Blockälteste advises Eliezer to care only about himself and no one else. He is trying to convince the protagonist that this is the only way to survive in a concentration camp. The boy’s feelings are controversial. On the one hand, he agrees with the advice. On the other hand, as such a thought appears in his head, he feels guilty.
Detailed answer:
The book written by Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, Night is dedicated to his experience as a Jew in several concentration camps with his father. These places destroy the boy’s ideas of peace and mercy. However, under challenging conditions, the book’s main character seeks to take care of his father. For example, he protects him, cares when his father is weak. It takes much strength and hurts Eliezer. Having noticed this, Blockälteste advises the boy to forget about any ties and cares only for himself. The adviser believes that only in this way, the protagonist will have a chance to survive.
Eliezer feels burdened by taking care of his father, and for a few seconds, he agrees with the advice. However, soon he begins to feel guilt and shame for such thoughts. An excruciating internal struggle takes away the protagonist’s strength. Fear of death prevents him from getting up the night his father dies because of beatings and help. The violence of concentration camps like Auschwitz and Buchenwald takes away all human feelings, leaving only horror and instincts. These places left only a shell from the little Eliezer, which deep down felt free from the burden of caring for his father.
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