1. “The student of Talmud, the child I was, had been consumed by the flames. All that was left was a shape that resembled me. My soul had been invaded—and devoured—by a black flame” (Wiesel 37). Using a combination of language patterns, Eliezer is able to expertly command the emotions of the reader, somehow knowing precisely when a piece of figurative language is necessary. Fire, being one of the main motifs of “Night,” appears repeatedly throughout the book, but this metaphor caught my attention. The reader is already introduced to the idea of the physical burning of a person through the crematorium, and yet Eliezer bring it back up, instead touching on the metaphorical, mental damage the flames these Nazis stoked has caused for him. The trauma he suffers in Auschwitz goes beyond the physical—starvation, dehydration, injuries—of suffering, because while there he lost the “student of Talmud,” his faith, and lost the “child [he] was,” his youth and …show more content…
childhood. After this point, Eliezer continues to talk about the separation he feels from his physical body, and this is not a coincidence. This marks the beginning of the mental anguish he suffers, a torture that eventually causes any sense of empathy he once possessed to be completely “devoured” until all that is left is the instinct for survival. 2. “They jumped him. Others joined in. When they withdrew, there were two dead bodies next to me, the father and the son. I was sixteen” (Wiesel 102). There is something strangely poignant in the bluntness with which Eliezer recounts his experiences. The brutal savagery he describes is delivered in concise, short sentences, no frills, bells, or whistles which only serves to make it all the more heart-wrenching. Even more powerful is sentence in this quote that he concludes with. While simple and declarative, composed of only three words, Eliezer is able to accentuate his youth, a shocking reminder considering how little the reader is given regarding the passing of time. There are no vivid adjectives or figurative language used. Instead, Eliezer allows the reader to feel that sense of horror themselves. The fact that there is no language to suggest his outrage or horror at witnessing this event suggests that he became completely numb in Auschwitz, and perhaps, that apathy is more heart-breaking than the deaths themselves. Answer FIVE of the questions below, provide a quote/specific reference and analysis. Be sure to go beyond simply discussing what happens in the text. Explore how Wiesel crafts the text via literary language (diction, tone, imagery, metaphor, simile, personification, etc). Each answer should be between 4 and 6 sentences. 1. Consider Eliezer’s feelings for his family, especially his father. What about his father’s character or place in the Jewish community of Sighet commands Eliezer’s respect or admiration? 2. Early in the narrative, Moishe the Beadle tells Eliezer about Man and God. What does Moishe reveal and how does Eliezer react to this? Apply Moishe’s statement to the ongoing crisis of faith that Eliezer faces throughout the course of Night. 3. Cassandra was a figure in Greek mythology who received the gift of prophecy with the simultaneous curse that no one would ever believe her. Compare Cassandra to Mrs. Schächter. Are there other Cassandras in Night? Who are they? Mrs. Schächter’s prophetic abilities were not the only thing she shared with Cassandra, because the real tragedy Cassandra possessed was knowing the unhappy truth and revealing it, something that, regardless of the time, is never welcome. Regardless of what tragedies Mrs. Schächter would have predicted, they would have beat her and silenced her like Priam locked Cassandra the madwoman away, because it was easier to call her mad than to admit that the chances of survival were slim. However, in the end, when all of the captives are controlled only by desperation, this desire for ignorance fades, such as when, upon the last day of his journey to the next camp, Eliezer writes, “We sensed that the end was near; the real end” (Wiesel 103). By then, these men have become seasoned, have lost the hope they once had. They know better than to expect any good to come out of this, and this “ignorance is bliss” mentality has faded, leaving behind only a resigned acknowledgement that the “real end” is upon them. 4. Consider the inscription that appears above the entrance to Auschwitz. What is it supposed to mean? What meaning, if any, does this slogan come to have for Eliezer? 5. What happens to the man called Job in the Bible? What is his story? Explain why Eliezer feels connected to him. Job was devout man who lost everything, including his children, property, and health, because God challenged the devil with Job’s obedience and faith. The purpose of Job’s suffering was not punishment, rather, he was caused to suffer to prove that he would love God in spite of everything, that he was a faithful servant. This does not mean, however, that Job’s faith was unwavering in the face of hardship, and like Eliezer, he doubted God. When overhearing the other men in Auschwitz speak of God, Eliezer says, “As for me, I had ceased to pray. I concurred with Job! I was not denying his existence, but I doubted His absolute justice” (Wiesel 45). In the face of all of the horrors Eliezer both witnessed and experienced, he, like Job, began to wonder what could have caused God to have caused him to suffer so. However, it should be noted that both men lash out at God, but not in disbelief, for the question of His existence was never what was up for questioning. 