Elie Wiesel and his father, Shlomo Wiesel, leave the concentration camp at Buna because they are forced to go on the march to another location by the SS army. Such a decision was made because the SS army obtained the information that the Russian army was going to liberate the city of Buna.
Detailed answer:
Elie Wiesel’s book Night is a memoir about his family’s experience at the concentration camps. The action takes place in the midst of the Second World War. During their life at camps, Elie and his father Shlomo spend much time moving around various locations:
- In the beginning, they arrived at Auschwitz.
- After spending some time there, they moved to the camp at Buna.
- Later, the SS army forced the family to move to Geiwitz.
- Finally, Elie and Shlomo worked in Buchenwald, where the father died.
The reason why Wiesel’s family leaves Buna is the fact they did not have a choice considering where to go. They tried to do what was best for them, as they lived in constant fear of the SS army. Their only desire was to stay alive, which made them follow the army during the march. Buna concentration camp depicted in the Night is a literary allusion to the sub-camp of Auschwitz, Monowitz.
In the story, Elie felt that the ones who were going to stay at Buna would die. As a result, they decided to move. However, they were not sure whether they would manage the march physically. After the characters spent some time in a new location, they found out that the Russian army liberated Buna.