr. Wiesel’s final hours Elie didn’t help him, and therefore Elie did abandon him. For example, Elie’s father was burning up from the inside and was begging for water. Elie gave him some water knowing that water was the worst poison for him. Moments later, Elie’s father was pleading for more water but this time an SS Officer, passing through the bunks, told him to be quiet. Elie’s father seemed not to listen and continued pleading. He was calling for Elie. It took the officer to shout twice at Mr. Wiesel before he wielded his club and dealt him a violent blow to the head. Elie didn’t move nor approached his dad. He stayed there paralyzed while his father, still breathing, was calling his name. “No prayers were said over his tomb. No candle lit in his memory. His last word had been my name. He called out to me and I had not answered” (112). Basically, Elie is saying that nothing was done for his father’s memory. He knew his father was calling for him shortly before he died, but still decided to ignore it and not check to see what he wanted. For what we as readers all know, he probably wanted to say something really important to Elie before he died. Also, no one prayed for him nor lit a candle like most people do in memory of someone who passes away. This is the second reason showing Elie’s abandonment towards his dad.

Finally, Elie did abandon his father because after his death Elie was being selfish. He only thought about himself and did not lament his father’s death at all. According to the novel, the day after the SS officer hit Elie’s father in the head with his club, Elie woke up at dawn and found himself looking at another sick person laying on his father’s cot. Elie knew his father must have been taken to the crematorium. He thought perhaps his father was still breathing, but it didn’t matter anymore. He was gone already, and there was nothing that Elie could’ve done to bring his father back. It would have been reasonable or understandable if Elie had expressed sorrow or pain because after all, that was his father and the only person he had left. Although, his father’s death was not what pained him. For example, in the book he says, “I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if i could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!...” (112). Basically, Elie is saying that he could not cry for the death of his father and that hurt him more than his actual death. Instead, all he could think was that after so long he was finally set free which showed that Elie did abandon his father.

In conclusion, Elie was taking responsibility of his father when deeply inside he didn’t want to. He ignored his father when his last words had been his name and was not pained about his father’s death. Even though Elie was with his father most of the time and took somewhat care of him, he still abandoned his father because a person that doesn’t abandon others will help others willingly and not grudgingly. Also, a person that doesn’t abandon would help and be there for those who are facing death in a matter of time. Elie failed to show this because he didn’t try to help nor bother to approach his dad when he was dying. Last but not least, a person who doesn’t abandon won’t think only about him/her self in drastic situations from start to end. Elie also failed in showing this because in the end, he had no reaction towards his father’s death. The only thought in his conscience was that he was finally free. These are the three reasons that prove that Elie Wiesel did abandon his father Mr. Wiesel during their horrible and unforgettable experience.