6. On p. 65, Eliezer witnesses one of the several public hangings he sees in Buna. “For God’s sake, where is God?” asks a prisoner who also sees the hanging. “Where He is?” answers Eliezer, though talking only to himself. “This is where—hanging here from this gallows . . .” What does he mean by this? How could God have been hanged? How have Eliezer’s thoughts and feelings changed since he identified with Job while in Auschwitz? Discuss the relationship that Wiesel has with God throughout Night. Not to get too existential here, but the idea of God is sustained by the faith of His followers. Without people who believe, there is no physical proof He exists, regardless of whether or not he truly does, so when Eliezer says that God is “hanging here from this gallows,” he is using a metaphor to say that his, possibly even the Jewish people’s faith, in God has been killed. This descent into disbelief did not suddenly culminate, rather it had festered inside of Eliezer ever since that first night in Auschwitz when he thought, “For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the external and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent” (Wiesel 33). To him, God is all-powerful, the “Almighty,” so why would such a being ever see fit that his devout followers go through such torture, suffering far worse than Job ever had to face. It would be difficult to believe that there was a point to the extent of such cruelty, and without any sort of affirmations or reassurances like Job received, it is unsurprising Eliezer eventually turned his back on God. 7. Two of the people Eliezer encounters more than once in the narrative are Akiba Drumer and Juliek. Describe the relationships that Eliezer has with each of them. How do their respective deaths affect Eliezer? What does each person mean to him? 8. In the concluding pages of Night, Eliezer’s father is dying a slow, painful death in Buchenwald. But Eliezer is there to comfort him, or at least to try. Does Eliezer see his father as a burden by this point, or does he feel only pity and sorrow for him? Compare and contrast the father-son relationship you see at the end of this memoir with the one you saw at the beginning. In the beginning, the relationship between Eliezer and his father is tentative and distant at best, but Eliezer does not see his father as a burden or as a pitiful man, even in his last moments.
He cares very much for his father, enough so that he cannot be swayed by the desperation of hunger or survival, as shown when he says, “Too late to save your old father… You could have two rations of bread, two rations of soup… It was only a fraction of a second, but it left me feeling guilty” (Wiesel 111). While he does falter, his love for his father ultimately wins out, even though the logical thing to do would be to take advantage of his father’s uneaten rations. Their time together made them closer, evidenced by how Eliezer’s one, constant thought was to stick with his father and by Wiesel’s father’s last words. Surrounded by other families whose members have betrayed each other for something as measly as a crust of bread, it was a testament to the strength of their relationship that they did not fall prey to that
savagery. 9. Look again at the opening pages of Night. When it begins, twelve-year-old Eliezer lives in the Transylvanian village of Sighet with his parents and sisters. How does being introduced to such people alter your understanding of the fact that, more than half a century ago, six million Jews were exterminated in the Holocaust? How is truth achieved through Night’s dual purposes of memoir and history? If this is a story of one person’s journey as well as a history of one horrendous part of World War II, how do the plot and the theme of the book overlap? How does the author blend the personal and the universal aspects of Night? 10. Elie Wiesel has written in The New York Times (June 19, 2000) about the difficulties he faced in finding the right words for the painful story he wanted to tell—and had to tell—in Night. “I knew I had to testify about my past but I did not know how to go about it,” he wrote, adding that his religious mentors, his favorite authors, and the Talmudic sages of his youth were of surprisingly little help. “I felt incapable and perhaps unworthy of fulfilling my task as survivor and messenger. I had things to say but not the words to say them . . . Words seemed weak and pale . . . And yet it was necessary to continue.” Wiesel did continue, and although Night was originally rejected by every major publishing house in France and the United States, eventually it was published to universal acclaim. As a story, albeit a true story, how fitting did you find the words, imagery, and overall plotting of Night? Does the author succeed in his self-described goals as a “survivor and messenger” who must “testify” to his readers? While certainly not my favorite book, there is a great deal I can appreciate about it. Moving and thought-provoking, Eliezer’s mix of vivid imagery and blunt statements creates a rather poignant piece. However, there are a few qualms I have with the book. At certain points in the book, such as in a section that starts on page 53 and at a paragraph on page 82, Eliezer jumps into the present, referencing an event or tidbit he did not know or experience during the events of the book. The fact that these jumps into the future were only occurred twice made them feel like awkward add-ons randomly smashed in there. In addition, as I read, I could not help but wonder how accurate Eliezer’s recounts of events were considering the fact that he had specific dialogue and vivid descriptions. Some of it was likely exaggerated, making me wonder if he truly did “testify” to his readers, but at the very least, he was able to spread the word and get his experiences out there. What questions do you have? These do not have to be answered. • Exactly how accurate is Eliezer’s recount of events? o Does it matter whether or not it’s entirely truthful/slightly exaggerated the hands of the writer, or is it just the overall sentiment/message that matters? • Eliezer assumed his family all died in the crematorium, but was there ever any proof of death? (This may be stupidly optimistic, but is it possible he wasn’t the only survivor?) • Eliezer never elaborates on the rest of the time he spent in Buchenwald after his father died, and while he does say that during that time, “nothing mattered,” why does he choose not to describe those experiences?
