Wiesel criticizes himself for the way that he treated his father during his dying days. The tone of this chapter is heavy with shame and guilt. He helped his father, cared for his father, gave him his soup, but did so "grudgingly." He laments, "Just like Rabbi Eliahu's son, I had not passed the test" (Wiesel 107.)
Do you believe Elie's statement is true? Did he fail, just like Eliahu's son, or is he being too critical of his actions? Should he feel guilty or not? Include not only your personal opinions, but also evidence from the text in your justification.
I think his statement is wrong because he now regrets it. He loved his dad but the survival instinct let him treat his father like that. I think he didn't fail to his dad because he always stayed with him no matter what. He awalys wanted to be with his father and always protected him. I don't think he should feel guilty because he did everything he tried to keep his dad and himself alive.
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Anahi Ramon
11/21/2013 11:11:21 am
I think that Elie now regrets how he treated his father before because he did not like him. Now he loves his father a lot because they have been together since the concentration camp and notices how the his father really is. I really think he did not fail his father because he was always with him the good and bad no matter what. He always wanted to be with his father and family but since they were separated he stayed with his dad. Elie should not judge himself guilty because he did everything to try to keep himself and dad alive.
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Belen Robles
11/21/2013 11:12:35 am
In my opinion I think Elie should feel guilty. Sure he was there for his father mostly all of the time, but he failed him at the very last moment, and I think that's the most important. His survival instincts kicked in and he was starting to think only of himself and how to keep himself alive, although he doesn't want to admit it. He gave up when he realized his father was going to die and that's when you need someone there the most. "I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!" (Wiesel, pg 112). As Elie is processing his fathers death, he understands and knows that his death is tangible, and maybe justaybe, he's okay and okay with it. Now, there's no one to look after, feel guilty about leaving behind, and/or to take care of; now its just him. Now he's solo and has to only worry about himself. Now he feels guilty, but is relieved at the same time, he feels as if a great weight has been lifted off his shoulders, even if he doesn't realize it, the feelings there.
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Ashley Guerrero
11/21/2013 11:19:30 am
In section 8 I believe that Elie's statement was wrong in the way that he claims he was similar to Rabbi Eliahu's son. Elie was constantly with his father he was would help him by giving him soup and he rarely left him. When he would leave him he felt guilt, but I can also understand that Elie was forced to move on and survive by himself. At some point in the story Elie was given the understanding that it was difficult to think about others in the concentration camps. Seems like human survival instincts start to kick in when people are put into these traumatizing situations.
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Oscar Torres-Soria
11/21/2013 11:54:50 am
I believe that Eliezer should feel guilty because although he was their for his father, he failed to him at the very last moment. When his survival instincts entered his mind, he began to only think of himself, although he did not want to admit it. "I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!" (Wiesel, pg 112). He then realizes that his father's death was tangible. Now, there is no one to take of Eliezer. He is all by himself and now has to worry about himself.
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Jonathan Velasco
11/21/2013 12:00:24 pm
I think that Elie's statement of him not passing the test is wrong. He may have been reluctant to give his father his soup,bread,and water, but he still did it. He still did everything he could to help his father stay alive like when he woke him up in the train to save him from getting thrown off and when he took him to the doctor before he knew he was a surgeon. All it was is that he just wanted for the food himself. He did not want his dad to die or anything. Therefore, he should not feel guilty nor think that he did not pass the test like Rabbi's son.
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Fatima Romero
11/21/2013 12:27:55 pm
In section eight of Night Elie states that he failed his father just like Eliahu's son. I think that he should not blame himself for what had happen to his father. Elie did what he can to keep his father alive that he gave his food to his father. He felt guilty and was to harsh on himself he says "I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep" (Wiesel, pg 112). Elie stayed with his father no matter what would happen and were brought together more than when the novel began.
