Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Describe Eliezer's mother in detail in Night.

There is not much offered in the narrative about Eliezer's
mother.  She takes care of and tends to the family in a traditional manner.  Her
husband, Eliezer's father, is well respected in the community and she acts in accordance
to this.  She is concerned with her eldest daughter's marriage, and is also concerned
with the well being of her family.  She is seen in the first section of the narrative. 
However, Eliezer's strongest connection is seen with his father.  On one hand, this is
because Eliezer defines the two emerging male figures in his life between his father and
Moshe the Beadle.  His mother does not enter his conception of identity.  As the family
is deported, Eliezer's emphasis becomes on survival and wonderment about what is to
happen to him.  The last we see of Eliezer's mother it is in the third section where
separation becomes evident.  At Birkenau, the men are separated from the women.  When
this happens, Eliezer and his father move to one side and Eliezer's mother moves to
another side with her daughter.  In this, there is no more mention of Eliezer's mother,
and there is no formal farewell between them.  It is for this reason that little is
offered about Eliezer's mother in the narrative.

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