5, pg. 65). Although he feels alone and empty without God, he continues his rebellion; his physical needs begin to become more important than his faith. As Elie recovers from a foot injury in the camp hospital he comes across a man with whom he refers to as "the faceless neighbor." This neighbor tells him, "I've got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He's the only one who's kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people" (Ch. 5, pg. 77). This quote is a strike directed towards those who have clung to their faith in God, and the distressing part of it is that Ellie had no comment. However, as Elie's life in camp comes close to the end, he begins to gain back his devotion to God. When he sees the action of Rabbi Eliahou's son abandoning his father, he prays to a God he no longer believes in that he will never do the same and furthermore expresses regret that there was no religious memorial for his father upon his death. In the end, although forever changed as a result of the holocaust, his faith returns and helps Elie deal with his experiences.
Mentally and physically, Elie transforms from a strong, innocent, young boy to a weak, confused teenager. His innocence is quickly taken away as soon as the Nazi's begin to patrol his neighborhood. From seeing babies getting thrown up in the air and then shot to death, to the crematory, to the hangings, and finally to the death of his father, Elie is no longer the same person. Throughout his stay in the camps Elie constantly plays mind games with himself; often fighting to act from his heart instead of through instinct. He battles with himself several times to not think selfishly, especially when it comes to his father. Furthermore, lack of food, sanitation, and proper medical treatment reap havoc on Elie's body and soul. Soon after his liberation, Elie gains the strength to look in the mirror for the first time since the ghetto and states, "from the depths of the mirror, a corpse glazed back at me.
