Ellie's experience during the Holocaust has changed him as a person by changing is religion/ faith. In the beginning of the book he was very pious on page three it states that, "We talked this nearly every evening. We used to stay in the synagogue after all of the fateful had left, sitting in the gloom, where a few half-burned candles gave a flickering light (Weisel)." This quote shows that he is pious because he used to hang out with Moshe the Beatle and they always stayed after hours in the synagogue when everyone was gone. Another quote from the book that shows that he is pious is, "One day I asked my father to find me a master to guide me in my studies of the calaba (Weisel page 1)." This quote shows that Elise is very interested in his religion that he seeks out a guide to help lead him in his religious studies. This is why I chose these two quotes to show the reader that he was very pious in the beginning of the book.
Later on in the book he starts changing. For example in the book it states that, "I too had become a completely different person. The student of the Talmud, the child that I was, had been consumed in the flames. There remained only a shape that looked liked me. A dark flame had entered my soul and devoured it (Weseil page 34)." This quote shows that when he was with his father he saw him change first then Eli's think about himself and now he knows that he has changed as well after everything that has happened to him. Another quote from that book is, "NEVER SHALL I FORGET that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned yo live as long as God Himself. Never (Weisel page 32)." This quote shows that Elie hasn't forgotten anything about his experience during the Holocaust and how he feels about God. This quote doesn't just show how Elie lost his faith, but what is does show was that he was angry that this has happened to him. He lost his mother and his sister now he just has his father he is angry and disappointed.
Another change that was caused by his experience during the Holocaust was his relationship with his father. For example In the book it states that, "My father's presence was the only thing that stopped me... I had no right to let myself die. What would he do without me? I was his only support (Weisel page 82)." This quote shows that Elie suddenly thought no longer about himself, but thought about his father. Him and his father are glued together and they don't have anything else, but each other. They don't want to lose sight of themselves and they kept each other going. Another quote from the book that shows that they have is strong relationship is that, "I listened to him without interrupting. He was right I thought in the most secret region of my heart, but I dared not to admit it. It's too late to save your old father, ... but I felt guilty. I ran to find a little soup to give to my father (Weisel page 105)." This quote shows that Elie was enduring a big problem. His father was sick and dying with every minute that passed Elie was confronted by the head of his block in Buchenwald. The head said to Elie to fend for himself. He said that his father was going to die and he should just take his rations due to his fathers condition. Elie knew that, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He instead went to help his dying father.
Weisel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam , 1958. Print.
