- - - While Eliezer witnesses many hangings, he
decides to describe two in particular.
Why are these two hangings so important to him?
- - -
When the young boy is hanged, a prisoner asks,
“Where is God now?” Eliezer thinks to
himself, “He is hanging here on this gallows . . .” What does this statement mean? Is it a hopeful, fearful or angry statement?
1. Eliezer describes the hanging of the young man from Warsaw who was accused of stealing soup during the air raid. He describes the hanging, but also says that the Jews in the camp do not react with pity to these hangings. They are so focused on survival that they are not affected by the deaths of these fellow prisoners. But, Eliezer was affected by this death. Eliezer describes him as brave. The boy’s hands did not tremble as he was led up to the gallows. He refused to be blindfolded and his last words were “Long live liberty! My curse on Germany! My curse! My..”. The prisoners were forced to walk by the young man’s body as it hung. Eliezer also describes a young boy who was hung, for resistance. The boy served the Oberkapo and was sentenced to death because the Oberkapo was collecting weapons. Eliezer describes the boys as a “sad eyed angel”. The boy was so light that he did not die immediately and swung from the rope for a period of time before dying. He talks about the reactions of fellow prisoners again, and how they do not feel sorrow, or at least do not show that they feel sorrow. The prisoners watch a young boy strangled to death at the end of a noose and begin to cry. The boy was important to Eliezer because the other prisoners showed sorrow. The previous hangings did not cause much emotion in the prisoners, but seeing this young boy, whom everyone loved, die in front of them caused the prisoners to cry. Eliezer saw the different reactions in people; this is why these two hangings were of importance to him. He also saw other people questioning their faith. This showed Eliezer that he was not the only one with doubts because of what was happening.
ReplyDelete2. It is an angry statement. He is again questioning his faith. When Eliezer says this he is in a way saying that his faith died with the boy. He says that God died with the boy. I interpret this as Eliezer’s faith dying. Eliezer’s change of heart shows how much he has changed from his attitude about life in his hometown, to his faithless attitude about life in a concentration camp. The terrible, evil things that he has witnessed have killed the innocence that he had as a child. He is viewing life from a different perspective, one in which he is more worried about survival than getting right with the Lord.
1. I feel as if he told these two tales because these two stood out to him the most. He remembers the child hanging because of the weeping that came from the crowd, even though that they were so used to this that they never cried. He remembered the other, because it was the tale of two men resisting orders from the German officers, and Eliezer reflects on how he has resisted the officers regarding his gold crown. These hangings stood out to him because they could both be him if he continues to act the way he is. He could be the child hanging there, because of how he has resisted the orders from authority.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that when Eliezer thinks the statement that God is "hanging here on this gallows" he's beginning to lose hope once again in the God that he has previously trusted and looked too for help. I think that he also asked himself a question that still comes about today for many people. That question is, "if God is so powerful, why can't he stop the bad things that are happening." Eliezer is asking that question, and not receiving an answer. This statement seems hopeless, and rather fearful from Eliezer's perspective towards God, and the events transpiring.
1) The two hangings that Wiesel describes are both with children. These hangings show how terrible and brutal the Nazis were to hang children. Then they forced all the prisoners to stare into their faces which just devastated Wiesel because of how they were brutally killed at such a young age. The second hanging he talks about is important to him because this is where he loses his faith in god.
ReplyDelete2) It means that his relationship with god is completely dead and hanging by rope. It is an angry statement because he is mad of what is happening around him and doesn't understand why it is happening. He is mad at god for letting it happen and this caused him to lose all his faith.
-The two hangings are important because they are used to show how the nazis were very brutal and that Eliezer could suffer the same fate as the kids that were hung. It also shows that he must do what he is told or that will happen to him.
ReplyDelete-The statement is basically showing that he has lost all hope in god once again and that he is losing his faith because of the terrible things that the nazis did to them
1.) Both of the hangings are important for different reasons. The first one was of a grown man who was accused of stealing. He explains this hanging as to show how "numb" the people will be for these hangings. The Jews have became to worry about their own needs over others. As this hanging happens Juliek goes to eliezer and says "I'm hungry, this ceremony will be over soon? This shows how they are worried about their own needs and are ignoring the violence of the camp. The second hanging has more importance than the first one. This is a innocent 13 year old boy. This is more important because now god dies in eliezers eyes. He doesn't see how god can live on a world were innocent people are during. He has changed a lot since the beginning were his dad had to tell him no from studying a religion to now loosing all hope and faith in god.
ReplyDelete2. This statement is when god died on the gallows with the child to eliezers belief and how now he doesn't have any faith in god. This is of anger. Anger because he can't get to how god can be somewhere were a innocent boy or even people are being murdered so inhumanly. Also the hanging of the boy made something happen that never does that being a emotional out cry at the camp. This is important because this is were all faith in god is lost in eliezers eyes, were to at the beginning is were all his faith was.
-- The hangings showed that the S.S. are brutal and they dont spare anyone on how old they are. They make a lesson out of them and it shows Wiesel is worried. It can show that he lost hope in his god.
ReplyDelete-- It shows that god is dead in him, and he no longer has faith. He is searching for what to believe in, and wondering why his god would let these people be hanged.
1. The hangings were to show that the nazi's don't care how old you are and what you look it, if they are going to hang you they are going to hang you.
ReplyDelete2. It shows that he's losing all faith in god and everything. He thinks if god really wanted him out of there then he would of. He now realizes that there is no hope of getting out of the camp.
The hangings showed that the S.S are brutal and they dont spare anyone also everyone was crying at these to hangings and normally people dont cry because it is such a regular accurance. Wiessel is woried and that shows he lost hope.
ReplyDeleteIt means that god is dead in him it is a very angry position he doesnt know what is going on around him and he blames god for letting this happen and loses all faith.
Both of the hangings are important for different reasons. The first one was of a grown man who was accused of stealing. He explains this hanging as to show how "numb" the people will be for these hangings. The Jews have became to worry about their own needs over others. As this hanging happens Juliek goes to eliezer and says "I'm hungry, this ceremony will be over soon? This shows how they are worried about their own needs and are ignoring the violence of the camp. The second hanging has more importance than the first one. This is a innocent 13 year old boy. This is more important because now god dies in eliezers eyes. He doesn't see how god can live on a world were innocent people are during. He has changed a lot since the beginning were his dad had to tell him no from studying a religion to now loosing all hope and faith in god.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when Eliezer thinks the statement that God is "hanging here on this gallows" he's beginning to lose hope once again in the God that he has previously trusted and looked too for help. I think that he also asked himself a question that still comes about today for many people. That question is, "if God is so powerful, why can't he stop the bad things that are happening." Eliezer is asking that question, and not receiving an answer. This statement seems hopeless, and rather fearful from Eliezer's perspective towards God, and the events transpiring.