Night Journal: Chapter 1
Prediction: I believe "Night" is on the Jewish struggle during the Holocaust, where a young girl experiences the cruelties of the Nazis.
Clarifications: Elie and the townspeople don't believe Moche the Beadle's story because his story is just to crazy to be real. To be told that there are people being killed and buried in mass graves is hard to accept. This is what happens to Elie, he doesn't believe but he also doesn't want to believe such evil is happening.
Questions: How could the townspeople refuse to believe Moche the Beadle? Why didn't the Wiesels escape while they could while living in the ghetto?
Connections: I remember reading about how the Nazis, when loading up the Jews, would place anywhere from 80-100 people in such a small cattle car. No food or water was ever given out. No one was allowed to leave under penalty of death.
Summary: Eliezer Wiesel was born in Sighet, Romania to a family of six. Elie was a very devout Jew and spent much of his time studying his faith and often visited the Synagogue. While the war was raging across Europe, no one believed that it would come into their own town. Then all the foreign Jews were transported out of Sighet by the Hungarian Police. They were loaded into cattle cars where they eventually had to dig their own graves. Moche the Beadle managed to escape and tell the townspeople of what happened. Nobody believed him and passed him off as being crazy. Eventually not just the foreign Jews were transported out. They were made to live in makeshift ghettos where they were transported out in cattle cars without food or water.
Prediction: I believe "Night" is on the Jewish struggle during the Holocaust, where a young girl experiences the cruelties of the Nazis.
Clarifications: Elie and the townspeople don't believe Moche the Beadle's story because his story is just to crazy to be real. To be told that there are people being killed and buried in mass graves is hard to accept. This is what happens to Elie, he doesn't believe but he also doesn't want to believe such evil is happening.
Questions: How could the townspeople refuse to believe Moche the Beadle? Why didn't the Wiesels escape while they could while living in the ghetto?
Connections: I remember reading about how the Nazis, when loading up the Jews, would place anywhere from 80-100 people in such a small cattle car. No food or water was ever given out. No one was allowed to leave under penalty of death.
Summary: Eliezer Wiesel was born in Sighet, Romania to a family of six. Elie was a very devout Jew and spent much of his time studying his faith and often visited the Synagogue. While the war was raging across Europe, no one believed that it would come into their own town. Then all the foreign Jews were transported out of Sighet by the Hungarian Police. They were loaded into cattle cars where they eventually had to dig their own graves. Moche the Beadle managed to escape and tell the townspeople of what happened. Nobody believed him and passed him off as being crazy. Eventually not just the foreign Jews were transported out. They were made to live in makeshift ghettos where they were transported out in cattle cars without food or water.
Night Journal: Chapter 2
Predictions: Elie and his family are going to be shipped to a concentration camp.
Clarifications: The Jews didn't revolt because they were following the status quo. They believed that if they just followed the rules they could escape the horrors waiting for them.
Questions: Why didn't the Jews in the cattle car revolt and attack the guard to escape? How could some of the Jews act so savagely toward Madame Schachter? Was Madame Schachter predicting the evils they will going to witness?
Connections: I've traveled long distances by car before where I couldn't really move around or have frequent stops. I cant imagine being in that situation, not knowing where I'm going, but knowing it's no where good. Not being able to eat or drink or hardly move.
Summary: The rest of the ghetto had been cleared out and shipped out on the carts. Everyone was packed in with very little space. During the almost nonstop journey, one of the passengers name Madame Schachter has a mental breakdown. She would scream of a fire or a furnace that would devour her and burn all the passengers into ash. She was then subdued my other members of the cart who could no longer take her screaming. The convoy then reached its destination at Birkenau which was the reception center at Auschwitz, where the the flames were clearly seen along with the stench of burning bodies.
Predictions: Elie and his family are going to be shipped to a concentration camp.
Clarifications: The Jews didn't revolt because they were following the status quo. They believed that if they just followed the rules they could escape the horrors waiting for them.
