Cornelius 1

Jackson Cornelius

Adv. Comp.

Ms. Crowell

30 November 2

How Night is Vital to Todays Society

Although Night by Elie Wiesel took place over 70 years ago and depicts acts of violence

that could never be justified, high school students and people all around the world should always

have to learn about this series of events. Wiesels first-person account brings vivid imagery to

your head of what genocide victims go through Wiesels account explains his life in the camps.

It goes through his day to day life it the camp whether that meant starving to death getting beaten

or having to do back breaking work throughout the entire day. Elie Wiesel lived in fear of not

only his death but his father death every single day. We must learn that there is more in the world

than just what is in your small bubble the world can be cruel, ugly, and ruthless. The importance

of genocide is vital and it is alive in todays culture and each person should do what they can to

stop it. Some people question the books appropriateness, but students who read the book learn a

valuable story of a man who endured true hardships and heartbreak.

Some people believe that the Holocaust took place so long ago and so far, away that it

happened just onetime and could never happen again. Teenagers even though they will soon be

adults have somewhat undeveloped minds and shouldnt have to see or read about the horrible

things that happened at this point in history. They also believe in the ineffectiveness to prevent

this tragedy from happening again because learning about the events just adds knowledge to bad

people about genocide.

The deliberate killing of large of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or

nation can be considered as the definition of genocide. Americans and the world as a whole must

never forget about the past and to try not make the same mistakes, genocide still happens today.

Rwanda and Bosnia have had horrific cases of genocide within the past thirty years. Elie Wiesel

says To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time thats why we must never

forget the victims or the holocaust as a whole. Wiesel demonstrates in Night the struggles he and

his comrades had to go through, whether it was freezing temperatures, starving, or being worked

to death most people died including his father. The eye-opening story shows us how fortunate we

are and to live the way we do. Wiesel shows us just how much he had to suffer and how his faith

dwindled the longer he stayed there. Before the concentration camp Wiesels faith held the most

importance to him, he studied day and night and even wanted to learn Mysticism and have a

spiritual connection with God. During the concentration camps most prisoners lost all hope a lot

didnt believe or trust God anymore, Wiesel said Behind me, I heard the same man asking "For

God's sake, where is God?" And from within me, I heard a voice answer "Where He is? This is

where, hanging here from this gallows Throughout Wiesels journey he begins to question God

and ask God why, but through his entire journey he never doubts Gods existence. Wiesel says

As for me, I had ceased to pray. I concurred with job I was not denying his existence but

doubting his absolute justice. Even though Wiesel questions God and loses his faith he still

sometimes prays and talks to God and asks him for strength and other things.

The holocaust and Genocide are a must learn for people of all ages. Teenagers will soon

be adults and most teenagers have been held to a confine of their house or small town with their

family. Most people do not realize the threat until it actually shows up on their doorstep when

Elie says the people were saying, the red army is advancing with giant strides. Hitler will not
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be able to harm us even if he wants to. Elie Wiesel says this because a lot of cases we do not

realize that it can happen to us, until one day our worst fears come true. Todays teenagers will

someday lead the country and dictate what are world will become. Genocide is an awful practice

which has the chance to be prevented for people that think it is inappropriate for teenagers to

learn about it, the real world can be harsh and inappropriate but it is best they learn now. The

generation that fought in World War two had to see the cruel brutalities of genocide most of

these soldiers younger than twenty years old, and it is not inappropriate for them. In fact, Elie

Wiesel was only 16 when he had to endure the death camps so it very much appropriate for kids

to learn about Wiesels hardships. Elie Wiesel said, we must never forget the victims who have

died it is our responsibility to remember them and honor them we must always learn about this,

so it may never happen again and we can honor the past victims.

The holocaust is an all-time low for our world and it is the peoples responsibility that no

one will ever come into power and try to institute genocide. Genocide is still very alive in

todays culture and has happened recently. As Wiesel said we must never forget the victims who

have died it is our responsibility to remember them and honor them and the best way possible is

to make sure other groups do not have to go through the same thing.
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Work Cited

Wiesel, Elie. Night. Translated by Marion Wiesel, Hill and Wang, 2006.