Eliezer's Struggle to Keep His Faith in God
In his book Night, Elie Wiesel explored the relationship of man and God, and the evolution of the image of God in the soul of man under the influence of the most difficult trials of life. The main character Eliezer does not completely lose his faith in God throughout the book, but his love for Him turns into an anger, accusations and frustrations and I wrote about it deeply with psychology essay papers help.
At the beginning of the book, we became to know that Eliezer’s whole nature was imbued with true faith in God. He was ready to devote his life to serving Him. He glorified Him in prayers, having no doubt in His omnipotence and justice. “Eliezer has grown up believing that everything on Earth reflects God’s holiness and power”.
Meeting with horror of absolute evil completely turns the foundations of faith of a little boy, who was forced to watch how the clouds of black smoke from the crematorium rise to the sky. “Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul”. For young Eliezer, such a mighty God of love and justice was trampled and mutilated; he disappeared forever as smoke from crematoria. Since then, writer’s life turned into an endless argument with God. He never completely lost his faith in God but could not put up with His silence.
Now the justice of God is questioned. It is doubtful whether God is fair, enabling hell to be on Earth. Night flows into the heart. Some people are praying. Yes, because they still have God inside, who is believed to save them. But where is He? Eliezer began to feel himself stronger than God, who kills them, tortures them, burns them. The boy blames God. Night crawls over the human soul. Life turns into night. In his memoirs Elie Wiesel appeals to the same question: “Where was God during the Holocaust, if He is not dead?
There emerged the protest against God. It is not very strong so far, but Eliezer does not love his God as much as before. Love is slowly dying. The night killed in man his former nature – God. Nothing is left in his soul. It is devastated. Love of a person is burnt to ashes in crematoria filled with night. Then the man does not think about God. He cares about himself, about his family and how to escape hell camp. He suddenly realizes that the death incinerated God not only in his mind, but also in the hearts of tens or hundreds of people. They see everything that is going on. They do not believe that all sufferings are God’s trials. Apparently, God has left people. However, it does not mean that God does not exist. He does, but the question is why He is silent.
Eliezer’s faith is not completely lost. It was largely shaken throughout the book, but not fully destroyed. Eliezer’s love for God changed to argument and protest – protest against His silence, His inaction. But it all was happening within his faith in God.