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Heidi Ramos
11/21/2013 01:03:32 pm
In section 8, I believe Elie's statement is false because he didn't leave his father he thought about but he didn't. When he thought about "if only I didn't find him! If only I were relieved of this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care only of myself..."(Wiesel,106). He did have selfish thoughts but I mean who wouldn't, at that point you start caring about yourself and have those thoughts that Rabbi's son had. I do think he should feel guilty just thinking about leaving his father because your father is all you have, and you should not even think about leaving him. I did regret it after words though and it was his actions that meant the most, because he then looked for his father, gave him soup, water and even his ration of bread. He stayed with his father, even when his father was sick and he wanted to lay in the snow to sleep, Elie encouraged him and was there for him unlike Rabbi's son. So he should not feel that he didn't past the test like Rabbi's son but Elie stayed with his father, instead of leaving him.
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Victor Esteban
11/21/2013 01:17:40 pm
I personal believe that Elie did his best in helping his father. He provided him with everything his father wanted. For example, water and food. He even ignore what the SS officer told him. He continue strong in front of his father. Being with him until his last moment of his father life. I think he is blaming himself too much. Maybe it because he has no one else to blame.
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Yesenia Garcia
11/21/2013 01:26:29 pm
In section 8, we see how Elie thinks that he was just like Eliahu's son. In my opinion Elie's statement is false because he did everything thay he could to help his father survive. The story states "I ran to get some soup and brought it to my father." Elie is trying to keep with father healthy and wants him to get him to get his strength back. Elie has always want to be with his father eventhough sometimes he's was hard on him. Elie is way different than from Eliahu's son because he never abandoned his father.
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Brian Vidal
11/21/2013 01:37:32 pm
I believe Elie's statement is false because he was always there for his father in previous sections of the story. They had been through a lot, both good and bad stuff, and they never split up. They were always there for one another, whether it was working in the same place in the concentration camps, or helping each other out in the train where they were getting food tossed at them. When Eli's father died, Elie ended up feeling guilty. I don't think it was okay for him to consider himself guilty, because he had done everything he could to try and save his father. He fed him food, gave him water, and even tried taking him to the "doctor" in the concentration camp. To sum things up, Elie shouldn't have felt guilty for his fathers death.
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Alexander Trujillo
11/21/2013 01:40:59 pm
In my opinion, Elie statement is wrong, because Eliahu's son waited for his father, but in the end he gave up without trying so hard. For this reason Elie claims he is just like Eliahu's son, but it is not true. Just as Elie's father was being beaten to death his survival instincts kicked in when he listened to another prison on what to do."In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone. Let me give you some advice: stop giving your ration of bread and soup to your old father. You cannot help him anymore. And you are hurting yourself. In fact, you should be getting his rations."( Weisel, pg. 110,111) I do believe Elie should fell guilty. Elie also failed even though he was supporting his father and helped him by not dying by providing ration and water. At the very last moment when this father needed Elie the most, he failed. As Elie had no chance to save his father for being to weak, sick and beaten, he decided to do anything to offer help. "I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!" (Wiesel, pg 112). As Elie faces his father's death and is a hassle for him to deal with, he acknowledges that he is now by himself and needs to survive by his own. When he sees his father's death, he understands that he feels guilty for what he done. At the same time, though, he believes he is now calm, as all the baggage he had within him are now lifted away, but the truth is that he is holding his feelings in because he, first, lost his mother and sisters and now his father, which would cause a big problem for him later on.
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Susana Gonzalez
11/21/2013 01:42:11 pm
I think that Elie's statement about him being like Eliauh's son is wrong. The reason is because he was always by his father's side at all times even when being sick. For example, " 'Father' I said just another moment. Soon, we'll be able to lie down.You'll be able to rest" (Pg.104). Elie was inseparable from his father's side he was always with him at all times and if he was apart he still went looking for him. In my opinion I think that Elie should not feel guilty because he did every possible thing to be with his father at his side such as "For a ration of bread I was able to exchange cots to be next to my father"(pg.108). Also I think that Elie should not feel guilty because he did bring his father everything that he requested and even tried to keep him alive a little longer. For instance, " 'Eliezer, my son... bring me... a little coffee... I fought my way to the coffee cauldron like a wild beast. And I succeeded in bringing back a cup" (pg.106). This just proves to be that Eliezer did everything he could to fulfill his father's commands while living the last days of his life. In addition he even gave up small rations of food to his father in order to still keep him alive for a little longer. Therefore in my opinion Elie should not feel guilty because he did everything he could in his hands to be along with his fathers as long as he could.
