There are only two types of people in times of war and crisis, those who survive and those who die. Elie Wiesel's novel Night shows how Elie himself faces difficult problems and struggles to survive World War II. Wilfred Owen's poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est,” tells the story of a young soldier who thought of himself before others during the First World War. The poem “Mary Hamilton” shows how a mother killed her son to avoid getting into trouble. Sir John Harrington writes of a sad truth in the poem “On Treason”; the poem reflects humanity's selfish tendencies during difficult times. When people face difficult times they often worry about only one person, themselves; the need to survive clouds people's morals and judgment. Elie Wiesel writes about the moments when he realizes that he is being selfish, instead of caring for others. When the Nazis forced the prisoners to escape, Elie faced many difficult challenges. Any prisoner who stopped running would be hit or trampled by other prisoners. The boy, named Zalman, running next to Elie cannot continue running. Zalman, “trampled under the feet of thousands of men” (Wiesel 86), is forgotten shortly after his death. Elie admits: “I soon forgot that. I started thinking about myself again” (86). The war made Elie understand that he can allow himself to think only of himself, otherwise he will die. “Dulce et Decorum Est” shows how a soldier who needs to survive indirectly causes the death of another soldier. From the beginning of the poem the reader sees how the war affects the soldiers. Fighting in war has aged soldiers, the once young men now “bent double, like old beggars under sacks, with buck knees, coughing like witches” trudge through the war zone (Owen 1-2). The men, completely drained due to war, show how easily people's morals can be distorted. When faced with difficult and challenging times, people often choose what benefits them best. The poems and the novel Night show how cruel and selfish humans can be when they feel their survival is threatened. People will turn on each other to live another day or to deny help to a fallen soldier. The harsh truths of humanity transpire in times of war and crisis. In the end, every man must fight for himself to survive. Works Cited "Mary Hamilton". Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout.Sir John Harrington. "Betrayal." Honors Poetry Unit class handout. Wiesel, Elie and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, . Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print.Wilfred Owen. “Dulce et Decorum Est.” Handout for the Honors Poetry unit class.