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Jesse Brunson
Mrs. Crowell
Advanced Composition
7 November 2016
Change in the Night
Elie Weisel writes the beautiful memoir, Night, explaining the tragic journey he
encounters through life in the camps. He soon learns what matters in life during this horrid
venture. Before Night, Elies relationships, religious beliefs, and everyday morals mirror those of
an everyday person, and possibly even more in-depth. However, Elie details his belief
transformations virtually in a single second. Elie realizes that he changes because of the camps
environments, the Nazis behavior toward the prisoners, and the overall outlook concerning the
Holocaust, which Hitler and the other Nazi soldiers provide. For example, all three previous
aspects lead to his continuation in the belief of God, but the decline in his Jewish faith, and also
the realization that he cannot help everybody. Night teaches Elie he should remain true with his
beliefs but not necessarily his faith, and proves the extremes he will be faced with to protect his
father and to survive.
Elie explains why the environment changes him during the memoir, physically and
mentally. For example, he says The student of Talmud, the child I was, had been consumed by
the flames. All that was left was a shape that resembled me. My soul had been invaded- and
devoured- by a black flame (37). The camp environment alone, changes his outlook overnight:
A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this, with my
own eyes children thrown into the flames. (Is it any wonder that ever since then, sleep tends to

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elude me?) (32). Also, Elies crematoria introduction provides an extremely breathtaking
thought. When Elie explains how he would rather run into the electrified barbed wire, than die
in a slow death of flames, shows that this short time within the camp has already taken away
his morals, religion, and who he is as a person (33). Another inspiring moment occurs when Elie
details the signs everywhere reading: WARNING! DANGER OF DEATH. What irony. Was
there here a single place where one was not in danger of death? (40). Reading this everywhere
he goes, plays a contribution role in his changing as a person, and the effect on his mind. This
living environment constantly pushes him to believe he will die soon, and causes him belief that
living does not matter anymore. Nevertheless, Elie meets a few other prisoners who keep him
going throughout his camp days: Ahead of you lies a long road paved with suffering. Dont lose
hope. You have already eluded the worst danger: the selection. Therefore, muster your strength
and keep your faith (41). Having random prisoners influencing Elies prospering decision by
pushing faith, might have had a contribution in the loss of it.
Elie changes because of the Nazis behavior, not just toward Elie, but toward every
prisoner including his father. Elie provides a vivid example provoking a personality change, his
fathers sudden colic attack. He shows how his father arose simply asking a Gypsy inmate where
a restroom was: Then, as if waking from a deep sleep, he slapped my father with such force that
he fell down and then crawled back to his place on all fours (39). His explanation shows why
this traumatic experience hurts him so much, and what it continually does to him. He says, I
stood petrified. My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. Only
yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminals flesh (39). At this moment, Elie
realizes the change he has already encountered. This allows him further knowledge coming soon.

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He asks himself: had he really changed that much, so fast? Just this one experience of brutal Nazi
behavior has changed Elie forever, however, this is not the only episode.
Another life changing moment for Elie occurs where he works with the French girl, the
warehouse: One day when Idek was venting his fury, I happened to cross his path. He threw
himself on me like a wild beast, beating me in the chest, on my head, throwing me to the ground
and picking me up again, crushing me with ever more violent blows, until I was covered in
blood (53). Elie displays this as a huge moment, allowing realization that he is not a person
anymore, just another number, another thing to the Nazis. However, the French girl helps him
control his anger towards the Nazis, she urges him to wait until the time is right. Throughout
Night, Elie provides excruciatingly vivid stories that explain the behavior of the Nazis, that teach
himself and the reader reaction tips certain situations.
Lastly, Night explains how the Holocaust affected its survivors. Ending the summer, Elie
introduces Rosh Hashanah. He explains the agitation and tension everybody feels. The camps
drive many people away from their faith, including Elie. The moment where he expresses this
thought is when many people are coming for the solemn service participation: Why, but why
would I bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn
in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath
and Holy Days? (67). Elie questions Gods authority, showing he has lost faith: How could I say
to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us among all nations to
be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the
furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine alter?
(67). Eventually, he notices how his faith lack will eventually make him stronger. Not only does
it make him stronger, but allows survival until the end: On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was

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the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world
without God, without man. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this
Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long (68). Elie realizes he is the only one who
can protect himself from the world. He learns that moment, nothing else should matter.
Elie takes the reader along his tragic life journey through the Holocaust, providing
solemn reasoning concerning loss of faith, and his change in perspectives. Experiencing Elies
transformation of relationships, religious beliefs, and morals, allows the reader to put their own
life into perspective, and think about the things that matter. Elies environmental reasoning
examples, Nazis brutal behavior, and the overall idea of the Holocaust, proves why he changes as
a person forever. Staying true to his beliefs and the people he cares about shows just how
amazing he was.

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Work Cited
Wiesel, Elie, and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar,
Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print.