Quote

 Book  for  Night  by  Elie  Wiesel  

Quote   Theme/Character   Page  #  
Why  did  I  pray?  A  strange  question.  Why  did  I  live?  Why  did  I  live?   Faith   14  
The  train  disappeared  on  the  horizon;  it  left  nothing  behind  but  its   Symbolism  –  fire,   16  
thick,  dirty  smoke   smoke  
Without  passion,  without  haste,  they  slaughtered  their  prisoners.   Terror  (Moche  the   16  
Beadle)  
Babies  were  thrown  into  the  air  and  machine  gunners  used  them  as   Innocence  (Moche  the   16  
targets.   Beadle)  
People  refused  not  only  to  believe  his  stories  but  even  to  listen  to   Naivety  (Elie  about   17  
them.   Moche  the  Beadle)    
I  did  not  believe  him  myself…I  only  felt  pity  form  him.   Naivety  (Elie  about   17  
Moche  the  Beadle)  
People  said:  “The  Russian  army’s  making  gigantic  strides  forward…   Hitler   18  
Hitler  won’t  be  able  to  do  us  any  harm,  even  if  he  wanted  to”  
We  even  doubted  that  he  wanted  to  exterminate  us.    Was  he  going  to   Hitler   19  
wipe  out  a  whole  people?  Could  he  exterminate  a  population  scattered  
throughout  so  many  countries?  So  many  millions!  
A  Jew  no  longer  had  the  right  to  keep  in  his  house  gold,  jewels,  or  any   First  circumstance  of   21  
objects  of  value.  Everything  had  to  be  handed  over  to  the  authorities  –   cruelty  
on  pain  of  death.  
…every  Jew  must  wear  the  yellow  star   Second  circumstance  of   21  
cruelty  
We  were  no  longer  allowed  to  go  into  restaurants  or  cafes,  to  travel  on   Third  circumstance  of   22  
the  railway,  to  attend  synagogue,  to  go  out  into  the  street  after  six   cruelty  
o’clock.  
Then  came  the  ghetto.   Fourth  circumstance  of   22  
cruelty  
The  shadows  beside  me  awoke  as  from  a  long  sleep.      They  fled,   Symbolism  –  shadows   25  
silently,  in  all  directions.   (light  and  dark)  
Elie  in  the  ghetto  
The  Hungarian  police  struck  out  with  truncheons  and  rifle  butts,  to   Violence   27  
right  and  left,  without  reason,  indiscriminately,  their  blows  falling    
upon  old  men  and  women,  children  and  invalids  alike.  
The  stars  were  only  sparks  of  fire  which  devoured  us.  Should  that  fire   Symbolism  –  fire   32  
die  out  one  day,  there  would  be  nothing  left  in  the  sky,  but  dead  stars,  
dead  eyes.  
So  much  has  happened  within  such  a  few  hours  that  I  had  lost  all  sense   Symbolism  –  night   34  
of  time.  When  had  we  left  our  houses?  And  the  ghetto?  And  the  train?  
Was  it  only  a  week?  One  night-­‐  one  single  night  
Fire!  I  can  see  a  fire!  I  can  see  a  fire!   Madame  Schachter’s   35  
visions  on  the  train  
There  was  nothing  there;  only  the  darkness   Elie  looking  out  of  the   36  
train  
In  front  of  us  flames.  In  the  air  that  smell  of  burning  flesh.    It  must  have   First  experience  of  the   39  
been  about  midnight.  We  has  arrived  –  at  Birkenau,  reception  centre   concentration  camp  
for  Auschwitz.  
‘Men  to  the  left!  Women  to  the  right’.  Eight  words  spoken  quietly,   Family   40  
indifferently,  without  emotion.  Eight  short,  simple  words.  Yet  that  was  
the  moment  when  I  was  parted  from  my  mother.  
For  a  part  of  a  second  I  glimpsed  my  mother  and  my  sisters  moving   Family   40  
away  to  the  right.  Tzipora  held  Mother’s  hand.  
 
I  saw  them  disappear  in  the  distance;  my  mother  was  stroking  my   Family   40  
sister’s  fair  hair,  as  though  to  protect  her,  while  I  walked  on  with  my  
father  and  the  other  men.      
And  I  did  not  know  that  in  that  place,  at  that  moment,  I  as  parting  from   Hindsight   40  
my  mother  and  Tzipora  forever.  
