The death marches that took place during the Holocaust were a cruel and unusual form of torture for the Jewish prisoners that were caused by the notorious Nazis. These marches affected Elie Wiesel, the main character and author of the book, Night, and his father. The prisoners were forced to march for over 42 miles away from the soon-to-be-invaded Auschwitz and as far from the Red Army as possible. The unbearable task presented to the Jews was, in a way, an exodus from an awful place, but an entry into something just as bad or possibly worse. At the end of the march a friend of Elie’s plays Beethoven’s 5th Symphony on his violin. This work of music represents a lot during this time. Similarly, the death marches represent the heartless actions taken against the poor victims of the Holocaust. The death marches were horrendous punishments inflicted for no reason. Near the end of World War II, death marches became a common way of …show more content…
During the march, Elie Wiesel wanted to die. His periods of brief reprieve in thinking about just stopping and letting go are comparable to certain sections of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. These parts are slightly calmer and more upbeat. In contrast, the times when Elie loses friends and companions can be compared to moments in the 5th Symphony when the music is played in minor scales loudly and full of tension. In addition, during World War II, the opening motif of the 5th symphony was code for victory. Beethoven’s 5th symphony represented victory. Not only did the symphony symbolize victory, it also symbolized rebellion and defiance. During this time Germans didn’t believe Jews were worthy enough to play or listen to Beethoven because they were of a lower and inferior ethnicity. So you can see, Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is tantamount to many aspects of this