Chattahoochee River
Monday, February 2, 2015
Chapter 5
In the beginning of chapter 5, it is apparent there is a strong hatred towards God from Eliezer that has formed because of certain events. He questions why would a God so great let all these things happen. Soon there is the Yom Kippur where Jews fast to show there devotion to God. Not only does Eliezer eat because he needs the nutrients but he eats and feels good about it to mock God. This shows how Eliezer has changed from the beginning of the story how he was a student of God to just about despising him. He values food over his faith because his mentality has changed to believe man is bigger than God himself. He has this sort of new dark side that disables him from being sympathy, although when it comes to children and his father. An example though is how he got angry at his dad from being at the wrong place at the wrong time but then in chapter 5 when his father is beaten he doesn't spend much time dwelling his emotions on the subject.
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Brendee, I totally agree that Elie is undergoing a character transformation as he encounters new hardships and has to continue to defend his father. I also noticed his devolution of his faith in God. It's as if Elie's prayed so long and pleaded so much that he feels like God has completely abandoned him. I think it's interesting how you noticed his persisting sympathy for his father and children. Perhaps, in Elie's mind children and his father still represent that innocence and helplessness which the Nazis had ruthlessly deprived him of, and in his own way, Elie was both envious of it, which could explain his occasional anger towards his father, and wanted to preserve it, which would explain his sorrow after the young boy's death.
ReplyDeleteThe distinction between mocking God and being empathetic is critical; Elie has not fully turned into a humane-less being that will do anything, including betraying his fellow Jews, to survive. He keeps his hatred solely confined in his and God's relationship, which doesn't deteriorate or take away from his character and his relationship with other beings.
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