Morals and Character in Elie Wiesel's "Night"

One's faith often reflects upon one's morals and character. Therefore, when faith is broken, morals and character must also bend accordingly. In the harrowing autobiographical novel, Night, masterfully composed by Elie Wiesel, Wiesel reminisces of the Holocaust into which he is thrust forcibly. The horrific events and hardships he endures cause him to cast away his faith in God. Based on Wiesel's lack of prayers, the way Wiesel views Jewish tradition and holidays, and Wiesel's persistent questioning of God, the reader witnesses a deterioration of the faith.
Throughout his captivity, Wiesel's decaying faith is demonstrated through his lack of prayer. However, directly following his incarceration, he starts to question "Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank him for?" (31). Often, blessings and thanks are conveyed through prayers but Wiesel loses his purpose to pray when his plight is so bleak. This abstinence from prayer marks the beginning of a deterioration of Wiesel's faith. Wiesel even goes so far as to attack God, blaming Him for letting "these men here, whom You have betrayed... They pray before You! They praise Your name!" (64). Wiesel audaciously attacks God's principles and character because he feels forsaken and disgusted that his God would enslave His own people. Also by mentioning that "They pray before You," Wiesel's use of diction denotes that he does not pray with them. This lack of prayer shows clearly to the reader that Wiesel's faith is dimming. After the long exposure to atrocities and cruelty, Wiesel "[ceases] to pray," altogether and "[doubts] His absolute justice." Wiesel's faith as compared to the beginning of the novel is seen to do a completely reversal. Aside from prayer's, Wiesel also shows his lack of faith in his views on Jewish tradition and holidays.
Through Wiesel's distaste for Jewish tradition and holidays, he displays a progressive losing of faith. Wiesel, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, while all the other prisoners are praying to God, Wiesel says, "What are you, my God?" (63). By not observing this holiday, Wiesel makes an act of defiance to the faith he built his life on. When the foundations of his faith rot, naturally, the structure on top will collapse too. In addition, on the day of atonement, Yom Kippur, Elie defies God and "[nibbles his] crust of bread" (66). Wiesel for the first time in his life does not honor a holiday of his religion which suggests that much of his faith has already been lost. Finally, towards the end of the novel, Wiesel's father dies and "there were no prayers at his grave. No candles were lit to his memory" (106). Despite being a very important person to Wiesel, he still neglects to observe the tradition of praying and lighting candles to his father's memory. This final act of rebellion towards his religion reveals that Wiesel's faith has disintegrated. Apart from the abovementioned, there is one final indicator of Wiesel's failing faith.
Many times over the course of the novel, Wiesel questions God's multifarious nature and demonstrates his failing faith. When one of the prisoners the Wiesel is acquainted with does not make it through the selection, Wiesel asks, "where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how can anyone believe, in this merciful God" (73). Wiesel is placing the blame on God who does not aid them in their hour of need. By questioning the authority and purpose of God, Wiesel shows the fallen nature of his faith. Wiesel is even so bold as to taunt God: "Who chose us from among the races to be tortured day and night... Thou Who hast chosen us to be butchered on Thine alter" (64). Due to the elementary nature of his faith, Wiesel easily loses his when a hardship reveals itself. With every question, Wiesel is in reality scapegoating God. By pushing the blame on God, Wiesel is showing that he does not believe God can fix their situation anymore. Wiesel libels God when the little boy is hanged, when someone asks "where is God now", Wiesel responds in his mind "he is hanging here on this gallows" (62). Wiesel dissociates and distances himself from God when he sees that God is doing nothing to help them.
Wiesel's experience in the Holocaust has led him to completely lose faith in God, expressed through his cessation of prayer, his distaste of Jewish tradition and holidays, and his incessant questioning of the authority and the supposed multifaceted nature of his God. As Wiesel's faith is corroding, he develops a strong sense of self-preservation. The vitriolic natures of his experience have farther reaching consequences than just Wiesel's loss of faith. Throughout the novel, there is a complimentary degeneration of both Wiesel's morals and character. Truly, faith has a great impact on morals and character.