Hatred Kills Innocence in Elie Wiesel's "Dawn"

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A person’s innocence is precious not because of its beauty but because of its vulnerability. People are forced every day to face society’s harsh realities and tragedies, and these people are faced with a battle to protect their innocence from the bitterness of blame, condemnation, and hatred. In Elie Wiesel’s novel Dawn, Elisha, the protagonist, battles for the perseverance of his innocence and his faith. The terrorist organization called The Movement seduces him into the world of hatred and vengeance and forces Elisha to decide to kill or not to kill an innocent enemy, Captain John Dawson. Elie Wiesel suggests through the events and thoughts of his characters that hatred kills innocence. Captain John Dawson’s death is a literal metaphor for the death of innocence. The Movement captures Dawson and holds him captive and as a bargaining tool to retrieve The Movement’s own captured man David ben Moshe, who is held captive by the English for attacking the English and attempting to steal from their arsenal. Captain John Dawson could not be any more innocent yet is killed because of the hatred harboured in the hearts of the terrorists holding him captive. These terrorists do not see an innocent man sitting before them, they see an instrument capable of effectively communicating the depth of pain they feel by indifferently expending the life of Captain John Dawson, as well as an instrument publicizing to the other Jews The Movement is fighting back their anger, pain, and hatred for the people who wronged them. He is only a body to be sacrificed as a physical representation of their pain. Hitler’s hate killed millions of innocent lives forcing many people to lose their innocence because their lives were thrust into the unfortunate reality of inequality, antipathy, and injustice. His pathological hatred of Jews has resulted in a ripple effect that has led to the

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