Night Ch. 1-9

Based on these examples, what does the experience of imprisonment and the threat of death do to the relationship between father and son? Why? What advantage might this affect have for the Nazis?

The concentration camps broke relationships because everyone wanted to survive and ended up only thinking for themselves. This helped the Nazis because if everyone tried to fend for themselves the prisoners would not band together and try to overthrow the Nazis. If the Nazis kept starving the prisoners, the prisoners would do everything they could to get that one ration and more. They would do anything they could to fend for themselves and survive. The prisoners would never think to bond together to overthrow the Nazis because they were too focused on their own survival at the moment.

What effect do Juliek's actions have on Elie and the other prisoners? Why?

The death of Juliek did affect Elie. Elie says "I will never forget Juliek. How could I forget that concert, given to an audience of dying and dead men! To this day, whenever I hear Beethoven played my eyes close and out of the dark rises the sad, pale face of my Polish friend, as he said farewell on his violin to an audience of dying men." This probably affected other survivors of that night in the same way. The sound of the violin might have given others strength or courage to continue or it calmed them and eased them to sleep.

What is the effect of juxtaposing the image of two corpses with Elie's age? What is the effect of this juxtaposition?

The effect of juxtaposing the two corpses with Elie's age is that it reminds us that the terrible act was witnessed by a 15 year old boy. The effect of the juxtaposition with routine cruelty in the camps with pleasant images of nature is that it shows that outside the camps the world was normal and that there were terrible atrocities being committed but it did not affect nature. The dead bodies are a horrible image that is combined with 15 because 15 is supposed to be happy and fun but seeing two people fight till their death is horrific.

Describes the final image of the book. Why do you think Wiesel chose to depend with that image? What images from the book have particularly affected you and stayed in your mind?

The final image that Wiesel leaves in the book is the first time that he looks at himself in the mirror after the camps. Wiesel most likely chose to end with this image because when he looks in the mirror for the first time he sees himself as an entirely different person. Not only physically have the camps changed Eliezer's looks, but they have also changed him mentally. Throughout the time he spent at camp his life has completely changed. Many of his beliefs have changed and his entire family has been taken from him. As he looks at himself for the first time he sees someone he doesn't recognize at all and that is why Wiesel most likely put this as the final image of the book. One of the images that particularly stood out to me is that of Juliek's violin. Even at the darkest of times they still tried hard to have peace with themselves. In complete silence Juliek plays his violin for the last time and Eliezer states in the book that he remembers this to be one of the most pure sounds that he had ever heard.

What important holidays do the prisoners observe in this section? Describe how they observe them.

The important holidays the prisoner observe in this section are the eve of Rosh Hashanah/Rosh Hashanah. The eve of Rosh Hashanah was very strange for the Jews to experience in the camps because it is the last day of the year. The word "last" was what caused this holiday to be so weird. Everyone could not help to think "What is it were indeed the last day?" On this day the prisoner would not touch their soup because they wanted to wait until after prayer. All the prisoners gathered at the place of assembly to attend the solemn service. The second holiday is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. All the Jews were wondering weather or not they should fast. Elie decided that he was not going to fast, since he had fasted for the past year, his father told him not to fast, and that he "no longer accepted God's silence."

Why does Madame Schachter see this? Why do the other passengers react this way?

The passengers believed Madame Schächter saw this because she was an insane person ever since the rest of her family got separated from her and her ten year-old child. Madame Schächter may have seen this as a way of foreshadowing what the appearance of Auschwitz would be. The passengers reacted this way because they were all terrified and their "nerves were at breaking point." It was as if madness was taking possession of them all.

What effect does it have on the prisoners to have their things taken away and to be giving the things they were given? How do think it impacts how they feel about themselves?

The prisoners might feel like they have lost the rest of who they were and have completely left their life behind. They had to leave so many belongings when the left the ghettos and then they had to give up everything else that they brought with them. It might have made them feel sad, worthless, and like they have nothing left to hold onto from their normal life.

What is significant about this day and place? In what ways are these things fitting? In what ways are they terribly inappropriate?

The significance about this day and place is that on the saturday of their expulsion is the Jewish Sabbath day, which is a day of rest. The synagogue was their place of worship. It is fitting because they need the comfort of prayer and faith in this time of suffering. It is terribly inappropriate because their holy day has become a day of suffering and their holy place, a prison.