Questions: Why didn't the Jews in the cattle car revolt and attack the guard to escape? How could some of the Jews act so savagely toward Madame Schachter? Was Madame Schachter predicting the evils they will going to witness?
Connections: I've traveled long distances by car before where I couldn't really move around or have frequent stops. I cant imagine being in that situation, not knowing where I'm going, but knowing it's no where good. Not being able to eat or drink or hardly move.
Summary: The rest of the ghetto had been cleared out and shipped out on the carts. Everyone was packed in with very little space. During the almost nonstop journey, one of the passengers name Madame Schachter has a mental breakdown. She would scream of a fire or a furnace that would devour her and burn all the passengers into ash. She was then subdued my other members of the cart who could no longer take her screaming. The convoy then reached its destination at Birkenau which was the reception center at Auschwitz, where the the flames were clearly seen along with the stench of burning bodies.
Night Journal: Chapter 3
Predictions: I believe that all the Jews will be taken to the crematory while Eliezer will escape somehow into the night.
Clarifications: No one started a revolt or tried to rise up against the guards or the kapos because everyone was concerned with him/herself. Their only goal was to stay alive as long as possible. High risk, high reward. If you wanted to survive, you don't make risks.
Questions: Why didn't the Jews stand up to their oppressors and possibly start a revolt? How could they act like sheep to the slaughter?
Connections: I understand what Elie is going through. If I saw the horrors that he saw, I would want it to all be a dream. Where I could just wake up and be with my family. I also understand his resentment toward God after seeing the pit of burned children. He must think that if God is real then why would he let such evil take its course.
Summary: When the transport of cattle cars arrives to Auschwitz everyone is unloaded and placed in two lines. They are surrounded by SS Guards and is approached by the infamous Dr. Mengele who then divided people into two groups. One group suitable for labor and a second group suitable for either the gas chamber or the furnace. Elie and is father were sent to the labor camp while his mother were sent to the death camp. Elie and his father when they arrived to the work camp were made to undress and take up the workers clothes. They were then sent to the barber where they had to be shaved down and were sent to the barracks. They were fed a small ration of stale bread and black coffee .The next day they were then shipped out to the work camp Buna.
Predictions: I believe that all the Jews will be taken to the crematory while Eliezer will escape somehow into the night.
Clarifications: No one started a revolt or tried to rise up against the guards or the kapos because everyone was concerned with him/herself. Their only goal was to stay alive as long as possible. High risk, high reward. If you wanted to survive, you don't make risks.
Questions: Why didn't the Jews stand up to their oppressors and possibly start a revolt? How could they act like sheep to the slaughter?
Connections: I understand what Elie is going through. If I saw the horrors that he saw, I would want it to all be a dream. Where I could just wake up and be with my family. I also understand his resentment toward God after seeing the pit of burned children. He must think that if God is real then why would he let such evil take its course.
Summary: When the transport of cattle cars arrives to Auschwitz everyone is unloaded and placed in two lines. They are surrounded by SS Guards and is approached by the infamous Dr. Mengele who then divided people into two groups. One group suitable for labor and a second group suitable for either the gas chamber or the furnace. Elie and is father were sent to the labor camp while his mother were sent to the death camp. Elie and his father when they arrived to the work camp were made to undress and take up the workers clothes. They were then sent to the barber where they had to be shaved down and were sent to the barracks. They were fed a small ration of stale bread and black coffee .The next day they were then shipped out to the work camp Buna.
Night Journal: Chapter 4
Predictions: I think that Elie and his father are going to be worked nearly to death at their new camp, Buna.
Clarifications: Elie is really affected by the hanging of the young boy because it takes his innocence away. He is no longer the same boy from Sighet. He is a man now and will now be treated like one. He realizes that the boy hanging from the gallows before him could be him.
