“His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: “I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.”
–Night by Elie Wiesel
The story of night, is one that is well known for it’s ability to provide us a stark reminder of the struggle the Jewish people went through during World War II. In this quote, it can be determined that the speaker has been weakened and has lost hope on not only his freedom, but also in God. The author’s use of diction is this scene helps to create an image in the eye’s of the reader. For example, when Elie says “His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily…” helps the reader determine and see the face of the man who is speaking. The words “cold eyes” helps to create the image of a sad man that has lost happiness while the word “wearily” is a key factor in showing that the man is “tired” of holding on to hope.
After creating this image of this tired and sad man while has lost hope, it is reinforced by the fact that he goes on to say that he has more hope in Hitler. This is a stark comment coming from this man because it goes to show how he is waiting for his inevitable end. From history, we know that Hitler was an evil man with the intent of ridding the world of the Jewish people. In this part of the quote where the speaker says that he has more hope in Hitler than anyone else, goes to serve his acceptance of what is to come. It can even be inferred that he is making a reference to God when he says “He alone has kept his promises, all his promises to the Jewish people.” The Jewish writings found in the Old Testament are full of promises made by God to his people. This final part of the quote finally serves to show the loss in his faith after coming to terms with what would be his tragic and sad end.