What tempting sight holds the attention of the prisoners during the air raid alert? What happens to the one man who dares to approach the source of temptation?

The tempting sight that holds the attention of the prisoners during the air raid alert turns out to be two cauldrons of soup. One man approaches the soup, looks into it, and falls face-first into it, burning his face. After the raid alert had ended, he had been sentenced to be hanged in front of a crowd of other Jews to serve as an example.

How would you express the theme of Night? What evidence do you have for this theme?

The theme of Night would better be expressed as depressing, morbid theme. some evidence is when Elie is taking care of his dad and a man puts his hand on him and says "Listen to me, boy. Don't forget that you are in a concentration camp. Here, every man has to fight for himself and not think about anyone else. Even of his father. Here there are no fathers, no brothers, no friends. Everyone lives and dies for himself alone. I'll give you a sound piece of advice-don't give your ration of bread and soup to your old father. There's nothing you can do for him. And you're killing yourself. Instead, you ought to be having his ration."

What beliefs or thoughts did you have as a younger person that have since changed? How do you think the older Elie's views on Moshe are different from this?

There are many examples of thoughts of beliefs small children usually have when they are younger but realize are untrue when they grow up and mature. An example of one would be a kid believing in Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, or the tooth fairy. All of these magical idols are strongly believed in by many children,and once they grow up they start to realize they are not real. I think the older Elie Wiesel's view on Moshe is much different from the young Elie Wiesel's view. The young Elie pities him and actually feels sorry for the man. While the older Elie Wiesel now realizes that all Moshe was trying to do was help the Jewish community. He warned them all many months prior to their deportation, trying to help, and he was ridiculed and pitied for his actions.

How does celebrating these holidays make Elie feel? Why does he feel this way?

These holidays cause Elie to question God by saying, "What are You, my God, compared to this afflicted crowd, proclaiming to You their faith, their anger, their revolt? What does Your greatness mean, Lord of the universe, in the face of all this weakness, this decomposition, and this decay? Why do You still trouble their sick minds, their crippled bodies?

What does this suggest about the prisoners' states of mind? What effect does Wiesel's inclusion of the later scene have on this part of the book?

This suggests that the prisoners are so hungry that they are willing to fight until death just for a little crumb of bread. In this scene they are even compared to animals because of their behavior. The effect that Wiesel's inclusion has is that when he saw two younger boys strangling each other for coins it reminded him of the incident with the bread on the train, both the two boys and the men on the train were acting so vicious and violent over things that wouldn't really matter if they were in their right state of mind.

Name at least two examples of dramatic irony in the book night.

Two more examples of dramatic irony in Night include when Moshe the Beadle warns Elie and the rest of the citizens of Sighet about the horrible actions committed when he and his companions reached their destination. The readers know that these acts committed by the Gestapo are, in fact, true, but the people there deem him a madman. Later they and Elie learn that Moshe was indeed telling the truth, but it was too late at that point to act on his warning. Another example of dramatic irony includes Madame Schachter, who went mad on the trip to Auschwitz. She screamed and cried wolf about flames and furnaces, so they just began to try and keep her quiet for the rest of the way. We know that her statements are a foreshadowing to the crematorium, but the people with her in the train were oblivious to this. However, when they reached Auschwitz, she screamed about the flames and fire one last time. The passengers came and looked, and above towered the crematorium.

What happens when Germans throw bread to the prisoners on the train? What later experience reminds Wiesel of this?

When the Germans throw bread to the prisoners on the train, they begin to fight the other Jews to the point of death, for their bread. Wiesel is later reminded of this at Aden, when the passengers on the boat began to throw money to the poor natives, and two boys started strangling each other over it.

On page 55, after the execution, Wiesel reports: "I remember that I found the soup excellent that evening..." How do you think weisel once that sentence to be understood? How does he seem to feel about his enjoyment of the soup? Do you think Elie could truly enjoy the soup under the circumstances? Explain.

