Comparing Wiesels Night and The Gospel According to Mark :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Comparing Wiesels Night and The Gospel According to MarkWiesels Novella, Night, can be labeled a religious book when looked at in light of the un dubiousnessably religious text, the Gospel According to Mark from the New Testament of Christianitys Holy Bible. This proves to be the case if one looks at the central parallels which may be drawn between the two works. A comparable fib framework, consistent use of light and dark images (indicating good and evil, respectively), and the on release chemical group of questioning faith serve as these central similarities. However, the works do part company when the reader seeks to answer those questions of faith which the characters of both works raise. The narrative frameworks of the two texts are quite similar. Both are biographies (Night in first person, the Gospel in third person) of a strong and admirable individuals life (or face of his life) told in the form of a story. Both of these individuals, Wiesel and Jesus, experience an invers ion of occupation within their lives. Wiesel, a student at home, says that he is a farmer when he is brought to the concentration camp in order to seem to the SS officer who is questioning him that he will be a good worker (Wiesel 29). Likewise, Jesus, who by birthright was a carpenter, chooses to lead his life as a teacher and healer. The oddity of this inversion is pointed out by the people of Jesus hometown, they ask is not this Jesus the carpenter? (Mark 6.3). Their question implies the absurdity of his teaching the word of God and healing when he is supposed to be a carpenter. In addition, in both texts, the narrators perspective is limited. Marks limitation is revealed by the separate three gospels, that serve as a part of the canon of the New Testament, in that his testimony is not entirely consistent with theirs. This is shown most explicitly in the difference between his gospel and Johns gospel Marks Jesus will neither confirm nor deny that he is the long-awaited king... but repeatedly throughout Johns gospel, Jesus declares himself to be the way of salvation (Oxtoby 211). Mark does not narrate the definitive version (or perspective) of Jesus life. Wiesels limitation is admitted by himself. He is a prisoner, and so he does not know what is going on in the greater world, or even who is winning the war.