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Michael Ponce
11/21/2013 01:51:06 pm
In my opinion Elie's statement is false because in the novel he shows himself trying to do the best he could for his father and he only has slipped once when he told his father it was his fault for begin lazy and let him get beat up. Elie only let his father down in this situation but from there on in the novel he has greatly shown his appreciation for his father in many ways.One of them begin getting soup for his father when they were in the train. Another event when Elie showed the love towards his dad was when he proved his father was alive to those men that were throwing dead bodies of the train.
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Joshua Vissoni
11/21/2013 01:52:00 pm
I do not think Elie failed his father like Eliahu's son did. Elie never abandoned his father or left him to deal with his agony alone. Elie stayed with his father fed him and kept him company he stayed with his father until the very last minute of his life. I think Elie was is just being to hard on himself because he is over thinking the situation. Elie might of thought that he is stood up to the officer who hit his father if he would have died. Elie feels shame because he did not to anything helpful in his eyes to help his dying father. But I do not believe Elie failed his father, there was not much he could do!
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LEONEL RIVAS
11/21/2013 01:53:04 pm
In my opinion i don't believe that Elie betrayed his father because Elie just treated his father the way that he was treated. he did not want his father to get beat but at the same time blamed him for getting beat. i believe that Eliezer blamed his father because he wasnt able to think straight. he loved his father and he showed this by always stating that he always wanted to be with his father and wouldn't know what he would do without him.
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Jennifer Chupin
11/21/2013 02:41:27 pm
In section 8, Elie realizes how he acted toward his father. in the section, he showed all this guilt or shame on the actions he did involving his father. "I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep" (Wiesel,112). That one stood out to me because he wanted to show some type of emotion toward his father but he couldnt. it was like he had no more strength in him anymore. It pained him that he could not take out on tear to show that he had a heart instead of a rock. I think Elie was being harsh on himself because he is just focusing on what had happen in the last couple of days. he needs to see the positive side. The conncection grew between his dad and him. There relationship grew due to the concentration camp. Elie is just being to harsh in himself.
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Leticia Diaz
11/21/2013 02:45:00 pm
As Eli's father starts to die Eli starts to get this feeling of rejection towards his father. Eli was having the same thought provoking ideas that Rabbi Eliahu's son had and criticized himself harshly because of these thoughts. However, Eli was criticizing himself to much, Eli loved his father and throughout the whole chapter he demonstrated it. When ever his father needed something Eli would give it to him, if he cried out for him he would be there for him, he would constant be checking up on him after doing his duty, he sacrificed his food for his father, and he protected his father from anybody who tried to hurt him. Eli would have thoughts of abandoning his father to his own fate but instead he would help him in hope that he would get better and that both of them would leave together.
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Yerlin Lopez
11/21/2013 03:20:27 pm
I believe Elie's statement is false because he was always there for his father in previous sections of the story. He is nothing like Rabbi Eliahu's son his survival instincts were greater than the bond he had with his father.In a situation like this I would not blame Elie for his actions as I think what would I done in a situation like Elie's.Elie is just to harsh on himself because he feels guilty but till the last minute Elie stood by his father and did what he could do and at the end there was nothing that Elie could as the solder said "In this place it's every man for himself..."(pg.110) I do not believe Elie failed his father as it was the SS soldiers who kill his father not him.
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Tania Celestino
11/21/2013 03:21:15 pm
In my opinion Elie's statement is true because he failed his father. Elie survival instincts took over and made him act selfish. He was revealed after his father death because he would not have to feel guilty about leaving his father behind or anything. Elie describes his feelings, "And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!" (Wiesel pg. 112). Elie's father death was like taking a burden off from him because he will not feel guilty or sad anymore. He is now alone and free.
