146k views
5 votes
In the excerpt from Night by Elie Wiesel, Wiesel is in the infirmary when he finds out the camp is being evacuated. He also hears that those in the infirmary will not be evacuated. What does he fear about this news?

User Tom Pohl
by
6.9k points

1 Answer

0 votes

Final answer:

Elie Wiesel feared that the infirmary patients would be left to die by the Nazis, who were evacuating the camp. This anticipation of death and the broader historical context of the Holocaust emphasize the despair and sense of mortality experienced by those in the camps.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the excerpt from Night by Elie Wiesel, the news that the camp is being evacuated and those in the infirmary will not be evacuated stirs a profound fear within Wiesel. He fears that the abandonment of the infirmary patients is a sign that they will be left to die, as the Nazis would not want to leave behind any living witnesses to their crimes. This historically is connected to the broader context of how the Nazis treated those they deemed unworthy of life or a burden due to sickness or disability during the Holocaust. The overall atmosphere of despair and the anticipation of impending death is what dominates Wiesel's and his fellow prisoners' psyche during these moments.

The reference to Dr. LeVasseur and Felix L. Sparks's observations of the camps help underline the grave situation faced by camp inmates during the war and the shock encountered by liberating forces respectively, reinforcing the horror that Wiesel feared. The additional excerpts similarly explore the themes of fear, desperation, and the struggle for survival, which were common experiences for many during the traumatic events of World War II, be they on the front lines or in the grip of the Holocaust.

User Ricick
by
7.5k points