Question

Why did Eliezer admit to being angry with his father when Idek beat him?

Answer 1

Eliezer felt anger towards his father when Idek beat him, a result of the extreme stress and dehumanizing conditions in the concentration camp, leading to a complex emotional response that included regret and self-criticism.

Step-by-step explanation:

Eliezer admitted to being angry with his father when Idek beat him because of the intense, dehumanizing conditions they endured in the concentration camp which strained their relationship. In the harrowing environment, frustration and helplessness could sometimes be misdirected towards loved ones, as is common in extreme stress situations. Eliezer's sense of regret and self-criticism for feeling anger towards his father highlights the complexity of human emotions and relationships under such dire circumstances.

Answer 2

Idek, their "Kapo" or work commander, is a little off-balance mentally, and those who live and work in Elie's unit quickly learn to stay out of his way. In Chapter 4, prior to the scene where Idek beats Elie's dad, Idek has previously beaten Elie -- essentially for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thus, Elie knows how easily Idek can be provoked.

When his dad is, likewise, beaten, Elie is upset at his dad for failing to avoid Idek in the first place. Elie Wiesel (the author) likely included this passage to show just how much imprisonment had changed Elie and the others. As he writes, "I was angry with him, for not knowing how to avoid Idek's outbreak. This is what concentration camp life had made of me" (roughly the middle of Chapter 4; Page 52)