`Night` By Elie Wiesel

In Elie Wiesel 's Holocaust memoir , Night , the main character is a young boy named Eliezer . Eliezer is an Orthodox Jew , forced into Nazi captivity and housed at two of the most deadly German concentration camps , Birkenau and Auschwitz . Eliezer loses his family and many of his friends during his tenure at these camps , but he manages to save himself from being killed by the German SS officers as a result of several of Eliezer 's inherent characteristics

Eliezer , unbeknownst to himself , has amazing power of self-preservation . While this trait may come

across as selfish behavior at times , it is one of the major reasons that Eliezer is able to endure the harsh punishments and grueling work schedule that the Birkenau and Auschwitz camps were infamous for . Eliezer 's actions or lack thereof throughout his internment at the German concentration camps are based solely on his own survival . The first time that the reader starts to see this trait appear in Eliezer is at Birkenau when Eliezer 's father has a colic attack and asks the Gypsy inmate where the bathroom is . The Gypsy inmate attacks Eliezer 's father and Eliezer does not act . I stood petrified . What had happened to me ? My father had just been struck in front of me and I had not even blinked (p . 39 . Under normal circumstances , Eliezer would have attacked the Gypsy for striking his father , but in to preserve his own well being , Eliezer does nothing . Again , when Eliezer and his father have been sent to Buna , the Kapo , Idek , beats Eliezer 's father in an outrage because he is an old loafer . Eliezer 's thoughts at this event reflect his need to save his own life , If I felt anger at that moment , it was not directed at the Kapo , but at my father (p . 54 . Eliezer does not show concern for his father , rather an annoyance at the fact that he could not avoid the wrath of the Kapo . Eliezer realizes that making any attempt to break up this fight could cost him his own life , and thus , he remains silent

Eliezer is portrayed as a very religious young man when this story begins . Eliezer is an Orthodox Jew whose belief in his God gives him the comfort and hope to endure his experiences at Birkenau and Auschwitz Although Eliezer doubts his God several times throughout his time in the German camps , in times of fear or need he turns to his religious beliefs for reassurance . When Eliezer and the rest of the members of the town were forced into the ghettos , upon reaching their destination , they threw down whatever they were carrying and prayed , Oh God , Master of the Universe , in your infinite compassion , have mercy on us (p 20 . Upon reaching the ghettos safely , Eliezer felt assured that whatever happened , God would protect them . When the Kapo at Birkenau checked the shoes of the prisoners , taking away any new shoes , Eliezer thanked God for the mud that...