Questions: How evil can the German officers be to trade children between each other? Why do the Kapos have to beat on the prisoners when they are already willingly to work nonstop for them? Why does the hangings at the gallows affect so many at the camp when they have seen people burned alive and killed in such horrific ways? Why does the hanging of the young boy affect Elie so much?
Connections: I think Elie is genuinely happy that he was sent to the work camp. I would be the same because I know that my chances of survival would increase significantly. The Kapos and the guards would only kill you if they were given orders to or some other reason. They needed as many workers as possible to get certain tasks done and to kill your only work force would be foolish.
Summary: Elie and his father are made to count random assortment of nuts, bolts, and other things electrical fittings. Elie is then sent to the dentist to have his golden tooth taken out but deliberately puts the operation off thinking he can trade it later for food or something that will help him to survive. During his work at Buna, he is savagely beaten by Idek for walking on him having intercourse and Elie passes out from the pain from his beating. An air raid siren started to go off. All the guards went into the bomb shelters while the prisoners were made to hide within the warehouse. The prisoners come across the large pots of soup where a dying man tried to feed himself and dies. Then the whole work camp shakes as the bombing happens around them while the prisoners enjoy the whole atmosphere of the danger and chaos around them. Next the guards erect a gallows for two men who stole two plates of soup and were then hung. The next time the gallows were used was for two men and a young boy who were stockpiling arms and for sabotaging an electric outpost. This hanging affects everyone in the camp and takes away Elie's innocence as a child.
Predictions: I think that Elie and his father are going to be worked nearly to death at their new camp, Buna.
Clarifications: Elie is really affected by the hanging of the young boy because it takes his innocence away. He is no longer the same boy from Sighet. He is a man now and will now be treated like one. He realizes that the boy hanging from the gallows before him could be him.
Questions: How evil can the German officers be to trade children between each other? Why do the Kapos have to beat on the prisoners when they are already willingly to work nonstop for them? Why does the hangings at the gallows affect so many at the camp when they have seen people burned alive and killed in such horrific ways? Why does the hanging of the young boy affect Elie so much?
Connections: I think Elie is genuinely happy that he was sent to the work camp. I would be the same because I know that my chances of survival would increase significantly. The Kapos and the guards would only kill you if they were given orders to or some other reason. They needed as many workers as possible to get certain tasks done and to kill your only work force would be foolish.
Summary: Elie and his father are made to count random assortment of nuts, bolts, and other things electrical fittings. Elie is then sent to the dentist to have his golden tooth taken out but deliberately puts the operation off thinking he can trade it later for food or something that will help him to survive. During his work at Buna, he is savagely beaten by Idek for walking on him having intercourse and Elie passes out from the pain from his beating. An air raid siren started to go off. All the guards went into the bomb shelters while the prisoners were made to hide within the warehouse. The prisoners come across the large pots of soup where a dying man tried to feed himself and dies. Then the whole work camp shakes as the bombing happens around them while the prisoners enjoy the whole atmosphere of the danger and chaos around them. Next the guards erect a gallows for two men who stole two plates of soup and were then hung. The next time the gallows were used was for two men and a young boy who were stockpiling arms and for sabotaging an electric outpost. This hanging affects everyone in the camp and takes away Elie's innocence as a child.
Night Journal: Chapter 5
Predictions: Elie's father is caught trying to smuggle something to Elie and is then sentence to the gallows.
Clarifications: Elie is angry at his fellow prisoners because they are worshiping the God who could have stopped all this evil that is happening all around them. He doesn't understand why they believe in someone who caused he deaths of their families and the horrors they see everyday. Not to mention that everyone in Elie's family besides his father was killed in the death camp. Elie has enough reason to doubt his faith and be angry with God.
Questions: Will Elie's religion ever be the same after what he has seen and been through while at the camp? Why didn't Elie just stay in the infirmary with his father and get liberated by the Russians?