My  hand  shifted  on  my  father’s  arm.    I  had  one  thought  –  not  to  lose   Relationship  with  his   40  
him.  Not  to  be  left  alone.   father  
I  pinched  my  face.  Was  I  still  alive?  Was  I  awake?  I  could  not  believe  it.   Nightmares   43  
How  could  it  be  possible  for  them  to  burn  people,  children,  and  for  the  
world  to  keep  silent?  No,  none  of  this  could  be  true.    It  was  a  
nightmare.  
For  the  first  time,  I  felt  revolt  rise  up  in  me.    Why  should  I  bless  His   Questioning  his  faith   44  
name?  The  Eternal,  Lord  of  the  Universe,  the  All-­‐Powerful  and  Terrible,  
was  silent.  What  had  I  to  thank  him  for?  
Never  shall  I  forget  that  night,  the  first  night  camp,  which  has  turned   Symbolism  –  Night   45  
my  life  into  one  long  night,  seven  times  cursed  and  seven  times  sealed.  
Never  shall  I  forget  that  smoke.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  little  faces  of   Symbolism  –  smoke,   45  
the  children,  whose  bodies  I  saw  turned  into  wreaths  of  smoke   silence  
beneath  a  silent  blue  sky.   Loss  of  innocence  
Never  shall  I  forget  those  flames,  which  consumed  my  faith  forever.   Symbolism  –  fire   45  
  Loss  of  faith  
 
Never  shall  I  forget  that  nocturnal  silence  which  deprived  me,  for  all   Symbolism  –  silence,   45  
eternity,  of  the  desire  to  live.   night  
Never  shall  I  forget  those  moments  which  murdered  my  God  and  my   Loss  of  faith   45  
soul  and  turned  my  dreams  to  dust.  Never  shall  I  forget  these  things,  
even  if  I  am  condemned  to  live  as  long  as  God  Himself.  Never.  
We  had  to  throw  our  clothes  at  one  end  of  the  barracks.    There  was   Inhumane   46  
already  a  great  heap  there.    New  suits  and  old,  torn  coats,  rags.    For  us,  
this  was  the  equality:  nakedness.    Shivering  with  the  cold.  
The  Kapos  beat  us  once  more,  but  I  had  ceased  to  feel  any  pain  from   Violence   47  
their  blows.  
I  had  new  shoes…but  as  they  were  coated  with  a  thick  layer  of  mud,  no   Faith   49  
one  had  noticed  them.    I  thanked  God,  in  an  improvised  prayer,  for  
having  created  mud  in  His  infinite  and  wonderful  universe.  
Yesterday,  I  should  have  sunk  my  nails  into  the  criminal’s  flesh.    Had  I   Change  (after  his  father   51  
changed  so  much  since  then?  So  quickly?   is  hit  by  the  gypsy)  
“Here,  you  have  got  to  work.    If  not,  you  will  go  straight  to  the  furnace.   Ironic  –  there  was  no   50  
To  the  crematory.  Work  or  the  crematory  –  the  choice  is  in  their   choice  
hands.”  
It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  May.  The  fragrance  of  Spring  was  in  the  air.   Ironic  -­‐  weather   51  
 
But  we  had  been  marching  for  only  a  few  moments  when  we  saw  the   Ironic  –  work  =  death   51  
barbed  wire  of  camp.  An  iron  door  with  this  inscription  over  it:  Work  is  
liberty!  Auschwitz.  
I  did  not  deny  God’s  existence,  but  I  doubted  His  absolute  justice.   Questioning  his  faith   57  
The  camp  looked  as  though  it  had  suffered  an  epidemic:  empty  and   Surroundings  –  after   58  
dead.   moving  to  Buna  
As  if  the  choice  was  in  our  own  hands.   They  had  no  choices   59  
 
I  now  took  little  interest  in  anything  except  my  daily  plate  of  soup  and   How  he  had  changed   64  
my  crust  of  stale  bread.    Bread,  soup  –  these  were  my  whole  life.  I  was  
a  body.  Perhaps  less  than  that  even:  a  starved  stomach.  The  stomach  
alone  was  aware  of  the  passage  of  time.  
Why,  but  why  should  I  bless  Him?  In  every  fiber,  I  rebelled.  Because  He   Questioning  faith   64  
had  had  thousands  of  children  burned  in  his  pits?  Because  He  kept  six  
crematories  working  night  and  day,  on  Sundays  and  feast  days?  
