Consider the idea(s) the author develops regarding circumstances that compel individuals to respond. Discuss the idea(s) developed in Night about circumstances which compel an individual to respond.

In Night, Elie Wiesel demonstrates that people more often find themselves compelled to help others when they form relationships with them.
When he works at the warehouse, Elie is paired with a girl who looks Jewish but who is classified as "Aryan." They never speak because she does not know German and he doesn't know French. One day after he takes a beating from Idek, Elie is alone in a corner when this girl comes to him with encouragement:

Bite your lips, little brother . . . Don't cry. Keep your anger, your hate, for another day, for later.

She has been protecting herself by denying her Jewish ancestry, but she risks her safety to help Elie in his time of physical pain. She is able to trust him and is compelled to help because they have been building a relationship, even without words, in their proximity of work. She understands his terrors and his struggles. She can relate to his needs.
Elie and his father help each other through numerous trials because of their intense bond. Once, when Elie refuses to give up his gold crown, Franek takes out his anger on Elie's father, forcing him to march in step, which his father could not do. Each time his father fails this little "test," Franek beats him. Elie's father is compelled to help his son again and again, even through physical pain, because of the relationship they have built.
The inmates are compelled to help each other because they build relationships with each other within the camp. At one point, Elie finds himself at the brink of an inspection; being deemed unhealthy will result in his execution. The other "veterans" of the camp reach out with helpful advice. He should move around before inspection in order to give himself some color. He should never walk—only run, as if he has "the devil at [his] heels." He should never look at the SS.
By following this advice, Elie survives the inspection and lives another day. Such conversation is risky among the prisoners; if they are discovered, the punishments would likely be fatal. However, because they have formed relationships in the camps through shared experiences, they are compelled to help each other.