Final answer:
In Elie Wiesel's memoir 'Night,' Elie experiences contrasting emotions when witnessing a hanging. At first, he feels numb and detached, but then becomes reluctant to die and somewhat comfortable.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Elie Wiesel's memoir 'Night,' there is a stark contrast in Elie's emotions when the boy is hung. At first, Elie experiences a feeling of numbness and detachment. He describes it as a sensation of congestion and being encompassed in a luminous cloud. However, as the hanging takes place and Elie realizes that death by hanging may not be as bad as being shot, he starts to feel reluctant to die and becomes somewhat comfortable. This contrast in emotion highlights the extreme psychological trauma and desensitization experienced by Elie and other Holocaust survivors.