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Instructions

At the beginning of Night, before he ever leaves Sighet, Eliezer is a devoutly religious young man. He comes out of his experience in the concentration camps a much different person. Write a 3–4 paragraph essay in which you interpret and describe how Eliezer’s faith is affected by his experiences. Conclude your essay with a section that explains your personal reaction or response to Eliezer’s faith journey. Be sure to include evidence from the text that supports your ideas.

User Troy Brant
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Answer:

In Night, Eliezer is a devoutly religious young man at the beginning of the book. He spends his days studying Torah and Talmud and is deeply committed to his faith. However, as he and his family are deported to Auschwitz and other concentration camps, Eliezer's faith is severely tested. He witnesses countless horrors, including the murder of loved ones and the betrayal of fellow prisoners. In the face of such evil, Eliezer begins to question his belief in God and the justice of the world.

One turning point for Eliezer's faith occurs when he witnesses the hanging of a young boy who is accused of trying to steal a piece of bread. Eliezer is stunned by the injustice of the boy's execution and wonders where God is in all of this suffering. Later, when Eliezer is forced to watch as his father is beaten and humiliated, he feels his faith slipping away. He writes, "Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust" (Night, pg. 35).

As the horrors of the concentration camps continue, Eliezer becomes increasingly disillusioned with his faith. He struggles to find meaning in the suffering he witnesses and wonders why God would allow such evil to exist. Ultimately, Eliezer's experiences in the concentration camps leave him a much different person than he was at the beginning of the book.

Personally, I find Eliezer's faith journey to be deeply moving and thought-provoking. It is heartbreaking to see how his deep belief in God is shattered by the horrors he witnesses, and it is easy to understand how he could lose his faith in the face of such evil. At the same time, I believe that Eliezer's faith journey is a testament to the human capacity for resilience and the enduring power of hope, even in the darkest of circumstances.

User LucasMetal
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