Damian's+Night+essay

//Damian Castro// //World Literature// //November 2011// //A Dead Issue// “I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep” (112) is what Elie Wiesel a holocaust survivor said after his father passed away. For awhile Elie and his family (his father, mother, and sister Tzipora) were stuck in concentration camps. On arrival to Birkenau the first concentration camp on Elie’s imprisoned travels, Elie and his father were separated from his mother and sister. They were believed to have perished shortly after. It took Elie and his father a while to accept this, even though at heart they knew they’ll never see them again. Then as Elie and his father Shlomo passed selection, their hopes merely started to crumble as they realized what was to come. Later, both of them were sent to Auschwitz and then finally to Buchenwald, Where Shlomo later died due to dysentery during the Holocaust. There has been questioning whether or not Elie abandon his father during this digressing time. These reasons about to be stated are why everyone should believe 16 yr old Elie Wiesel who later wrote the novel **//__Night,__//** did not abandon his father! Elie took care of him when ill, stayed with him though all the hardships, and loved his father most of all. First of all Elie Wiesel took care of his father before and during his time of sickness. Elie stuck together with his father and made sure they each got their rations of food. Even when his father didn’t want soup only water, Elie made him eat to keep strength. Elie also did not listen to others when they told him that he should take his father’s bread and soup. “Listen to me, kid. Don’t forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is everyman 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. Let me give you good advice: stop giving your ration of bread and soup to your old father. You cannot help anymore. And hurting yourself. In fact, you should be getting his rations…” (110 & 111). Though people told him this and things like it he ignored them, making sure his dad receives his rations. Taking care of him no matter what would happen. Meanwhile, Elie stayed with his father the whole time, making sure they never got separated so they could take care of each other. Going through selection was a hard time, full of panic for them. Elie stuck with his father afraid they would lose one another and be alone to die. Hoping to have the strength to never abandon or betray his father like others; “…A shadow had lain down beside to him. And this shadow threw itself over him. Stunned by the blows, the old man was crying: “Meir, my little Meir! Don’t you recognize me … you’re killing you father … I have bread... For you too… for you too …” He collapsed. But his fist was still clutching a small crust. He wanted to raise it to his mouth. But the other threw himself on him. The old man mumbled something, groaned, and died. Nobody cared. His son search him, took the crust of bread, and began to devour it” (101). After losing fate in his god he still prayed for the strength to stay at his father’s side; No matter how much worst the concentration camp was getting. This shows that he wanted his father to make it through along with himself. Which finally brings me to how much exactly Elie loved for his father. If he didn’t love his father he wouldn’t have stayed by his side when his father was beaten for his bread or when he was sick with dysentery. Elie kept giving him water when asked for and made sure he ate. Beside that Elie felt horrible when his father died. “I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears” (112). Elie only felt badly couldn’t weep because his father last words were cries for him and couldn’t even shed one measly tear for the death of his father. This probably had been one of the worst moments for Elie to live through. Eliezer Wiesel went through a lot of changes through the Holocaust. But never did he ever abandon his father. He did too much for and with his father to do such a thing as to abandon him. Caring after his father, making sure not to get separated, and loving him unconditionally are not things a person would for someone they about to kick to the curb.