At the very end of his memoir, Elie says, “From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me” (page 115). Why does he call himself a corpse, and what does this signify about the way his life was changed forever?
Elie calls himself a corpse because the harrowing experiences in the concentration camps during the Holocaust have left him physically and emotionally broken. The weight of suffering, loss, and witnessing the atrocities committed against humanity have stripped him of his sense of self and vitality. By referring to himself as a corpse, Elie emphasizes the profound impact these experiences have had on him, highlighting his feelings of emptiness, numbness, and the inability to recognize himself in the mirror.
This designation also demonstrates how Elie's life has been irrevocably altered. As a corpse, he is no longer the person he once was. The trauma he endured has forever changed his perspective, his identity, and his outlook on life. The haunting look in the eyes of the corpse symbolizes the lasting impression of the atrocities witnessed, indicating that the memories and horror of the Holocaust will forever haunt him. Elie's life will forever be marked by this experience, as his innocence, faith, and sense of humanity have been shattered, leaving him forever changed.