Night - Essay

Moonisah Ali
Mrs. Bosch
English 10 Honors
8 January 2008

Lying Morally

It is in the human nature to lie. All humans lie. Lies extend from small ’white lies’ to lies that omit the truth. Reasons for lying varies from situation to situation. People often lie to protect themselves or to protect others. Humans that value morality often feel right about lying to protect others, whether it is out of love or pity. Often enough lying to protect someone is considered moral. A person is showing compassion by trying to save a person from horrible news when lying for the protection of others. In the novel Night, written by Elie Wiesel, in his writings Wiesel describes the living conditions of the concentration camps and the grisly violence that had taken place night after night before his very eyes. Wiesel explains how families were torn apart and separated from one another and were sent to different camps. Wiesel’s family being one of them. Wiesel talks about how one morning an alleged cousin happens to run into Wiesel and his father and claims that his wife was Wiesel’s mother’s aunt and that she had written his mother many letters to stay in touch. The man, Stein, asks Wiesel if he knows the whereabouts of his wife and his little boys. Wiesel (assuming they had all died) had lied to Stein and told him that they were all fine. Although Stein had later figured out about his family’s death, it was still morally correct of Wiesel to lie to Stein.
Stein was a ‘wrinkled, wizened’ old man. Wiesel and his father could not recall whether or not if Stein was their relative or not. Stein had presented himself as being delusional through his attempts at trying to convince Wiesel and his father that they had been related. Wiesel, knew that his father would not remember since his, “father was always up to his neck in affairs of the Jewish community, and much less well versed in family matters” (40). His father was, “elsewhere, lost in his thoughts” (40). Wiesel had taken pity upon the poor man and lied. He had told Stein that, “Reizel is very well. The children too…” (41). Wiesel’s actions are justified because he had felt for the elderly man and had lied out of empathy. Looking at the old man Wiesel knew it would have killed him to have the slightest idea that his children and wife were dead. Looking at Stein must have made Wiesel think of his father (who at the time was not doing very well himself, health wise), and if his father were Stein, what would his father do if he knew that his wife and children had died? He had taken that into consideration through his empathy for the man. Wiesel knew that Stein would not have been able to go on if he had heard the news. Also, Wiesel must have felt that if Stein knew he had relatives around then he [Stein] would have some sense of comfort. Wiesel watched as Stein, “…wept with joy” (41). This was all after he had heard the good news (or the fabricated version of it anyway). Stein’s hopeful and pitiable face had made it so much harder for Wiesel to tell him the truth, and much easier to lie to his face.
To be moral is to be ethical and humane, to do what one perceives is just. Although Wiesel had lied to Stein about his family, it was still a morally correct decision to make. Stein had found out later about the ‘real news’ about his family’s existence, by lying to him about his family Wiesel had given Stein a little more amount of time to want to live and still have a reason to live. He had given Stein the will to live and be hopeful in life, something that the concentration camps had taken away from every man and woman. The concentration camps had taken everything away from the Jews, including their self-respect and will to live, and by Wiesel lying to Stein about his family all he was doing was just restoring what the concentration camps had destroyed -- a man’s will to live. The concentration camps were demoralizing these humans. Making them feel as if they were lower than dogs. They were taking away the peoples faith and instilling terror and killing their innocence. They were murdering innocent children and wives and fathers. Once a family had been separated people often did assume the worst because the worst was often the truth. Yet, Stein was just reaching out for something, anything that would keep him optimistic. Finding Wiesel and his father was a light of hope that shined within the barracks that had kept all of Stein’s pains and worries. As a result of Wiesel lying to Stein, he had conquered all of Stein’s pains and worries. Just knowing that his family was okay had brought faith back into his life. Wiesel had taken a moral approach by lying. After all, morals are based on being ethical to others and their situations. Knowing that his wife and kids were living had made him want to live, after all they were his life. A small lie had changed Stein’s will to live and given him more to hope for in his life -- even if it did just last a short while.
People lie for all sorts of reasons. Some are selfish ones, others are selfless ones. Some lies destroy, others protect. The lies that protect are often caused by morality. Wiesel’s value for morality had shown when he had lied to Stein about his family. Wiesel had lied to protect Stein from further pain and suffering (the pain and suffering in the concentration camps was enough, there was no need for more). To be able to want to help someone whether it is out of pity or love, even if one has to lie to protect, it shows that they value the person’s well being and their life. As Wiesel did for Stein. Even though Stein had found the truth out later, Wiesel had given him a small moment in time, a small moment in the concentration camp to feel as if there was still a chance to be happy again, that there was still a chance to live again, that there was still a chance breathe again. Doesn’t every human want to feel that way, even if for just a moment?