Brutality In Elie Wiesel's Night

The brutality the Germans displayed in the 1930s through the 1940s was utterly horrifying. In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, the author’s harrowing experience is shared. The Holocaust is worldly known as being one of the largest genocides in history, but not many truly understand what it was like to live through and witness. A lot of people had their life taken away whether figuratively or literally and many discovered so much loss that they became unphased by it after a while. Many who encountered the cruelty and merciless of the Germans have passed but a few remain that live to tell their story to the world and try to explain the feelings that coursed through them during the genocide and even now. Wiesel, who lived in Auschwitz for

nearly four years, shares his story and symbolism is prevalent throughout the text. These are very meaningful within the story and are important as the audience reads the story. The crematoria, selection, and deafening silence all express the death that occured in such a short time period and so many witnessed inside.
When being transported in the cattle cars, one lady, Mrs.

Schächter, constantly screamed the words “Fire!” implying that there was a fire outside of the window but when others looked, there was nothing. Everybody thought the older woman was crazy and only punished her for screaming. Little did they know, that Mrs. Schächter was indeed warning them of the death that took place inside Auschwitz. Upon arrival, Jews saw a chimney with a cloud of smoke enveloping the air, almost suffocating it. This building was found out to be a crematoria where Jews were burned and many lives were lost. When Wiesel first arrived, a man approached him desperately insisting that Elie was older than his actual age and that Elie’s father was younger than his actual age. The two were confused as to why but then the man explained to them the complete terror that took place inside the building and that they would be taken there if they didn’t lie. From then on, the crematoria represented death and loss. The aura that surrounded just that single building crushed many souls and put them through so much suffering knowing that they could be sent to the crematoria at any time and that their family might have been a victim already.The crematoria is so important throughout the story and it also ties to the many selections that took place in the time that Wiesel lived in

Auschwitz.
In the four years that Elie Wiesel lived in Auschwitz, selection was known as doomsday in a way.

Everyone tried their hardest to look healthy so they would pass and be sent to work even though most, if not all of them, were starving and deprived of everyday life necessities. If one did not look healthy enough, the German officers sent the person directly to the crematorium to be burned or the gas chambers to be choked to death by poison. The day that selection was being held, everybody was nervous and on edge; they hoped that maybe they would survive another day. Selection represents all of the souls that were lost because they simply could not fight any longer and were forced to be laid to rest. Perhaps the Germans were putting them out of their misery but none of the Jews deserved being chosen to be killed like a kid choosing what candy they want the most at that moment. Selection was another torture device used against the Jews that stipulated loss of innocent souls and that created darkness within. The Jews that were being selected became greedy eventually and did not cry nor care if their family or closest friend was sent off to the crematoria. This shows how selection was an obvious symbol of death and loss of

many.
The power of silence is very strong when thinking about death and loss. When someone loses a loved one, their soul can become silent, letting their thoughts wander and influence their own life. Funerals are usually quiet in respect for the lives lost and in a similar way the Jews became silent because they were constantly fearful that their own life would be lost. As silence was added over time, this symbolized every time a personś life was taken away from them. The cries of agony that rang throughout the camp represented