Something I found really astonishing when reading this
chapter was the way Elie was acting towards God during the Jewish holidays,
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Most Jews on these holidays come together to
celebrate by praying but Elie seems to have gathered up all this anger towards
God because he has let for all of these atrocities to happen to the Jews at the
camps. In rebellion towards this he refuses to pray and eat (on Yom Kippur when
traditionally they Jews fast). Although Ellie has showed that he has anger about
this towards God, since he believes God put the Jews on earth to be murdered,
he still believes there is a God since he refers and addresses him even in the
worst moments in the camp.
I agree, Lizette...it is such an interesting tension Elie depicts through his various responses to God. He is so angry, yet he is not denying God completely (though I think he would like to). It seems as though he still believed in God, and he held some sort of fear towards God, but he also believed that God was to blame. He had never felt this kind of anger towards God before.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the terrible things he goes through continue to test his fate, but fate seems to be somewhat prevailing. Although he decides to reject to celebrate holidays, he still addresses God. It seems as if all that humans have during bad times is faith, whether it be in religion, a person, or something else.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting since many have been posting about Wiesel losing his faith, but really it's more that he believes God is absent rather than nonexistent. He curses at God's inaction, but he doesn't reject God completely because maybe he still has that small sliver of hope that God will do something about these atrocities.
ReplyDeleteElie acknowledge's God, however he doesn't believe there was divine intervention. That lack of intervention made him lose faith in God and His ability to help. Elie believed that man was stronger than God, since man had managed to do so much harm.
ReplyDelete