Analysis Of What Is The What By Elie Wiesel

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When someone goes through a dramatic event it helps them become a more knowledgeable person. When the protagonists in the novels “What is the What” by Dave Eggers and “Night” by Elie Wiesel are forced to confront reality and discover the truth they have to make hard decisions to survive. This is shown through the innocence they have before the events occur. When they have to deal with there reality and learn from it. Also the knowledge taken from their experiences that leads them to make tough decisions to survive. Their innocence is shown when both boys go to school to get an education. In “What is the What”, Valentino goes to school to learn new things, “ I am six years old, and am required to spend a few hours of each day in a pre-elementary class in the…show more content…
In “What is the What”, Valentino is clueless of the events happening, “You fool! They’ll kill you! Who? Who are they? The army. The helicopters. Oh Achak, I’m worried. Please pray for us”. (Eggers pg.75) When Valentino’s mom calls him a fool she knows that he is not certain of the events happening. Also when he asks “Who are they?” he has no idea of what is about to happen or the extent of the raid showing his lack of knowledge of the effects of war. Like with Valentino, Ellie shows that he considers everything to be okay even though it isn’t, “Days went by. Then weeks and months. Life was normal again. A calm, reassuring wind blew through our hoes. The shopkeepers were doing good business, the students lived among their books, and the children played in the streets”. (Wiesel pg.6) Elie thinks that life is normal again even though there is a war approaching him and people are being forced onto trains. This shows his lack of knowledge of the events to come. Through the boys lack of knowledge they show that they have much to learn and that they are innocent through their lack of comprehension of the events happening around
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