Chattahoochee River
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Chapter 5: Anger
There was so much anger in the beginning of this chapter. I felt that Elie was angry towards not only God, but at the people who were praying as well. I remember that in chapter 3 I believe, when Elie was contemplating about running into the electrified barbed wire, that was the first time he felt anger towards God. But then he prayed anyways, much like a programmed machine he said the holy words even though he said "...against my will, I found myself whispering the words: Yisgadal, veyiskadash, shmey raba...". Now, now that he has witnessed so many horrendous things he no longer follows the other inmates when they pray. He now feels stronger for defying God and venting his anger in the questions he asked. "Why, but why would I bless Him? Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves?"
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I focused my post on the theme of religion that is prominent in this chapter as well, and what you pulled from the story was similar to what I absorbed from it too. In my post, however, I emphasized Elie's continuing belief in God despite his anger and despite his suffering and the suffering of those around him.
ReplyDeleteYoaly, somehow I think that his anger towards God helped him survive and keep fighting to live. His anger was at times very passionate that I think that that helped him realize his reality that God was not going to appear and free them as many were hoping. I am not saying that those who kept their faith strongly were necessarily wrong but that most of them didn't have the drive or energy to keep them going.
ReplyDeleteI agree yoaly but I also think that maybe he didn't feel stronger but weaker because he had believed in something for so long and then at the time that he was at the concentration camp he lost all the emotion and faith that he had had for God. He believe he had been abandoned by God and was angery and him and that's why he stopped believing like he used to.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am curious about is his relationship with God after the Holocaust. Did he come to forgive him? Does he still believe in God, or did the Holocaust destroy and hope of belief he would've had for him?
ReplyDeleteThank you all for replying; Cami, I'm still not sure that Elie continued to believe in God. I mean he seemed really angry since you guys could see that too but I personally didn't really see Elie continuing to believe and praise God.
ReplyDeleteHermelinda, I agree pretty much with your statement. There was an inmate that when he lost his faith he couldn't keep going. But I'm assuming that in the end it's different for everyone and how they choose to channel their emotions. When some lost their faith they gave up, and others like Elie, continued on.
Arlene, I'm not necessarily sure he felt weaker. Maybe spiritually, but he did say he felt stronger for defying God. But I do see where you are coming from. It does change people when they start losing faith, it makes them weaker in a sense so I understand that.
Loren, I'm not sure many (if anybody) actually read the preface, but Elie talks about why he wrote the book. He doesn't believe that it was a miracle because he questions why heaven couldn't have performed the same miracle for others that were more deserving than him. So perhaps that shines a little light into Elie's current relationship with God.