Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?...

From that day on I saw him often. He explained to me with great emphasis, that every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer...

The real answers, Eliezer you will find only within yourself" (4-5)

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This is the first deep conversation between Elie and Moishe the Beadle, the man who would have a brief but powerful relationship with Elie as his spiritual mentor. This moment is significant in the memoir because it establishes how deeply religious Elie is at the beginning at the story, before the Nazis arrive. At this time in his life, prayer is as important to him as breathing. In other words, it's essential. Another reason this moment is significant is because Moishe teaches Elie a powerful lesson about the importance of self- reliance. He imparts that the key to survival, to life itself is not found in any book or temple, but inside the self. Through the experiences , Moishe represents a significant influence on Elie's personal and religious development.

There was a moment of panic, Who had screamed? It was Mrs. Schachter. Standing in the middle of the car, in the faint light filtering through the windows, she looked like a withered tree in a field of wheat.

She was howling, pointing through the window: "Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!" (24)

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I would say this moment is significant since while Elie and the rest of the Jews were getting transported everything was so called "calm" there was no bother, until Mrs, Schachter broke out in yells. While this was ongoing many thought she was insane including Elie. This moment is important just due to the fact they were getting sent to a place they knew nothing about and for us to later find out that they have to work for over 5 years just because of their religion. Mrs. Schachter is representing how she imagines and sees how Auschwitz will actually be like, "Hell" in what I imagine. While this is on going Elie doesn't know how to react but just watch what others are trying to do so she could stay quiet since they're afraid they'll have consequences due to her yells.

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This part of the story really represents Elie's character development, When Rosh Hashanah dinner begins Elie doesn't want to pray for his God and in the beginning of the story that's all he would do. Elie feels as if it's unimportant anymore ever since he ended up in the concentration camps. I would say that at this time of his life he has lost his faith in his religion and it's unnecessary for all this. Elie believes that his Lord has failed him, causing all this grief, peoples death, having to get tortured in unexplainable ways since no one should ever have to go through that but yet Elie is going through it.

No prayers were said over his tomb. No candle lit in his memory. His last word had been my name. He had called out to me and I had not answered.

I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last! . . . (112)

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When Elie's father passed away, Elie did feel some emotion not seeing his father. While his father was still alive Elie tried to protect his father and keep him safe and healthy but it didn't really work out. I think this part of the story is important because Elie did want his father to be honored in a way or for his to have a ceremony. After his fathers death Elie was left alone in the camp with no one but himself. Elie has somewhat regret in a way because he could've saved his father from the crematorium.

But then I remembered something else: his son had seen him loosing ground, sliding back to the rear of the column. He had seen him. And he had continued to run in the front, letting the distance between them become greater.

A terrible thought crossed my mind: What if he had wanted to be rid of his father? He had felt his father growing weaker and, believing that the end was near, had thought by this separation to free himself of a burden that could diminish his own chance for survival.

It was good that I had forgotten all that. And I was glad that Rabbi Eliahu continued to search for his beloved son. And in spite of myself, a prayer formed inside me, a prayer to this God in whom I might no longer myself believed. "Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu's son has done." (91)

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While marching Rabbi Eliahu's son was lost, I find this moment significant because as they were marching his son did notice him loosing strength and continued running without his father. Elie didn't want himself to do that same act to his father just for freedom. This moment in the story shows how much Elie really cared and had faith in some point to survive the camp with his father.