Indifference in Elie Wiesel's Night: a Reflection on Human Cruelty

Indifference and Its Impact on Human Cruelty

Elie Wiesel's book, "Night," dives into the dark days of his youth as a Jewish boy during the Holocaust. One thing that pops up again and again in the story is this idea of indifference — people just not caring enough to act. It's like a thread running through everything, showing how human cruelty gets worse when nobody steps up to do something about it. In this essay, we'll chat about some parts of "Night" where you really see indifference at play, talk about what they mean, and think about how not caring can make things way worse.

German Soldiers: A Chilling Example of Indifference

One of the biggest "wow" moments in the book comes from how German soldiers acted. They were part of some horrible stuff during the Holocaust but didn't seem to feel bad about it at all. For example, when they packed Jewish folks into cattle cars like sardines, they didn't give a hoot about their cries or pleas for mercy. This lack of care made it easier for them to keep being cruel and also took away any sense of humanity from the Jews.

Evidence from the text: “The doors of the train were closed. We were packed in like herrings in a barrel...The doors were nailed up; the way back was finally cut off. The world was a cattle wagon hermetically sealed” (Wiesel 23).

Analysis: That bit where Wiesel talks about Jews being "herrings in a barrel" paints a picture of how little the soldiers cared. Comparing people to animals? That's harsh! It shows their total disregard for human life and makes it easier for them to go through with awful acts without any guilt hanging over them.

The World's Silent Response

Apart from the soldiers, there's also how countries and folks around the world reacted — or didn’t react — to what was happening to Jews back then. Even when word got out about the horrors of the Holocaust, many just turned away instead of stepping in to help or offer asylum to those fleeing persecution.

Evidence from the text: “Our minds numb with indifference...We were counting the days, the hours, and the minutes” (Wiesel 32).

Analysis: The phrase "minds numb with indifference" really nails down how society just sort of shrugged it off at that time. By not acting when they could've made a difference, lots more lives were lost than needed be. It's kind of shocking when you think about it now.

The Prisoners' Own Struggles with Indifference

You’d think that shared suffering might bring people together but nope! Inside those concentration camps, many prisoners started feeling indifferent too because staying alive became their only focus. This mindset broke down solidarity among them and fed into this nasty cycle where everyone looked out for themselves.

Evidence from text: “The days were like nights; nights left dregs of darkness in our souls...And we waited for better days which would never come.” (Wiesel 76).

Analysis: When he talks about "dregs of darkness," Wiesel captures how constant exposure really messed with people's heads—making them lose hope not just personally but towards each other as well—and weakened whatever fight they had left against oppressors who thrived on their despairing silence.

The Call for Empathy Over Apathy

"Night" isn’t just an account; it's almost like waving red flags everywhere saying empathy matters—a lot—especially amidst injustice seen then compared today’s standards where apathy still lurks dangerously close sometimes causing real harm globally if unchecked collectively over time by us all!

• Wiesel, E., & Rodway F. (Trans.). (2006). Night: A memoir (1st ed.). Hill & Wang Pub.
• Langer L.L.(1991), Holistic Memory Perspectives From Atrocity Survivors Harvard Univ Press Cambridge MA USA
• Berenbaum M.(1997), After Tragedy Reflections On Shoah Smithsonian Institution Washington DC US