Wiesel might want the statement to be understood as a way he could avoid the pain he feels after having to watch someone die and then look the dead person in the eyes. He might have thought the soup tasted good because he needed something as simple as taste to distract him from the painful image of the dead face that was probably stuck in his mind. He might feel that his enjoyment of the soup is foolish but a good way to distract himself. Instead of focusing on the dead face, he put all his thought into how the soup tasted. I think Elie could not truly enjoy the soup under this circumstance because the soup was never the best to begin with, it was just enough taste and portion to keep the prisoners going.

Analyze the treatment of the prisoners upon their arrival at Birkenau and Auschwitz. What kinds of things have been taken from them? What have they been given, and what has been withheld?

At both Birkenau and Auschwitz, the prisoners were treated terribly and were forced to do and give up all sorts of things. Such as once they arrived at Birkenau they were forced to leave all of their cherished objects on the train, and with those belongings their last illusions. They must give up staying with their family. They had to throw their clothes at the end of a barrack and they were only allowed to keep their belts and shoes in their hand. They were given new clothes or rags at each camp. Their hair was shaved from their head and the rest of their body. The camps took the prisoners' dignity and the light from their eyes. The Prisoners' first impression of Auschwitz was better than Birkenau. They were allowed to sleep a lot there.

Based on the actions of the Germans so far and what you know about the Holocaust, predict what will happen to Elie during his first days at Birkenau?

Based on what is already known about the concentration camps and the actions of the Germans I think that once Elie and his family arrive, they will be very shocked to find the great amount of suffering they are about to endure. Once they arrive they will be separated between men and women and children. The wives, kids, disabled, old, and others who are considered "weak" will be killed. The Germans will judge which men are best suited for work and the others will join the weak. The violence will begin right when they walk in the gate with shootings and the gas chambers already being put to use.

Why do Elie and his father both lie about their ages? How does what they witness affect Elie's faith?

Elie and his father both lie about their ages because a man tells them to do so if they want to live. What Elie witnesses affects his faith because it makes him believe that God no longer loves him.

What does Elie discover as he explores the warehouse one Sunday? When Idek beats Eli for his discovery and asks him if he has learned his lesson, how does Elie respond?

Elie discovers Idek with a young Polish girl, half-naked, on a mattress at the warehouse one Sunday. When Idek beats Elie for his discovery and asks him if he has learned his lesson, Elie responds by nodding ceaselessly, as if his head had decided to say yes without ever stopping.

List the father-son relationships that Wiesel includes in Night, and briefly describe the effect each has on Elie. If the relationship changes throughout the course of the book, describe how it changes.

Elie has a very close relationship with his father while they were at the concentration. At the beginning of the book they didn't seem as close but once they were shipped off and separated from the mother and daughter, they became support for each other. Many time Elie says that the only reason he kept going and didn't give into death was because he wanted to be there for his father. Even in his father's dying moments, he stayed close and tried to help him. In the beginning of the book their relationship was distant and small. By the end of the book, they both relied on each other for courage to survive. Also the boy who killed his father for a piece of bread but end up being killed and when they were changing camps, the rabbi and his son were running and the rabbi was falling behind calling for his son but the son did not respond and just kept running to survive.

During the long march to Gleiwitz, death begins to sound appealing to Elie. What keeps him going? How does Elie's father died?

Elie keeps going because he doesn't want his father to be left alone. The way Elie's father dies is he can no longer keep foods and liquids in his body, also known as dysentery, and he has had so many blows to the head that he has a fractured skull.

Why does Elie react this way to having been beaten?

Elie reacts this way to having been beaten because he was unconscious, so he couldn't function to what had just happened to him.

What does Elie want to learn about his faith? Who is Moshe the Beadle?

Elie wants to study the cabbala and learn more about his faith. Moshe was a poor humble man who worked at a Hasidic Synagogue. He became Elie's master and taught him about the cabbala and Jewish faith. Moshe was a foreign Jew and had to be deported. When he came back to the little town, he tried to warn everyone about what was happening to the Jews.

Described Elie's conflicted feelings about his father's death. Why does he have these feelings?

Elie's conflicted feelings about his father's death is that he is upset he passed away but now he doesn't have to worry about him falling behind or struggling and his illness. He feels this way because now he can worry about himself and focus on him surviving.

What does this desire say about Elie's interests and beliefs? What is the effect of starting Night with Moshe's deportation and return?