Because  on  His  great  might,  He  had  created  Auschwitz,  Bierkenau,  
Buna,  and  so  many  factories  of  death.  
I  had  watched  the  whole  scene  without  moving.  I  kept  quiet.  In  fact  I   How  he  had  changed  –   66  
was  thinking  of  how  to  get  further  away  so  that  I  would  not  be  hit   relationship  with  his  
myself….I  was  angry  with  him  (my  father)  for  not  knowing  how  to  avoid   father  
Idek’s  outbreak.  That  is  what  concentration  camp  life  had  made  of  me.  
“Long  live  liberty!  A  curse  upon  Germany!  A  curse!  A  cur…”   The  young  man  from   74  
Warsaw  hanged  –  last  
revolt  from  a  
condemned  man  
Then  the  whole  camp,  block  after  block,  had  to  march  past  the  hanged   Exposure  to  murder   74  
man  and  stare  at  the  dimmed  eyes,  the  lolling  of  the  tongue.  
To  hang  a  young  boy  in  front  of  thousands  of  spectators  was  no  light   Loss  of  innocence   76  
matter.  The  head  of  the  camp  read  the  verdict.  All  eyes  were  on  the  
child.  He  was  lividly  pale,  almost  calm,  biting  his  lips.  The  gallows  threw  
its  shadow  over  him  
For  more  than  half  an  hour  he  stayed  there,  struggling  between  life   Child  killed  –  innocence   77  
and  death,  dying  in  slow  agony  under  our  eyes.    And  we  had  to  look   lost  
him  full  in  the  face.    He  was  still  alive  when  I  passed  in  front  of  him.  His  
tongue  was  still  red,  his  eyes  were  not  yet  glazed.  
Where  is  God  now?  Where  is  He?  Here  He  is  –  He  is  hanging  here  on   God  was  hanged  in  the   77  
this  gallows…  That  night  the  soup  tasted  of  corpses.   shape  of  an  innocent  
child  
I  was  the  accuser,  God  the  accused.     Questioning  faith   79  
My  eyes  were  open  and  I  was  alone  –  terribly  alone  in  a  world  without   Elie’s  loneliness   79  
God  and  without  man.    Without  love  or  mercy.    I  had  ceased  to  be  
anything  but  ashes,  yet  I  felt  myself  to  be  stronger  than  the  Almighty,  
to  whom  my  life  had  been  tied  for  so  long.    
…I  stood  amid  that  praying  congregation,  observing  it  like  a  stranger.   Feeling  excluded  from   79  
religion  
He  was  standing  near  the  wall,  bowed  down,  his  shoulders  sagging  as   Relationship  with  his   80  
though  beneath  a  heavy  burden.    I  went  up  to  him,  took  his  hand  and   father  
kissed  it.    A  tear  fell  upon  it.  Whose  was  that  tear?  Mine?  His?  I  said  
nothing.  Nor  did  he.  We  had  never  understood  each  other  so  clearly.  
I  no  longer  accepted  God’s  silence.  As  I  swallowed  my  bowl  of  soup,  I   Rebelling  against  God   80  
saw  in  the  gesture  an  act  of  rebellion  and  protest  against  Him.  And  I   by  not  fasting.  
nibbled  my  crust  of  bread.  In  the  depths  of  my  heart,  I  felt  a  great  void.   Without  God,  Elie  feels  
empty.  
And  soon  a  terrible  word  was  circulating  –  selection   Fear   81  
The  old  men  stayed  in  their  corner,  dumb,  motionless,  hunted.  Some   Fear  did  not   82  
were  praying.   discriminate  –  young  
and  old  
‘Don’t  talk  like  that  father.’  (I  felt  that  would  break  into  sobs.)  ‘I  don’t   Keeps  hope  of  survival   86  
want  you  to  talk  like  that’   alive  –  when  Chlomo  
tries  to  give  him  the  
knife  and  spoon  
The  hospital  was  not  bad  at  all.  We  were  given  good  bread  and  thicker   Light  in  the  dark   90  
soup.  No  more  bell.  No  more  roll  call.  No  more  work.  Now  and  then  I  
was  able  to  send  a  bit  of  bread  to  my  father.  
‘I’ve  got  more  faith  in  Hitler  than  in  anyone  else.  He’s  the  only  one   As  opposed  to  God  –  a   92  
who’s  kept  his  promises,  all  his  promises,  to  the  Jewish  people.’   faceless  neighbour  
They  could  only  just  open  their  lips  enough  to  say  the  word:   Fear  of  what  was  to   93  
evacuation.   come.  
