Religion 110-08
March 18, 1996
To suffer, as defined in the dictionary, means to undergo or feel pain or great distress.
Another way to say it is to sustain injury, disadvantage, or loss. And yet another way to define
suffering is to say to endure or be afflicted with something temporary or chronically. If they were
to ask Elie Wiesel what his definition of suffering was, he would have a lot to say and what he
told them would be more horrible than their wildest dreams. It is hard to relate to something of
the magnitude of Elie's suffering, without actually being there, but after reading his book I have a
whole new understanding and sympathy for the Holocaust victims.
Elie's story took place while he was a very young boy, approximately 14. His friend
(town beggar) Moshe, had been somewhat helping with his studies until all the foreigners were
forced to leave the town.
English: Elie Wiesel Français : Elie Wiesel
Jewish slave laborers in the Buchenwald concentrat...
Elie Wiesel writer and spokesman on Holocaust issu...Sneaking back in several weeks later Moshe told of the stories that he
had witnessed. They were gruesome accounts of what the Nazi's were doing to innocent
children. His stories were payed little attention, but soon the townspeople were being forced to
leave and migrate towards ghettos. From there it was just waiting till they were moved by train to
the concentration camps. Once off the train, Elie and his father were separated from Elie's
mother and sister, little did he know that he would never see them again. Through bribery and
friendships along the way he managed to stay close to his aging father. Little respect and even
less food was given to the captives while they performed labor intensive tasks in the quarries.
During the day work was performed and if anyone was caught doing anything illegal the were
murdered in front...