Elie's desire to learn more about his faith shows how committed he is to faith. It also shows how interested he is to keep learning about his faith even when he and his family were being evacuated to a smaller ghetto. The story says that Elie studied the Talmud during the day and then would go to the temple to pray in the evening. By starting with the story of Moshe's deportation, the mood is quickly eerie and depressing. Readers hear Moshe's story and know he is telling the truth and trying to warn the Jews around him. It is devastating, as a reader, to see that at the time the other Jews of the community didn't believe him and ended up in a similar situation as Moshe. It adds to the eerie quality of the story because while the Jews stayed optimistic and thought Moshe had just "gone mad", the reader knows that they are about to endure similar situations.

Wiesel's hope in writing about the Holocaust is that knowledge about this dark period will prevent anything like it from happening again. Do you think human beings can learn from the past? What will you take away from this memoir?

I do think humans can learn from the past just as long as that past is not forgotten. From this memoir i have learned to not take the ordinary for granted because like Wiesel I live an ordinary life and in one day in one war that was all taken away from him which put into perspective how fast my life could change.

Why do you think the residents fail to believe Moshe the Beadle? Can you think of other times when you or others have avoided seeing the obvious warning signs? If so, what happened?

I think that the residents fail to believe Moshe the Beadle because they don't want to believe him. They don't want to believe that in the 20th century such cruel acts would occur, and if they were occurring, foreign troops would prevent them from happening. Another reason I think they fail to believe Moshe is just the human nature to doubt someone unless you witness the events firsthand. I, personally, cannot think of a time when I or someone else disregarded an obvious warning sign. An simple example, however, would be someone slipping on a wet floor because they disregarded a "CAUTION WET FLOOR" sign, which would be an obvious warning.

Identify some of the warning signs that the Jews of Sighet ignore? What kinds of reassurances did they offer each other?

The Jews ignore Moshe the Beadle's warnings that the Germans have taken over Polish territory, and he warns them that they killed the other Jews. Moshe the Beadle also tells them the story of the girl, Malka, who had taken three days to die, as well as Tobias, a tailor that begged to die before his three sons. They offered each other reassurances such as: "The Russian army's making gigantic strides forward....Hitler won't be able to do us any harm, even if he wants to." and "The Germans won't get as far as this. They'll stay in Budapest. there are strategic and political reasons...."

What day of the week is selected for the Wiesel's expulsion? Where do Elie and his family, and the rest of their community spend their last 24 hours in Sighet?

The Wiesel's expulsion takes place on a saturday. Elie, his family, and the rest of their community spend their last twenty-four hours in Sighet in a synagogue.

What does Wiesel mean when he writes that illusion ruled the ghetto?

Illusion rules the ghettos because the Jews refuse to accept the threat of the Germans so they pose and believe that everything would return to normal.

Wiesel reports that, after Buchenwald was liberated, the prisoners had no thoughts of revenge. Does this surprise you, or not? How do you account for this fact?

It does not surprise me that no one had any thought of revenge because if i was in the situation the jewish people were in I would never put that pain on my worst enemy because of how terrible it was. I think the jewish people were kind of being the bigger person in this situation because of how they reacted to their terrible treatment but i also think they were all just happy to be able to eat and live a normal life again.

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Simile

After the executions, what the prisoners have to do before returning to their blocks for dinner?

After the executions, the prisoners are forced to look the dead people square in the face before they were allowed to go back to their blocks for dinner.

Who is Akiba Drummer, and how did he explain the Jews' suffering during their first week in the camps? What happens to him in the end?

Akiba Drumer is a Jewish Holocaust victim who gradually loses his faith in God as a result of his experiences in the concentration camp. He explained the Jews' suffering during the first weeks in the camps as a test from God. Akiba wonders how there is a God when there are so many bad things happening around him. He ends up losing faith and dying because he thought that there was no point to live anymore, and this causes him to fail selection.

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

Figurative Language

Why does he feel that way? What about this reaction suggest about how the camp is affecting him?

He feels angry with his father because he thinks that his father needs to learn to stay clear of idek anger. This reaction shows that he is becoming more mindful of how to stay out of trouble with the guards in the camp. This shows he trying to do what he can to survive and be safe and is hoping his father will do the same.

What has Juliek brought with him from Buna to Gleiwitz? How does he use this possession? What happens to him afterward?

