Night: Dialectic Journal, Three

"I can't forget the thankfulness in his eyes when he gulped it down- an animal gratitude. With those few gulps of hot water, I probably brought him more satifaction than I had done during my whole childhood."

When I read this, I was struck by the drastic transformation Elie's father had made through the book. In the beginning Elie says that his father had been a well-respected member of their community, but reading about his state at the camp, that person is not remotely there. He has been so weakened by the events that he has experienced, his own son realizes that his priorities have changed. I believe that this is representative of many people who were forced into camps. I don't think anyone could imagine the way they would be impacted by the camps, or the destructive effects on families and relationships. I also saw that through the course of the book, Elie's father changes his priorities. In the beginning it is for the community, then his family, then his son, and finally himself.

Night: Dialectic Journal, Two

"I thought of my father. But I was glad all the same. To see the whole works go up in fire-what revenge!...We were not afraid. And yet, if a bomb had fallen on the blocks, it alone would have claimed hundreds of victims on the spot. But we were no longer afraid of death;at any rate not of that death. Every bomb that exploded filled us with joy and gave us new confidence in life."

The value of this quote is drawn from the fact that Elie is portraying what I believe to be the loss of his human nature. When saying this it could be taken in two very different ways. Either that Elie has become more of an animal, or he has reached a state of higher enlightenment. It is difficult to say which is being describe, but I feel that the characteristics displayed seem to relate more to the latter. On one hand, Elie sees that he is only a piece to the puzzle and is willing to sacrifice himself for a larger cause which depicts an element of higher thinking. However, the underlying motive is the desire to see the Germans weakened. This is ultimately a form of revenge, and is understandable but should not be condoned. I also think that being in the situation that he was in, Elie lost perspective, because had he died that day, we would not know his story.

Night: Dialectic Journal, One

"We were incapable of thinking anything at all. Our senses were blunted; Everything was blurred as in a fog. It was no longer possible to grasp anything. The instincts of self-preservation, of self-defense, of pride, had deserted us."

Elie Wiesel uses this description of his experience after arriving at Auschwitz to represent the state of all the people there, who -by reading this quote- seem to have lost the essence of their humanity. In earlier an earlier post I said, "a human's state of nature is to be selfish and greedy. In other words, to look out for one's best interest." These very feelings are absent or suppressed and have made Wiesel and his peers "half-dead". Or perhaps we can say him and his humanity have simply been separated, and are waiting for the right conditions for them to come together again. I don't think that this would at all be a pleasant state for a person to be living. We return to the idea of animal instincts, but I think here we go even farther because even animals have pride and an inclination for self-defense. The fact that death is constantly hovering over the people at Auschwitz perhaps could push them to the point where all they truly want is to die, in order to escape those conditions and the strain and focus of death on the mind and body.

Perils of Indifference

"What is indifference? Etymologically, the word means "no difference." A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil. What are its courses and inescapable consequences? Is it a philosophy? Is there a philosophy of indifference conceivable? Can one possibly view indifference as a virtue? Is it necessary at times to practice it simply to keep one's sanity, live normally, enjoy a fine meal and a glass of wine, as the world around us experiences harrowing upheavals?"

Answer Elie Weisel's questions to the best of your ability. Use your heart, your mind, your understanding of human nature, and historical evidence. A minimum of 300 words is expected.

Indifference is the state where a person is not concerned with their surroundings or the effects of the events occurring around them regardless of the implications. In our class discussion we wondered whether a person who is indifferent can still have strong convictions regarding important issues. I think that what defines indifference is a lack of passion or the absence of complete understanding. When the feelings are present, but one does not do anything to put their ideas into motion, I believe this is laziness. One may say, "How horrible that so many genocides have occurred during this century" but if there is no action, we see that either the person does not truly comprehend the reality of the situation or simply is lazy. If this were not the case then there would be a need for change ignited inside the person. These represent two characteristics of human nature. We are self involved and we usually cannot grasp the extent of a situation without participating in it. If we do, we must remove ourselves once more in order to look at the situation critically as a means to find the best solution. And what happens if we do take it upon ourselves to make all the necessary changes in the world? This is not a logical or conceivable aim, in fact it could be destructive to have one person making life altering decisions for the world. Indifference cannot possibly be virtuous, but passion for all things is unimaginable. What must be done is to rid indifference on the small scale, to perhaps not seek out the problems in the world -because that may be a bit depressing- rather to be caring towards the people you are surrounded by and positive in the situations may be in. Indifference is not a philosophy, it is a state of mind, a trait of the human spirit, a disinterest in others and a focus on oneself. I don't think that as I explained indifference above it could possibly be necessary. If we allow ourselves to be touched by the world around us and share this with others that in itself is a simple way to prevent indifference.