Connections: If I was at the service for the eve of Rosh Hashanah I think that would be a really emotional time. For a lot of the prisoners God is the only thing they have, who they are living for. I understand Elie's anger and frustration with the people around him for praising the only being who could have stopped all this evil and made things right again. But I also think that Elie feels alone. He has his father with him but before he was also very devout and spent so much time praying to God and now that he doesn't know if there is one or not which makes him feel alone.
Summary: All the Jewish prisoners at Buna decided to gather together for the service of Rosh Hashanah. Elie then denies the existence of God to himself and is troubled at how the other prisoners are worshiping when so much evil has happened to them but they still believe in God. Then the Day of Atonement came. Many of the prisoners were torn between fasting which can could bring with it a swifter death or not to fast at all which means missing out on one of the most important days in the Jewish calender. The selection soon followed and the prisoners had to be examined to see if he was good for labor or the crematory. Dr. Mengele looked over each prisoner and when Elie was then examined, he passed the test. When winter approaches and Elie's foot begins to worsen and receives surgery. The guards and then evacuate the whole camp. Forcing all the prisoners to stand in the snow and start the long trek ahead of them.
Predictions: Elie's father is caught trying to smuggle something to Elie and is then sentence to the gallows.
Clarifications: Elie is angry at his fellow prisoners because they are worshiping the God who could have stopped all this evil that is happening all around them. He doesn't understand why they believe in someone who caused he deaths of their families and the horrors they see everyday. Not to mention that everyone in Elie's family besides his father was killed in the death camp. Elie has enough reason to doubt his faith and be angry with God.
Questions: Will Elie's religion ever be the same after what he has seen and been through while at the camp? Why didn't Elie just stay in the infirmary with his father and get liberated by the Russians?
Connections: If I was at the service for the eve of Rosh Hashanah I think that would be a really emotional time. For a lot of the prisoners God is the only thing they have, who they are living for. I understand Elie's anger and frustration with the people around him for praising the only being who could have stopped all this evil and made things right again. But I also think that Elie feels alone. He has his father with him but before he was also very devout and spent so much time praying to God and now that he doesn't know if there is one or not which makes him feel alone.
Summary: All the Jewish prisoners at Buna decided to gather together for the service of Rosh Hashanah. Elie then denies the existence of God to himself and is troubled at how the other prisoners are worshiping when so much evil has happened to them but they still believe in God. Then the Day of Atonement came. Many of the prisoners were torn between fasting which can could bring with it a swifter death or not to fast at all which means missing out on one of the most important days in the Jewish calender. The selection soon followed and the prisoners had to be examined to see if he was good for labor or the crematory. Dr. Mengele looked over each prisoner and when Elie was then examined, he passed the test. When winter approaches and Elie's foot begins to worsen and receives surgery. The guards and then evacuate the whole camp. Forcing all the prisoners to stand in the snow and start the long trek ahead of them.
Night Journal: Chapter 6
Predictions: I believe that nearly all of Elie's block of men will die during the march, possibly his father. I also think that all the prisoners are going to be marched to another death camp so that the Nazis will try to get rid of any evidence that they had prisoners.
Clarifications: During the death march at Auschwitz, all the prisoners were forced to run nonstop for 42 miles through a snow storm. Eli was able to accomplish this because of his father. Without him Elie has nothing to live for, likewise for his father. He managed to finish the march to Gleiwitz because of the bond he shares with him, without both would have died.
Questions: Where is the convoy headed? How could Elie and his father survive the 42 mile march?
Connections: I believe that the only main reason Elie continues to fight through the pain of the march is because of his father. If I was Elie I know that my father is the only person worth living through in this situation. They both have each others back throughout the whole march which seems nearly impossible to do with the length of the march and how cold it is. I know that if I didn't have someone to live for like Elie did, that march would have killed me.
