I completely agree with you, regarding the painfulness of this book. Not only is it hard for people to read, but it was very hard on Elie Wiesel. This is most certainly why he took over ten years, before even deciding to write Night. (Dove, Laura) These times of the holocaust, show the worst of humanity. The stories are hard to read, yet are important so this history is never repeated.
As you said, and I agree, it is amazing how Hitler brainwashed so many people in the Gestapo, and the German police into believing what they were doing was right. It is hard to fathom that humans, could resort to such hate against others of their own kind. Even as the prison guards worked, and oversaw the incineration of hundreds of people, how could they have not felt at least a small amount of regret and pain, seeing so many lives extinguished?
The health of Jews in the interment camps, was barely valued beyond keeping the inmates able to work. When the camp was to be evacuated, "All the invalids will be summarily killed... and sent to the crematory in a final batch." (77) which shows the entire lack of care for any Jews, unless they could work. The Jews were mainly only kept for how strong they were, and how much work they could produce. Hope was mainly only kept, knowing that the Russians were close at hand, and would liberate the camp. This hope, and the belief of some in God, kept the Jewish people from completely despairing and jumping into the fire pits, or giving themselves up for cremation.
Dove, Laura. "Elie Wiesel Bio." Memory Made Manifest: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 1 June 1995. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/holo/eliebio.htm>.
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