Night Family Quotes Page 6
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
| Quote #16 I tightened my grip on my father's hand. The old, familiar fear: not to lose him. |
At the new camp, Eliezer still tries to cling to his father. They have been through so much; losing his father is still his greatest fear. When his father starts to die, he struggles to keep his father alive because of his desire not to lose the last remaining member of his family and the only thing that preserves his own will to live.
| Quote #17 I went to look for him. |
In the world of the concentration camps, Eliezer struggles to maintain his humanity; Eliezer realizes that he sees his father as a burden that might get in the way of his own personal survival but attempts to banish these inhumane thoughts and feels genuine guilt.
| Quote #18 "Listen to me, kid. Don’t forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is every man for himself, and you cannot think of others. Not even your father. In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone. Let me give you good 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 …" |
A fellow prisoner points out that in the concentration camp, it’s every man for himself. Selfishness, not altruism, keeps people alive in concentration camps. Eliezer suffers an internal battle of selfishness vs. love for his father, and despite the harsh circumstances, Eliezer’s better side wins out.