Summary: The SS guards forced all the prisoners to run in the snow and wind. Anybody seen stopping for only a second or stepping out of line was shot down. The thousands of prisoners running in unison became deadly. Elie witnessed one of his friends get trampled to death from the thousands of feet behind them. Elie's foot stopped hurting which means he could run nonstop, he even ran the march at times in his sleep. The convoy then entered into a deserted town where Elie and his father took shifts on keeping watch and sleeping. The march started up again and they headed toward the camp Gleiwitz. When they finally reached the camp all the prisoners swarmed the barracks. Men were trampled to death going into the entrance. Elie managed to survive the stampede by clawing and digging his way through the bodies. His friend named Juliek began playing his violin as the men poured in but the next morning was found stiff and cold. The prisoners stayed at Gleiwitz for three days before being selected, weak to the left, strong to the right. Elie's father was sent to the left so Elie managed to sneak him back. All the prisoners were made to stand outside in the cold until the train came hours later. They were then loaded up into the cattle cars to an unknown destination.
Predictions: I believe that nearly all of Elie's block of men will die during the march, possibly his father. I also think that all the prisoners are going to be marched to another death camp so that the Nazis will try to get rid of any evidence that they had prisoners.
Clarifications: During the death march at Auschwitz, all the prisoners were forced to run nonstop for 42 miles through a snow storm. Eli was able to accomplish this because of his father. Without him Elie has nothing to live for, likewise for his father. He managed to finish the march to Gleiwitz because of the bond he shares with him, without both would have died.
Questions: Where is the convoy headed? How could Elie and his father survive the 42 mile march?
Connections: I believe that the only main reason Elie continues to fight through the pain of the march is because of his father. If I was Elie I know that my father is the only person worth living through in this situation. They both have each others back throughout the whole march which seems nearly impossible to do with the length of the march and how cold it is. I know that if I didn't have someone to live for like Elie did, that march would have killed me.
Summary: The SS guards forced all the prisoners to run in the snow and wind. Anybody seen stopping for only a second or stepping out of line was shot down. The thousands of prisoners running in unison became deadly. Elie witnessed one of his friends get trampled to death from the thousands of feet behind them. Elie's foot stopped hurting which means he could run nonstop, he even ran the march at times in his sleep. The convoy then entered into a deserted town where Elie and his father took shifts on keeping watch and sleeping. The march started up again and they headed toward the camp Gleiwitz. When they finally reached the camp all the prisoners swarmed the barracks. Men were trampled to death going into the entrance. Elie managed to survive the stampede by clawing and digging his way through the bodies. His friend named Juliek began playing his violin as the men poured in but the next morning was found stiff and cold. The prisoners stayed at Gleiwitz for three days before being selected, weak to the left, strong to the right. Elie's father was sent to the left so Elie managed to sneak him back. All the prisoners were made to stand outside in the cold until the train came hours later. They were then loaded up into the cattle cars to an unknown destination.
Night Journal: Chapter 7
Predictions: The convoy is going to head to large labor camp where the prisoners are made to work outside in the winter and many of them will die.
Clarifications: Elie and his father are made to ride a train all the way to Buchenwald. While the other prisoners kill each other over small bits of food, Elie and his father just watch the evil happening around them. Eli and his father choose not to become like animals to keep their sanity.
Questions: Where is the convoy headed? How could these men kill each other over bits of bread?
Connections: I feel like Elie and his father are the only sane people on board the train. I feel like I would be the passenger on the train not wanting to join in the struggle for food but just witnessing the desperate souls killing each other for bits and pieces of bread. I feel like Elie just sometimes doesn't understand the actions of some of the prisoners and has to just sit back and watch their struggle and that's how I would react in this situation.
Summary: The prisoners are then loaded unto the car for 10 days with no food or water. The carts weren't covered so the snow piled up unto the men, which in turn was eaten by the prisoners. Eventually hundreds of men were dying on the train which then had to make a stop to unload the dead into huge piles. The train started up again and stopped in a nearby German town where the residents began to throw bits and pieces of food into the carts. That's when the men became like beasts and started to kill each other over the scrapes of food. The train then eventually made its way to the camp Buchenwald. Of the 100 men who boarded the train, only 12 men came off it, Elie and his father were some of the prisoners to survive that train ride.
