Final answer:
Elie Wiesel's transformation from spiritual seeker to survival-focused individual in 'Night' demonstrates the impact of the concentration camps, where the need for food overshadows spiritual pursuits. Moishe the Beadle's early influence contrasts with the camps' dehumanization, highlighting the human ability to endure extreme conditions while grappling with the loss of faith and humanity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elie Wiesel's transformation in the novel Night from a spiritually guided young man to a survivor prioritizing mere subsistence is a profound change highlighting the human capacity for endurance amid atrocities. Initially, Elie's faith is significant in his life, deeply influenced by individuals like Moishe the Beadle, who instills in him the importance of questioning and spiritual growth. However, the harsh realities of the concentration camps strip away this spiritual focus, as the daily desperation for food, represented by the symbolic soup and bread, takes precedence. Elie's experiences lead to a profound internal conflict between the maintenance of faith, as seen in acts of spiritual resistance, and the instinctual drive for survival.
The interaction with Moishe at the novel's beginning illustrates the potential for deep spiritual understanding, which contrasts starkly with the dehumanizing environment of the camps that pushes Elie towards a struggle for physical preservation. The soup and bread become the center of Elie's existence and underscore the tension between his physical needs and the spiritual dilemmas he faces, such as his relationship with God and his father. This dichotomy between the struggle for life and the maintenance of spiritual identity reflects on the broader human condition prone to both profound evil, embodied by the Nazis, and remarkable resilience, as shown by Elie and other prisoners.