David+Angulo+Night+Essay

David Angulo World literature November 7 2011 What is abandonment?

What is abandonment? Have you ever abandoned anyone? The holocaust is a word that describes the time when many people parished do to ethnocentrism. In that time, people had to abandon each other to survive. A survivor of the holocaust, Elie Wiesel, wrote a book called “Night” showing us what he experienced during the holocaust. Elie tells us that he was always with his father all the time. At a tormenting moment Elie lost his father. Thinking that he lost his father; Elie sees that he didn’t abandon him. By the love they had together, the help he gave, and the appreciation towards his father, Elie never abandon his father.

Elie and his father had a strong connection that made them prevent from abandoning each other. Night after night, all the prisoners would weaken and some would die in the work camps. Elie’s father weakened until one day he faded away. At this moment, Elie had a vague thought. “Deep inside me, if I might have found something like: Free at last! (112). Basically, Elie is saying that he sees his father’s death as a good thing because Elie’s father will not suffer anymore. Love is rare; one of the strongest connection that makes you to never abandon someone you love.

Throughout Elies journey, Elie often protected his father. Two words that brought fear to some prisoners were the elections. It was a time when the prisoners were chosen to live or die based on health age and gender. Elie and his father passed, but they had to work. “My father is sick”(108). Elie said to the surgeon. Elie’s point is that he tried to help his father by getting him medication. When you help someone it means that you don’t want to abandon them.

Elie will always have a memory of his father despite he is death. After Elie’s father died, Elie was left with only his father’s memory and abandonment. Elie had a retrospect made him realize that they never abandon each other. “From the depths of the mirror, a corpse has contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me” (118). Basically, Elie is saying that his father thank him for freeing him by recognizing that he didn’t abandon him. Memory is unique; many things happen that sometimes your memories become vague. By a sight, you will remember some things for which you never abandon your memories and the things and people in it.

In conclusion, Elie never abandoned his father dead or alive. By friendship, support and concern, Elie never abandoned his father and never will. A memory of millions of innocent lives taken away is known as the holocaust and will never be forgotten. Revenge, Elie didn’t seek, but a way to make the future be peaceful to prevent what happened to him to other people. Revenge is abandonment because the soul will never rest and might be forgotten, until those who seek revenge are free.