Pages read: 65- 115 (end)
An effect the Holocaust had on Elie was the way he sees God and his humanity. In the beginning, Elie was very pious. Then throughout the book you can see Elie's transition as he starts to rebel against God and comes to the point where he no longer thinks God exists. The Holocaust also much affect on Elie's humanity. In the beginning he seems very joyful and happy but then throughout the book you can see his humanity change drastically.
In the beginning of the book Elie is very pious. He was very religious and devoted to God. In the book it says,"And Moishe the Beadle, the poorest of the poorest of Sighet, spoke to me for hours on end about Kabbalah's revelations and its mysteries. Thus began my initiation. Together we would read, over and over again, the same page of the Zohar. Not to learn it by heart but to discover within the very essence of divinity.(P.5 New Edition)" This quote really shows how he was so devoted to God. He would read the same page of the Zohar over and over just so that he could see its divinity. His father even told him he was still too young to start studying his religion so much. His father even tried to take that idea from his mind.
Later on when he entered the concentration camps he began to change. He begins to question God and his existence. Then he comes to the point where he loses all faith in him. In the book it says,"For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for? (P.33)" He began to doubt God. He saw all these terrible things happening to people around him. He saw babies get burnt alive, people get shot, people get hanged, people starve to death, and yet God did nothing about it. He saw so many things and he doubted God because God did nothing to help them. He only watched. Then came the point where he lost all faith in him.
Another effect that the Holocaust had on Elie was that it took his humanity away. In the beginning of the book, Elie demonstrated to be very happy and religious. Though, as he entered he camps he lost his humanity. In the book, it says,"And he began beating him with an iron bar. At first, my father simply doubled over under the blows, but then he seemed to break in two like an old tree struck by lightning. I had watched it all happening without moving. I kept silent. (P.54)" Elie's humanity was taken from him. He saw his dad get beaten right in front of his eyes and did nothing about it. Instead of helping his dad up or get beaten in the place of his father, he just stood there and watched. He was practically paralyzed. Every time someone was shot or hanged, for him it was just the typical.
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