‘What  shall  we  do  father?’  He  was  lost  in  thought.  The  choice  was  in   First  choice  they  have   94  
our  hands.  For  once,  we  could  decide  our  fate  for  ourselves.  We  could   had  –  to  stay  in  Buna  or  
both  stay  in  the  hospital,  where  I  could,  thanks  to  my  doctor,  get  him   evacuate  with  the  
entered  as  a  patient  or  a  nurse.  Or  we  could  follow  the  others.   others.  
‘Let’s  be  evacuated  with  the  others.’  ‘  Let’s  hope  that  we  shan’t  regret   Elie  made  the  decision   94  
it  Eliezer.’  
I  learned  after  the  war  the  fate  of  those  who  had  stayed  behind  in  the   Hindsight   94  
hospital.    They  were  quite  simply  liberated  by  the  Russians  two  days  
after  the  evacuation.  
The  last  night  in  Buna.  Yet  another  last  night.  The  last  night  at  home,   The  last  of  everything   94  
the  last  night  in  the  ghetto,  the  last  night  in  the  train,  and  now,  the  last  
night  in  Buna.    How  much  longer  were  our  lives  to  be  dragged  out  from  
one  ‘last  night’  to  another?  
The  snow  never  ceased…  It  snowed  relentlessly.   Bitter  weather  and   96  
tough  conditions  
Pitch  darkness…If  one  of  us  stopped  for  a  second,  a  sharp  shot  finished   Consequences  of  his   97  
off  another  filthy  son  of  a  bitch…Near  me,  men  were  collapsing  in  the   decision  
dirty  snow.  Shots.  
Death  wrapped  itself  around  me  till  I  was  stifled.  It  stuck  to  me.  I  felt   Accepting  fate   98  
that  I  could  touch  it.  The  idea  of  dying,  of  no  longer  being,  began  o  
fascinate  me.  Not  to  exist  any  longer.  Not  to  feel  the  horrible  pains  in  
my  foot.  Not  to  feel  anything,  neither  weariness,  nor  cold,  nor  
anything.    
My  father’s  presence  was  the  only  thing  that  stopped  me…(from  giving   Relationship  with  his   98  
up).  He  was  running  at  my  side,  out  of  breath,  at  the  end  of  his   father  
strength,  at  his  wits  end.  I  had  no  right  to  let  myself  die.  What  would  
he  do  without  me?  I  was  his  only  support.  
We  were  masters  of  nature,  masters  of  the  world.  We  had  forgotten   Loss  of  identity.   99  
everything  –  death,  fatigue,  our  natural  needs.  Stronger  than  cold  or   Strength  of  will  
hunger,  stronger  than  the  shots  and  the  desire  to  die,  condemned  and  
wandering,  mere  numbers,  we  were  the  only  men  on  earth.  
I  was  walking  in  a  cemetery,  among  stiffened  corpses,  logs  of  wood.   Different  side  to  death   101  
Not  a  cry  of  distress,  not  a  groan,  nothing  but  a  mass  agony,  in  silence.  
No  one  asked  anyone  else  for  help.  You  died  because  you  had  to  die.  
There  was  no  fuss.  
In  every  stiffened  corpse,  I  saw  myself.   Saw  his  own  death   101  
 
‘We  can  lie  down  for  a  bit,  one  after  the  other.  I’ll  watch  over  you,  and   Elie  to  his  father  in  the   101  
then  you  can  watch  over  me.  We  won’t  let  each  other  fall  asleep.  We’ll   snow.    
look  after  each  other.’   Relationship  with  his  
father  
God  knows  what  I  would  not  have  given  for  a  few  moments  of  sleep.   Elie  doesn’t  want  to  die   101  
But  deep  down,  I  felt  that  to  sleep  would  mean  to  die.  And  something  
within  me  revolted  against  this  death.  All  round  me  death  was  moving  
in,  silently,  without  violence.  It  would  seize  upon  some  sleeping  being,  
enter  into  him,  and  consume  him,  bit  by  bit.  
 
He  (Rabbi  Eliahou)  had  lost  his  son  in  the  crowd.  He  looked  in  vain   Father  and  son   102  
among  the  dying.    For  three  years  they  had  stuck  together…  Three   relationship  
years,  from  camp  to  camp,  from  selection  to  selection.  And  now  when  
the  end  seemed  near  –  fate  had  separated  them.  
