Elie

One of the most tragic themes in night is Elie’s discovery of the way that atrocities and cruel treatment can make good people into brutes. This is apparent all throughout the book. There were numerous examples were once civil men killed each other over a small crumb of bread. Or were friends would betray each other at the hope that they would survive another day or get more rations. When a person is faced with death, they will do anything in their power to survive. Even if this means betraying there fellow man and becoming a beast. It is pure instinct to want to live and nothing is more power full then the will to survive. Unfortunately I do not believe Elie that evaded the fate of becoming a brute.
In the beginning of the book it is evident that Elie is already thinking more of his self and his own survival. Although it is suttle the evidence Is there. For example, when Elie’s father asked the gypsy, “where the latrines were located”(pg. 39) and he was struck. Elie realized, “only yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminals flesh” (pg. 39). Even though Elie himself had only been in camp for a day he is already turning into a brute. This is the first example of Elie changing. Although there are not many other events that are similar to this until the end of the book, during that time Elie receives beatings and he witnesses horrible atrocities that would harden any human being. Which contributes to the events that occur during the few final chapters.

During the few final chapters is where Elie shows his changed personality. When in the final camp, Elie is looking for his father and thinks, “only if I didn’t find him” “what a relief it would be” pg.(106). Even though Elie felt ashamed of his thoughts, this is the second event that showed him becoming a brute. Elie knew that keeping his farther alive was a hindrance to him, and it would be easier to survive without him. As Elie’s father grows weaker, he is unable to move. One day an ss officer