One of the lines that really stood out to me was this: “An act so absolute as that of killing involves not only the killer but, as well, those who have formed him. In murdering a man I was making them murderers” (187). Killing is not an isolated incident. This is a point that Weisel subtly makes throughout the book. He talks about John Dawson’s family and how his death will affect them. He writes about Elisha’s memories and experiences, how he has come to be in this situation. Throughout the book, there is a feeling of community around both Elisha and John Dawson. Neither of them have come to be in this position without the interference of others. In a person's life, there is a ripple effect of decisions, actions, events, etc. The decisions made by an individual have a flavor of the community. As the crowd of ghosts tells Elisha, “We’re present wherever you go; we are what you do” (200). In some way or another, everyone is a product of their past. That is not to excuse their actions; everyone is still responsible for their own decisions. But we should still acknowledge that a person is heavily influenced by the people and events of their life. I think this is why Wiesel wrote this story the way he did, with constant flashbacks and reflections. He wanted his readers to understand Elisha and, by extension, to perhaps understand themselves. In reading this story and seeing how Elisha becomes a killer, the reader is inevitably led to ask “If I were in Elisha's situation, what would I do?”
P.S. I commented on Osten’s and Caroline’s posts.
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