Describe how the father/son relationship changes over the course of the novel.

Intitially Elie and his father are not close. Eli's father is a leader in the community and too busy for Eli. Through the horrors of the camp they stick by each other and understand one another better. They see their world differently but Eli still loves his dad. Their relationship becomes strained as Elie's father becomes a burden while Elie is struggling to survive in the camps. Elie still takes care of his father but he gets angry that his father has given up the will to survive.