 
Then  I  remembered  something  else:  his  son  had  seen  him  losing   Father  and  son   103  
ground,  limping,  staggering  back  to  the  rear  of  the  column.  He  had   relationship  
seen  him.  And  he  continued  to  run  on  in  front,  letting  the  distance  
between  them  grow  greater.  A  terrible  thought  loomed  in  my  mind:  he  
had  wanted  to  get  rid  of  his  father!  …to  get  rid  of  the  burden,  to  free  
himself  from  an  encumbrance  which  could  lessen  his  own  chances  of  
survival.  
And,  in  spite  of  myself,  a  prayer  rose  in  my  heart,  to  that  God  in  whom   Doesn’t  believe  but  still   103  
I  no  longer  believed.  My  God,  Lord  of  the  Universe,  give  me  strength   prays  
never  to  do  what  Rabbi  Eliahou’s  son  has  done.  
Sons  abandoned  their  fathers’  remains  without  a  tear   What  the  war  can  do  to   104  
people  
The  sound  of  a  violin,  in  this  dark  shed,  where  the  dead  were  heaped   light  in  the  dark   107  
on  the  living.  What  madman  could  be  playing  a  violin  here,  at  the  brink  
of  his  own  grave?  Or  was  it  really  an  hallucination?  It  must  have  been  
Juliek.    
It  was  pitch  dark.  I  could  hear  only  the  violin,  and  it  was  as  though   Symbolism  –  life   107  
Juliek’s  soul  were  the  bow.  He  was  playing  his  life.   through  the  music  
I  shall  never  forget  Juliek.    How  could  I  forget  that  concert  given  to  an   Strange  and   107  
audience  of  dying  and  dead  men?   unbelievable  contrast  
I  do  not  know  for  how  long  he  played.  I  was  overcome  by  sleep.  When  I   Death  personified.   107  
awoke,  in  the  daylight,  I  could  see  Juliek,  opposite  me,  slumped  over,  
dead.  Near  him  lay  his  violin,  smashed,  trampled,  a  strange  
overwhelming  little  corpse.  
In  difference  deadened  the  spirit.  Here  or  elsewhere  –  what  difference   Symbolism  –  night   109  
did  it  make?  To  die  today  or  tomorrow  or  later?  The  night  was  long  and   Defeat.  
never  ending.  
My  father  was  huddled  near  me,  wrapped  in  his  blanket,  his  shoulders   When  he  thinks  his   110  
covered  with  snow.  Was  he  dead,  too?  I  called  him.  No  answer.  I  would   father  has  died.  
have  cried  out  if  I  could  have  done  so.  He  did  not  move.  
My  mind  was  invaded  suddenly  by  this  realization  –  there  was  no  more   Given  up   110  
reason  to  live,  no  more  reason  to  struggle.  
The  days  were  like  nights,  and  the  nights  left  the  dregs  of  their   Symbolism  -­‐  night   111  
darkness  in  our  souls.  
One  day,  when  we  had  stopped,  a  workman  took  a  piece  of  bread  and   Treated  like  animals   111  
threw  it  into  a  wagon.  There  was  a  stampede.  Dozens  of  starving  me  
fought  each  other  to  the  death  for  a  few  crumbs.    The  German  
workmen  took  a  lively  interest  in  this  spectacle.  
The  old  man  again  whispered  something,  let  out  a  rattle,  and  died   Reminding  us  of  his   113  
among  the  general  indifference.  His  son  searched  him,  took  the  bread   age.  
and  began  to  devour  it.  He  was  not  able  to  get  very  far.  Two  men  had   Father  and  son  
seen  and  hurled  themselves  upon  him.  Others  joined  in.  When  they   relationship  
withdrew,  next  to  me  were  two  corpses,  side  by  side,  the  father  and  
the  son.  I  was  fifteen  years  old.  
‘Don’t  let  yourself  go  under,’  my  father  said,  trying  to  encourage  him   Place  faith  in  yourself   114  
(Meir  Katz).  ‘You  must  resist.  Don’t  lose  faith  in  yourself.’   not  in  God.  
The  death  rattle  of  a  whole  convoy  who  felt  the  end  upon  them.  We   Symbolism  -­‐  night   114  
were  all  going  to  die  here.  All  limits  had  been  passed.  No  one  had  any  
strength  left.  And  again,  the  night  would  be  long.  
