In the following quote Anne is expressing the way she feels about God. “Be brave! Let us remain aware of our task and not grumble, a solution will come, God has never deserted our people. Right through the ages there never have been Jews, through all the ages they have had to suffer, but it has made them strong too; the weak fall, but the strong will remain and never go under!” (pg. 207) Anne feels as if God will always be there; he will be there when things are difficult and when things are going very well. Anne believes that God is making them go through the suffering for a purpose and through their suffering will end up being stronger.
Unlike Anne, Akiba Drummer, from Night, offers a very different perspective on God.“I’m neither a sage nor a just man. I am not a saint. I’m a simple creature of flesh and bone. I suffer hell in my soul and my flesh. I also have eyes and I see what is being done here. Where is God’s mercy? Where’s God? How can I believe, how can anyone believe in this God of Mercy?” (pg. 76-77) Akiba was in a concentration camp and experiencing very different things than Anne, who was in hiding. Akiba’s view of God shows how he is questioning God because he sees that innocent people are dying. Akiba is just on the brim of surviving himself, he thinks that if God is real then he would not hurt such innocent people.
Their different circumstances influence their “moral universe” and their views on God. Because Anne’s suffering was more mental than physical she was able to still hold on to hope, but the fact that Akiba had to watch people around him every day die one by one was enough for him to not believe.