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Jocelyne Ramirez
11/21/2013 03:21:43 pm
Elie never failed his father in my eyes. To me, Elie had done everything possible to help his father, because even though Elie knew that his father was dying that did not stop him by bringing him food, water, and still his compassion. Elie knew in his heart that his father was dying, but that didn't stop him from sacrificing the things he needed to survive. He never abandoned his father; he will never be like Rabbi Eliahu's son. Elie gave as much hope, love, compassion, and strength to his father as he could, and in return his father kept him planted on the ground and never once abandoned him either. Elie and his father are like to flowers in the middle of a dying field, they shared the same soil, and kept each other strong. Elie could always carry the guilt for thinking that he failed his father, but never once did this happen. "It no longer mattered. Since my father's death, nothing mattered to me anymore," (Wiesel, 113). The bond that Elie and his father had was one only to be broken by the whispers of death, because during his time of life, they both knew they could lean on each other if one fell. To them no one was left behind, and even though guilty thoughts surfaced, it did not matter. What will matter is that Elie not once did he leave his father's side, and not once was he ever alone.
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Bryan Amaro
11/21/2013 03:25:38 pm
In Section Eight of Night, I think Elie’s statement is false because he does not leave his father behind like Eliahu’s son did to his father. Even though Elie sometimes does have anger towards his father, he does not want to leave his father behind. In fact, when his father was sick one day, and then the sickness became worse and worse, Elie does not give up on his father no matter how many times his father says it would be the end for himself. He even gives his own food to his father. Yet, one day an officer came and told Elie that it is useless to help his father and should instead help himself. But Elie does not fully feel satisfied about that idea. “I thought deep down, not daring to admit it to myself… It was only a fraction of a second, but it left me feeling guilty.” Elie is trying his best to not be like Eliahu’s son did to his father, which was to leave his own father behind. But in this situation in being in the concentration camp, it does seem that survival for yourself should be the only thing you should do.
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Christian Marquez
11/21/2013 04:05:39 pm
In my opinion Elie did not fail his father because he still cared for his father. Even with him not wanting to help his father in his dying days he did it. Elie describes him having guilt. Elie felt guilt because he really did care. If Elie lacked the guilt he expressed then he would have failed his father because it woulf show he really did not care.
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Angel Mis
11/21/2013 04:31:15 pm
I do feel that Ellie did not properly care for his father when he did not give him proper care while he was dying. To be fair, I did not expect anybody to rise up, especially with the constant presence of death of fear surrounding everybody. When Ellie says,"And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like:Free at last!..."(p 112) I do not feel sympathy for him but I do comprehend what he felt., He has been through literal hell and if some burden was lifted, then it may have led to the man we see today who helps and shapes the people around him. Ellie should feel guilty, but in a good sort of way.
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Diane Leal
11/21/2013 11:06:37 pm
As Elie's father began to die, the less he wanted to take care of him. Elie saw his father as more of a burden to him and it caused to want to take care of him less and less. It started when his father had not received food, and Elie knew that it was his job to share with his dad. So when Elie did share his soup, he did it grudgingly. Then he kept on forgetting more and more of his father and at some point, almost wished him to die. Although, when he would commit the actions, he will feel guilt and lament. Then he realizes that he had failed the test, which in a way causes him to care more for his father.
Throughout the section of night , we can see how Eli feels more independent . He starts to know that he can live without a father in a way. Before , he used to always depend on his father being there because he just would not know what to do if he lost him . Eli should feel guilty because he showed how he was ignoring his fathers cries. In the novel Eli says ," His last word was my name. He had called out to me and i had not answered . " Eli would always listen , care for his father but once he saw that his father was pushing him down , he had to do something in order to survive. Just like Rabbi's son , his survival , animal instincts got the best of him . His father was what he was living for but now he is fighting for his life. I dont think no one wants to face death.
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Farty McShit pants
4/25/2017 05:19:54 pm
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2020 Life Covid-19
10/22/2020 07:41:55 am
2020 is worst then anything in this book
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dsmith6473
5/11/2022 05:39:40 pm
NO WTF? I can't believe you are comparing 2020 to a national genocide.
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