An estimated 11 million people died in the Holocaust. 6 million were Jews. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel tells his story as a Holocaust survivor. Throughout his book he describes the tremendous obstacles he overcame, not only himself, but with his father as well. The starvation and cruel treatment did not help while he was there. Elie makes many choices that works to his advantage. Choice plays a greater factor in surviving Auschwitz.
A statement from the nonfiction novella Night –a personal account of Elie Wiesel’s experience during the Holocaust—reads as follows: “How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou. Almighty, Master of the universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, end up in the furnaces” (67). War is a concept that is greatly looked down upon in most major religions and cultures, yet it has become an inevitable adversity of human nature. Due to war’s inhumane circumstances and the mass destruction it creates, it has been a major cause for many followers of Christianity, Judaism, and other religions to turn from their faith. Followers of religion cannot comprehend how their loving god could allow them to suffer and many devout
So as the morning Sun rose. The light beamed on Christopher's face. The warmth of the sun welcomed him to a new day and woke up in a small house in Los Angeles. Christopher is a tall, male, that loves technology and video games. He stretched and went to the restroom it was 9 o'clock and he was thankful it was spring break and didn’t have to go to school. Christopher made his way to the kitchen trying not wake up his parents and made himself breakfast. He served himself cereal Honey Bunches of Oats to be exact with almond milk. Then he took a shower and watched some YouTube videos before doing his homework.
Eliezer discovers even though his father can no longer protect him, Eliezer still cares for his father and wants the best for him. This is an example of what one would do in the parental role in a relationship. Eliezer has now taken on the role of the father, while his father has taken a reverse direction and has become the dependent child. I find that the relationship between Eliezer and his father demonstrates a switch in roles during their time in concentration camp. The dark conditions were a void for all of the relationships in camp.
His father’s love towards him does not change a bit. His father once bought a present for him: a half rations of bread, bartered for something he had found at the depot, a piece of rubber that could be used to repair a shoe. They both shared whatever was given to them. Eliezer too used to send a piece of bread he got to his father. His father gives his last possession he had with him to Eliezer, A knife and a spoon telling him not to sell it quickly and to use it when in need. Eliezer did not fear death as much as he feared separation from his father. “I was thinking not about death but about not wanting to be separated from my father.”(82 )
...was almost no relationship. The father is a busy, well respected member of the Jewish community who has almost no interaction with his family. Eliezer recalls that his father was “cultured, rather unsentimental man. There was never any display of emotion, even at home. He was more concerned with others than with his own family” (2, Wiesel). When the two arrived at the camp we notice a switch in their relationship. The horrible experiences they encounter together at Auschwitz bring them closer to each other. Eliezer’s father becomes more affectionate and shows emotions toward his son who starts feeling this love. This is clear when Eliezer states “my father was crying, it was the first time I saw him cry, I had never thought it was possible” (19, Wiesel). It is clear that their relationship transforms from obedience and respect to love and caring about each other.
First of all, the father-son relationship between Eliezer and his father in the novel experiences an emotional change. At first, the relationship between these two characters is rather stressed and awkward. They were ever close to each other, and Eliezer illustrates the painful atmosphere by describing, “My father was a cultured, rather unsentimental man. There was never any display of emotion, even at home. He was more concerned with others than with his own family” (Wiesel 2).
It is so strenuous to be faithful when you are a walking cadaver and all you can think of is God. You devote your whole life to Him and he does not even have the mercy set you free. At the concentration camp, many people were losing faith. Not just in God, but in themselves too. Elie Wiesel uses many literary devices, including tone, repetition and irony to express the theme, loss of faith. He uses tone by quoting men at the camp and how they are craving for God to set them free. He also uses repetition. He starts sentences with the same opening, so that it stays in the reader’s head. Finally, he uses irony to allude to loss of faith. Elie understands how ironic it is to praise someone so highly, only to realize they will not have mercy on you. In Night, Elie Wiesel uses tone, repetition and irony illustrate the loss of faith the prisoners were going through.
The Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg has said, “ There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times.” The Holocaust is one of the most horrific events in the history of mankind, consisting of the genocide of Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, mentally handicapped and many others during World War II. Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany, and his army of Nazis and SS troops carried out the terrible proceedings of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel is a Jewish survivor of the Nazi death camps, and suffers a relentless “night” of terror and torture in which humans were treated as animals. Wiesel discovers the “Kingdom of Night” (118), in which the history of the Jewish people is altered. This is Wiesel’s “dark time of life” and through his journey into night he can’t see the “light” at the end of the tunnel, only continuous dread and darkness. Night is a memoir that is written in the style of a bildungsroman, a loss of innocence and a sad coming of age. This memoir reveals how Eliezer (Elie Wiesel) gradually loses his faith and his relationships with both his father (dad), and his Father (God). Sickened by the torment he must endure, Wiesel questions if God really exists, “Why, but why should I bless him? Because he in his great might, had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? (67). Throughout the Holocaust, Wiesel’s faith is not permanently shattered. Although after his father dies, his faith in god and religion is shaken to the core, and arguably gone. Wiesel, along with most prisoners, lose their faith in God. Wiesel’s loss of religion becomes the loss of identity, humanity, selfishness, and decency.
It is reported that over 6 million Jews were brutally murdered in the Holocaust, but there were a very few who were able to reach the liberation, and escape alive. There were many important events that occurred in Elie Wiesel’s Night, and for each and every event, I was equally, if not more disturbed than the one before. The first extremely disturbing event became a reality when Eliezer comprehended that there were trucks filled with babies that the Nazi’s were throwing the children into the crematorium. Unfortunately, the sad truth of the murdering babies was clearly presented through, “Not far from us, flames, huge flames, were rising from a ditch. Something was being burned there, […] babies”, (Wiesel, Night, 32). This was one of the most disturbing events of the narrative for myself and truly explained the cruelty and torture of the Holocaust.
During the Holocaust many people were severely tortured and murdered. The holocaust caused the death of six million Jewish people, as well as the death of 5 million non-Jewish people. All of the people, who died during this time, died because of the Nazis’: a large hate group composed of extremely Ignoble, licentious, and rapacious people. They caused the prisoners to suffer physically and mentally; thus, causing them to lose all hope of ever being rescued. In the novel Night, by Elie Wiesel, Elie went through so much depression, and it caused him to struggle with surviving everyday life in a concentration camp. While Elie stayed in the concentration camp, he saw so many people get executed, abused, and even tortured. Eventually, Elie lost all hope of surviving, but he still managed to survive. This novel is a perfect example of hopelessness: it does not offer any hope. There are so many pieces of evidence that support this claim throughout the entire novel. First of all, many people lost everything that had value in their life; many people lost the faith in their own religion; and the tone of the story is very depressing.
At the beginning of the book, Eliezer was in the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy starts at the bottom with physiological needs, and progresses upwards with safety needs, belonging and love, esteem, and finally self-actualization. Eliezer was working with his love and belonging needs with respect to his religion. He was obsessed with the Jewish scripture. He wanted to learn. He was an extremely intellectual teenager. He would study the Jewish scripture with Moche the Beadle. "We would read together, ten times over, the same page of the Zohar. Not to learn it by hear, but to extract the divine essence from it." His views on the divinity of God do not endure through the Holocaust and the concentration camps.
Without a doubt, some decisions can affect not only the person making the decision, but also his most beloved ones. Elie truly understands this as he tells himself, “I had no right to let myself die. What would he do without me? I was his sole support” (87). The purpose of Elie’s survival is to provide hope to his father, and to strengthen his desire to live. Indeed, his thoughts are not about his own survival at this point, but instead, to encourage his father to continue living. When one of them gives up, the other has no intention of continuing his life. As Elie’s father falls asleep, Eliezer tells his father, “’We’ll take turns. I’ll watch over you and you’ll watch over me. We won’t let each other fall asleep. We’ll look after each other”’ (89). When father and son rely on one another, it gives them more motivation to pass by the difficult situati...
In the memoir, Night, Elie Wiesel remembers his time at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. Elie begins to lose his faith in God after his faith is tested many times while at the concentration camp. Elie conveys to us how horrific events have changed the way he looks at his faith and God. Through comments such as, “Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God, my soul, and turned my dreams into dust,” he reveals the toll that the Holocaust has taken on him. The novel begins during the years of 1942-1944 in Sighet, Transylvannia, Romania. Elie Wiesel and his family are deported and Elie is forced to live through many horrific events. Several events such as deportation, seeing dead bodies while at Auschwitz, and separation from his mother and sisters, make Elie start to question his absolute faith in God.
...e has to deal with the death of his family, the death of his innocence, and the death of his God at the very young age of fifteen. He retells the horrors of the concentration camp, of starvation, beatings, torture, illness, and hard labor. He comes to question how God could let this happen and to redefine the existence of God in the concentration camp. This book is also filled with acts of kindness and compassion amid the degradation and violence. It seems that for every act of violence that is committed, Elie counteracts with some act of compassion. Night is a reflection on goodness and evil, on responsibility to family and community, on the struggle to forge identity and to maintain faith. It shows one boy's transformation from spiritual idealism to spiritual death via his journey through the Nazi's failed attempt to conquer and erase a people and their faith.