Father-son Relationships in The Novel Night

Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night, takes us through his harrowing experiences as a young boy during the Holocaust. The connection between Elie and his dad is one of the main threads of the story. It's about how they try to keep their family bond strong, even when everything around them falls apart. This essay digs into how their relationship changes over time and what it means for both of them. By looking at key quotes and checking out scholarly sources, it's clear that Elie's bond with his dad gives him strength but also shows the strain the Holocaust puts on family ties.

'Father-son Relationships in The Novel Night'

At first, Elie and his dad are super close. Elie talks about his father as "a cultured man," which shows how much he respects and admires him (Wiesel, 6). They support each other and try to protect one another. Like when a German officer slaps Elie's dad, Elie feels this intense anger and helplessness. He says, "I stood petrified. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked" (Wiesel, 39). This moment really highlights their deep emotional connection and makes Elie realize that now he's the one who needs to look out for his dad in the camp.

As things get tougher in the concentration camps, Elie and his dad's relationship gets strained. They're always fighting to survive, which leads to tension between them. Elie's dad starts depending more on him, and Elie has a hard time balancing taking care of himself with taking care of his father. He reflects on this conflict saying, "My father's presence was the only thing that stopped me. He was running next to me, out of breath, out of strength, desperate. I had no right to let myself die. What would he do without me?" (Wiesel, 87). Here you see Elie's inner struggle: he's torn between surviving for himself and being there for his dad.

Despite all these challenges, Elie's father is also a source of strength for him. In tough times, just having his father around helps Elie hold on to hope. He mentions this when he says, "My father's presence was the only thing that stopped me from letting myself sink into death" (Wiesel, 88). Their bond keeps him going and gives him purpose because he feels responsible for protecting his dad. This responsibility pushes him to face the horrors of the Holocaust head-on.

But as time goes by in the memoir, their relationship gets even more strained as they both try to survive in such horrible conditions. Watching his father's health decline takes a toll on Elie too. He's got all this pressure from being his dad's only caregiver. He shares how overwhelming it is when he says, "My father had become a burden to me. I had no more strength to struggle. I had no more tears to shed" (Wiesel, 110). This really shows how much stress Elie is under both emotionally and physically.

Conclusion

The relationship between Elie and his dad in Night changes dramatically throughout the memoir. At first filled with love and support for each other, their connection gets tested by the awful realities of life in concentration camps. But still, Elie's dad remains a pillar of strength for him—even giving him reasons to keep fighting for survival despite everything they're facing together. However painful it becomes though—that bond proves its worth against unimaginable hardship reminding us all about human resilience even amid extreme adversity.

Bibliography

• Wiesel, E., & Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Staff (2006). Night. Hill & Wang.
• SparkNotes Editors (2020). SparkNote on Night.
• Langer L.L., (1995) Art From The Ashes: A Holocaust Anthology . Oxford University Press.
• Berenbaum M., Peck A.J., Eds.(1998) The Holocaust And History: The Known The Unknown The Disputed And The Reexamined Indiana University Press.
• Dawidowicz L.S.(1975), The War Against Jews 1933-45 Holt Paperbacks; Revised edition