Juliek brought his violin with him from Buna to Gleiwitz. He used his violin in Buna to play the military march music when the prisoners were heading into and out of work. When everyone who is left makes it to Gleiwitz, Juliek is trampled on and underneath other people while in the barracks. Elie is on top of Juliek and hears his cry for help. While everyone is trying to rest, Juliek plays Beethoven, which he was not allowed to do at the other camps. When Elie wakes up the next day, Juliek is dead. He had played his violin till he died.

What does Madame Schachter believe she sees outside the train window? What is really there? How do the passengers react to her?

Madame Schächter believes she sees flames in the distance. The other passengers look outside to find nothing but the darkness. The other passengers react to Madame Schächter's screaming by deciding to tie her up, gag her, and even strike her in the head a few times.

Name 2 parts of a metaphor.

Tenor & Vehicle

The diary of Anne Frank is a play with that, like Night, deals with the persecution of Jews in Europe during World War II. Anne's famous last line in the play reads:" In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." Anne wrote this line before she was deported to the concentration camp Bergen Belsen. Based on what Elie has shown you from the concentration camps so far, do you think and would have said the same thing after she experienced camp life? Do you agree with her opinion? Why, or why not?

Personally I would not think, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." If I lived through a month of being in a concentration camp. Though I am not Anne, I still believe who went through the camps would not believe this conjecture she made. She would most likely assume more people than not would be and are "really good at heart." I do agree that most people are, but as I mentioned before there are some in this world that are plain evil.

How do the other prisoners feel about what happens to him?

Some of the prisoners felt jealous. They also thought that he was on a suicide mission to get soup and that in their thoughts, they were murdering him.

Before the train pulls out of the station, the Gestapo put one Jewish occupant in charge of each train car, telling each they personally would be killed if anyone escapes during the trip. Why do you think they did this?

The Gestapo put one Jewish occupant of each car in charge, to make sure people didn't try to escape. If one of the occupants of the car escaped the person in charge would have been shot, this assures that no one even tries to get out.

What illusions do the Jews of Sighet have when the Germans first arrive?

The Jews of Sighet believe that the Germans will not harm them if they are not provoked.

What events might Madame Schachter's cries on the train be considered foreshadowing?

The events that occurred that foreshadowed further events was when Madame Schachter had a vision of a fire was foreshadowing the burning bodies in the crematories. This is considered foreshadowing because the flames were a representation of the people getting burned in Auschwitz.

Why were they forced to do this? What was the experience like for them?

The prisoners were forced to do this to scare them into obeying the rules. This experience was disgusting to the prisoners, and made some of them question whether God was with them or not.

Describe the selection process Elie and his father go through after arriving at Birkenau. What do they see being thrown into the flames?

The selection process was very stressful for Elie and his father. You were either useful to the Nazis or you were killed. Elie didn't want to be too young and also didn't want to get separated from his father. Upon arriving they see babies being thrown into flames.

What significance does Drummer's fate have for those who know him?

The significance Drummer's fate has for those who know him is that Akiba was always the one who said this was a test from God, and when he gave up on God, it made everyone else give up on God also because they felt that if Akiba lost faith, then they would too.

"All things considered, everything had gone off very well." How is this an example of verbal irony? When the train pulls up in front of Auschwitz, the travelers see flames emerging from a tall chimney. Madame S. is silent. How is this an example of irony of situation? On page 35, Elie gives thanks to God for mud. How was this an example of irony of situation?

This is an example of verbal irony because in this statement it is implied that everything had gone well and things were fine but it is the complete opposite of that in the prisoner's eyes. On page 35, Elie gives thanks to God for mud. "I had new shoes myself. But as they were coated with a thick layer of mud, no one had noticed them. I thanked God, in an improvised prayer, for having created mud in His infinite and wonderful universe." This is an example of irony of situation because you would expect the other prisoners to take his shoes, but since they are covered in mud and you cannot tell they are new, then they are not stolen.

When Elie sees his father being beaten by Idek, how does he feel?

When Elie sees his father getting beaten he just sits there he doesn't move. He also felt angry not to the leaders but to his father.

What point is Elie making by using examples of synecdoche, or a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole?

Wiesel is pointing out how limited their existence had become since entering the camp. Gone are the luxuries of choice, leaving behind only the necessities to survive.