Abandonment in Night by Elie Weisel

In the novel, Night, by Elie Wiesel, Elie betrayed himself, his religion, customs, values, and even his father, if only in his own mind. Betrayal was a major aspect of life for Jews in the Holocaust, especially Elie. Elie felt betrayed by the Germans for treating Jews like they weren’t humans and taking away the Jew’s self-worth. Elie also felt betrayed by his own god, who allowed Elie and his fellow Jews to be treated the way they were by the Germans. Betrayal started the sequence of poor events in Elie’s life and affected him during the Holocaust and from then on. Betrayal was introduced to Elie when the Germans took over the Jew’s homes and towns and forced them into concentration camps (90). The Germans betrayed Jews by taking away their lives and stripping them of their humility, self-worth, and values; changing who they were completely. Germans took everything of value from the Jews and only allowed them to keep objects of no value or importance. Germans took valuables, shoes, and gold filings, from the Jews (8, 35, 49). Germans not only took tangible items, but also pride, respect, values, strength, and health from Elie and the Jews.
Elie also felt betrayed by his God. Elie felt abandoned because his god allowed Germans to exploit, torture, overwork, burn, and kill the Jews, who were so loyal to their god. On page 64 Elie said,
“Why, but why should I bless Him? In every fiber I rebelled. Because He had had thousands of children burned in His pits? Because He kept six crematories working night and day, on Sundays and feast days? Because in His great might He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau,
Buna, and so many factories of death? How could I say to
Him: ‘Blessed art Thou, Eternal, Master of the Universe,…”
Elie clearly showed that he felt betrayed and alone. This betrayal also caused Elie to betray his own religion. Elie betrayed religion because of all the horrors he faced at the concentration camps. When he betrayed his