After reading Night by Elie Wiesel I have gotten a far better understanding of the treatment and handling of Jews during the Holocaust, and I believe anyone will after reading this incredible book. Night is told through the eyes of Eliezer who is merely a teenage boy when the story begins. Just like any other kid who was a Jew, Eliezer would study the first five books of the Old Testament, but soon that would all come to an immediate change. Soon after the Nazis took control over Hungary in 1944, many of the Jews from the surrounding areas were herded together to head towards the concentration camps, including Eliezer and his entire family. Upon their arrival at the Auschwitz concentration camp, Eliezers mother and sisters were separated from him and his father, whom they would never see again. During Eliezers time at the concentration camps, he goes into detail about how many of the prisoners were treated and how he
felt going through all of it. Later on, the Russians were proceeding towards Auschwitz and this caused the Nazis and many of the prisoners to evacuate to Gerwitz, another concentration camp 50 miles away. The prisoners were forced to walk, and many died due to the extreme cold weather and poor conditions. Unlike most of the prisoners, Eliezer had his father to support him throughout most of the trip. Wants they arrive at Gerwitz the survivors are then rounded up again to head towards Buchenwald concentration camp. This time on a train, about a hundred prisoners started off on the trip but only twelve survived at their arrival to Buchenwald. Sadly, at Buchenwald Eliezers dad meets his end while dealing with abusive beatings and dysentery. Not long after Eliezer’s father’s death, on April 11, 1945, the United States took control of the concentration camps ensuring the safety of all the prisoners including Eliezer.