Themes and Motifs in "Night" by Elie Wiesel

Silence

A continued motif in the novel is the silence of night. In the book Elie states, "Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live," illustrating the hopelessness and loneliness he felt as his culture, family and religion were stripped away and there was no one to hear about his suffering.

Inhumanity

In Night, characters are often compared to animals, showing the level of dehumanization present within the concentration camps. It is also used to show the brutality and inhumane behavior of the Nazi officials. In the beginning of the book, the Jews of the shtetl could never imagine that source an atrocity as the Holocaust was possible, but they experienced the extend of cruelty that humans could inflict on other humans.

Idenity

In the book, we see the loss of identity as a main conflict that Elie and the other Jews face. Every element of their culture, families and beliefs have been stripped away and they themselves are treated as less than human. A quote which supports this theme is : ". I too had become a different person. 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. "(3.95-97)

Night

Most of the suffering in the book takes place in the night. The pitch darkness represents fear and imminent danger throughout the novel.

Desire for Freedom

The characters confined to the concentration camp felt like animals being led to the slaughter. They longed for the freedom from the camp, but also from their regrets. We see Elie feeling regret for his desire to be free from the burden of his father who is growing weak.

Tradition

The idea of tradition is a motif in the book. in the earlier chapters, we get a view of inner community life of the Jewish Shtetl that Elie grew up in. Their religious practices and belongings reflected their continued traditions. However, all of this tradition was stripped away when they were taken by the Germans

Father-Son bond

The importance of familial bonds is a key theme in the novel. In the beginning of the book, the reader learns that Elie is not close with his father who discourages his religious studies. When the Jews are taken to camps, they are separated from their families and all of their belongings. Elie and his father are lucky enough to stay together and they form an immense bond which ultimately motivates them to survive. "My hand tightened its grip on my father. All I could think of was not to lose him. Not to remain alone.[...] It was imperative to stay together." (3.4-10)

Mortality

The people in the concentration camp realized that their lives were constantly at stake. They realized the grimness of their situation and even began to say the Jewish death prayers for themselves. They realize that in order to survive they would have to become selfish and strategic. "In front of us, those flames. In the air, the smell of burning flesh. It must have been about midnight. We had arrived. In Birkenau." (2.63)

Violin

The violin was a symbol of rebellion against German control in the camp. A polish prisoner played his violin and Elie saw it as a beautiful cry for freedom. However when the prisoner, Juliek was killed and Elie found his broken violin it symbolized the destruction of an human dignity that remained in the camp.

Struggle to Maintain Faith in a Benevolent God

Throughout the book, the reader experiences Elie's loss of faith. In the beginning he is quite devout and interested in studying Kabbalah mysticism. However his faith is shaken once he is brought to the Concentration camp. Some Jews people in the camp are able to use their faith to motivate them to survive, but Elie believes less and less as he witnesses more atrocities until his faith is completely shattered.