Lindsay's Third Reader Response (Page 85-120)

After I finished Night and set it down once more, I reflected upon the contents of this most heartwrenching story. The insufferable horrors seem so unreal, and I still cannot seem to fathom how any of it could have ever actually happened. It seems as if the story was simply a truly riveting fictional piece, though I know this is certainly not the case, no matter how much I wish it could be. As the story progressed, I had hoped Elie's situation had finally improved. However, it only seemed to be getting worse, and my heart raced and ached along with his. I became very angry when, at the beginning of this third section of the text, the SS officers were treating the Jews so inhumanely. Their march, or run, seems so unreal to me. Elie recalls, "From time to time, a shot exploded in the darkness. They had orders to shoot anyone who could not sustain the pace. Their fingers on the triggers, they did not deprive themselves of the pleasure. If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog" (85). The simple comparison to a dog really struck me. It illustrates how the officers viewed the prisoners as no more than animals, helpless creatures who could easily be disposed of and replaced at the drop of a hat. I was also appalled at the mention of the pleasure felt by the officers upon killing an Jew. How could one feel joy at another's expense? How could one feel happy about killing another human being? The idea simply baffles me, and this is why I was so surprised as well as angry whilst reading this portion of the text.

Another part of the text that really bothered me was the whole issue of the father and son relationships. It seems that this was mentioned over and over again during the later part of the story, and each time it seems that a son gave up on a father. For example, when the deceased lay upon the snow, Elie says, "Sons abonded the remains of their fathers without a tear" (92). Another example of this heartbreaking scenario arose when bread was thrown into one of the cars holding the Jews. An old man tried to eat a piece, but his son beat his own father to death in order to attain it himself. The son was killed as well. However, the most profound example of this resided with Elie and his own father. When his father fell gravely ill, Elie detached himself from his father emotionally in order to survive. He stopped answering his father's cries, and he looked on as the officers attack him. He acknowledged his guilt upon wishing his father was gone so that his life would be easier, yet he longed for the extra soup and bread he could have if he stopped giving it to his dying father (111). I was greatly disturbed by this. I cannot imagine being in this situation with my family, and giving up on their survival so that I could live myself. I really don't think I could ever do that to my own mother, father, or siblings. I would want them to live as badly, or more badly, than I wanted to live myself. He also did not cry when his father died, and I can't imagine why. I certainly would have if I had gone through such an ordeal and had lost the only thing that was holding me together, albeit by even a single thread. However, how could I judge Elie? He survived a horrendous ordeal, something I would never wish upon anyone. As much as I try to put myself in his shoes, I know I could never accurately picture it unless I had gone through it myself. As horrific as the story was, I'm glad I had the opportunity to read Night; it truly made me appreciate what I have, and I know that, even when things seem bleakest, they could always be a lot worse.