The Motivation in Night

Motivation is the condition of providing something as need, belief, or desire that induces a character to act. In the historical fiction Night, by Elie Wiesel, action and setting contribute significantly to the motivation of the central protagonist, Elie. The overall effect of motivation presents the characters as retrogressing to savage-like behaviors. Motivation undoubtedly portrays a vital role in Elie’s demeanor. Many times, actions of others influence the aspirations of the main character. One day in the story, the Kapo (head of prison block) Idek flies into his usual fanatical rage and beats Elie. A young Aryan French girl comforts him in German. Years later, Elie meets the woman in Paris. She reveals that she is Jewish and risked her life, trusting Elie by speaking to him in German. The girl’s words motivated and encouraged Elie to be determined and not give up. Elie, though physically beaten, is emotionally boosted by this. Another time, prisoners are so crowded into barracks that people are piled upon each other. Elie finds himself lying on top of Juliek, a Polish violinist he knew in Buna. Juliek’s soulful playing of Beethoven through the night elevates hope and soothes the audience of exhausted and dying men. Evidently, these actions display the causes to motivation of Elie. Setting also affects the inclination of the central figure. At Auschwitz conditions are better and the fellow captives are not as brutal. The prisoners are even allowed to sleep in beds. Because of the more humane treatment, Elie and the residents of Auschwitz are more spirited. But at his stay in Birkenau, Elie is separated from his mother and sister, sees babies horrifically tossed into fires, comes close to death in the crematories, and is pummeled by guards. Dwelling in Birkenau, Elie loses hope and motivation but regains some of it at Auschwitz. On the last march to Gleiwitz, Elie’s father becomes weak, and catches a deadly case of dysentry. So while in Gleiwitz, Elie, is demoralized. Gleiwitz influences the motivation by reducing it. Either by diminishing or heightening motivation, the setting is important in determining the amount of it. The total outcome of motivation leads Elie and furthermore the other characters to de-humanize, desiring only for food and water. Elie comes to not even caring for his father. The harshness of camp life weakens Elie’s filial devotion, which causes him to feel shame and guilt. He becomes concerned primarily with feeding himself, an animal-like behavior, and this instinct of self-preservation often outweighs concern for his fater. Later while the captives are transporting to Buchenwald, German workmen throw pieces of bread into one of the prison cars for entertainment. The prisoners becoume barbaric, trying for the scarce amount of nourishment. One man desperately hungry, kills his own father for a piece of bread. The prisoners are transformed into a pack of savage wolves, fighting each other for survival. The motivation to satisfy their hungers reduces them to acting like mere beasts. Notably, setting and action contributes greatly to the motivation of the central character, Elie. The motivation causes Elie to desire more for food, and succumb human traits as revenge and generosity to animal-like behaviors. The horror of the holocaust that allowed people like Elie to be persecuted, should never be permitted to transpire again.