A  hundred  of  us  had  got  into  the  wagon.  A  dozen  of  us  got  out  –  among   Against  the  odds   115  
them,  my  father  and  I.  We  had  arrived  at  Buchenwald.  
I  held  onto  my  father’s  hand  –  the  old  familiar  fear:  not  to  lose  him   Father  and  son   115  
  relationship  
 
‘I  can’t  go  on…This  is  the  end…  I’m  going  to  die  here…’  I  could  have   Resentment  for  his   116  
wept  with  rage.  Having  lived  through  so  much,  suffered  so  much,  could   father  
I  leave  my  father  to  die  now?  Now,  when  we  could  have  a  good  hot  
bath  and  lie  down?  
He  had  become  like  a  child,  weak,  timid,  vulnerable.   Role  reversal   116  
Resentment  for  his  
father  
For  a  long  time  this  argument  went  on.  I  felt  that  I  was  not  arguing  with   Letting  go   117  
him,  but  with  death  itself,  with  the  death  that  he  had  already  chosen.  
It  was  daytime  when  I  awoke.  and  then  I  remembered  that  I  had  a   Regret   117  
father…I  had  known  that  he  was  at  the  end,  on  the  brink  of  death,  and  
yet  I  had  abandoned  him.  
But  at  the  same  moment  this  thought  came  to  my  mind:  ‘Don’t  let  me   Elie  considers  survival   117  
find  him!  If  only  I  could  get  rid  of  this  dead  weight,  so  that  I  could  use   without  Chlomo  
all  my  strength  for  my  own  survival,  and  only  worry  about  myself.’   Regret  
Immediately  I  felt  ashamed  of  myself,  ashamed  forever.  
With  those  few  gulps  of  hot  water,  I  probably  brought  him  more   Relationship  with  his   118  
satisfaction  than  I  had  done  during  my  whole  childhood.   father  
I  gave  him  what  was  left  of  my  soup.  But  it  was  with  a  heavy  heart.  I   Resentment  for  his   118  
felt  that  I  was  giving  it  up  to  him  against  my  will.  No  better  than  Rabbi   father  
Eliahou’s  son  had  I  withstood  the  test.  
Another  wound  to  the  heart,  another  hate,  another  reason  for  living   Responsible  for  his   120  
lost.   father  
‘Listen  to  me  boy.  Don’t  forget  you  are  in  a  concentration  camp.  Here,   Family   122  
every  man  has  to  fight  for  himself  and  not  think  of  anyone  else.  Even  of  
his  father.  Here,  there  are  no  fathers,  no  brothers,  no  friends.    
Everyone  lives  and  dies  for  themselves.’  
I  awoke  on  January  29  at  dawn.  In  my  father’s  place  lay  another  invalid.     Facts  about  his  father’s   123  
They  must  have  taken  him  away  before  dawn  and  carried  him  to  the   death  
crematory.  He  may  have  still  been  breathing.    
There  were  no  prayers  at  his  grave.  No  candles  were  lit  to  his  memory.   Regret   123  
His  last  word  was  my  name.  A  summons,  to  which  I  did  not  respond.  
I  did  not  weep,  and  it  pained  me  that  I  could  not  weep.  But  I  had  no   Reaction  to  his  father’s   123  
more  tears.  And,  in  the  depths  of  my  being,  in  the  recesses  of  my   death  
weakened  conscience,  could  I  have  searched  it,  I  might  have  perhaps  
found  something  like  –  free  at  last!  
It  no  longer  mattered.  After  my  father’s  death,  nothing  could  touch  me   State  of  mind   123  
any  more.  
I  had  but  one  desire  –  to  eat.  I  no  longer  thought  of  my  father  or  of  my   Change   124  
mother.  
Our  first  act  as  free  men  was  to  throw  ourselves  on  to  the  provisions.   Change   126  
We  thought  of  only  that.  Not  of  revenge,  not  of  our  families.  Nothing  
but  bread.  
One  day  I  was  able  to  get  up,  after  gathering  all  my  strength.  I  wanted   Not  the  same  person.   126  
to  see  myself  in  the  mirror  hanging  on  the  opposite  wall.  I  had  not  seen   The  original  Elie  had  
myself  since  the  ghetto.  From  the  depths  of  the  mirror,  a  corpse  gazed   died.  
back  at  me.  The  look  in  his  eyes,  as  they  stared  into  mine,  has  never  
left  me.