Predictions: The convoy is going to head to large labor camp where the prisoners are made to work outside in the winter and many of them will die.
Clarifications: Elie and his father are made to ride a train all the way to Buchenwald. While the other prisoners kill each other over small bits of food, Elie and his father just watch the evil happening around them. Eli and his father choose not to become like animals to keep their sanity.
Questions: Where is the convoy headed? How could these men kill each other over bits of bread?
Connections: I feel like Elie and his father are the only sane people on board the train. I feel like I would be the passenger on the train not wanting to join in the struggle for food but just witnessing the desperate souls killing each other for bits and pieces of bread. I feel like Elie just sometimes doesn't understand the actions of some of the prisoners and has to just sit back and watch their struggle and that's how I would react in this situation.
Summary: The prisoners are then loaded unto the car for 10 days with no food or water. The carts weren't covered so the snow piled up unto the men, which in turn was eaten by the prisoners. Eventually hundreds of men were dying on the train which then had to make a stop to unload the dead into huge piles. The train started up again and stopped in a nearby German town where the residents began to throw bits and pieces of food into the carts. That's when the men became like beasts and started to kill each other over the scrapes of food. The train then eventually made its way to the camp Buchenwald. Of the 100 men who boarded the train, only 12 men came off it, Elie and his father were some of the prisoners to survive that train ride.
Night Journal: Chapter 8
Predictions: Elie and his father are made to work at Buchenwald and somehow find a way to escape.
Clarifications: Eli chose not to defend his father because of fear. If he chose to fight the other prisoners or the SS guard he would have surely been killed. His decision to watch his father be beaten nearly to death and eventually taken to the furnace saved his life.
Questions: Why didn't Elie stop the men who were beating his father and taking his rations? How could Elie not cry over his father death?
Connections: I understand the pain Elie has while seeing his father in that state. My Grandfather suffered a stroke in his old age, so my family took care of him. He was bed ridden like Elie's father. It's defiantly hard having to see someone you love in a state like that. I understand Elie's pain.
Summary: The convoy lands at Buchenwald where the prisoners are all made to take showers but Elie's father tells him he can't go any father and he is going to die. Elie refuses to accept that and must take care of his father who is dying of dysentery. Elie must feed him and give him water. Some of the other prisoners start beating Elie's father for his stench and start taking his rations. During a roll call Elie's father begs for him to bring some water but one of the SS guards savagely beats his father and cracks his skull open. Later in the night, his father is taken to the crematory and is killed.
Predictions: Elie and his father are made to work at Buchenwald and somehow find a way to escape.
Clarifications: Eli chose not to defend his father because of fear. If he chose to fight the other prisoners or the SS guard he would have surely been killed. His decision to watch his father be beaten nearly to death and eventually taken to the furnace saved his life.
Questions: Why didn't Elie stop the men who were beating his father and taking his rations? How could Elie not cry over his father death?
Connections: I understand the pain Elie has while seeing his father in that state. My Grandfather suffered a stroke in his old age, so my family took care of him. He was bed ridden like Elie's father. It's defiantly hard having to see someone you love in a state like that. I understand Elie's pain.
Summary: The convoy lands at Buchenwald where the prisoners are all made to take showers but Elie's father tells him he can't go any father and he is going to die. Elie refuses to accept that and must take care of his father who is dying of dysentery. Elie must feed him and give him water. Some of the other prisoners start beating Elie's father for his stench and start taking his rations. During a roll call Elie's father begs for him to bring some water but one of the SS guards savagely beats his father and cracks his skull open. Later in the night, his father is taken to the crematory and is killed.
Night Journal: Chapter 9
Predictions: Buchenwald is liberated by American soldiers and Elie is free.
Clarifications: Elie is freed by american troops but comes down with severe food poisoning. When he recovered he remembers looking into a mirror and seeing a corpse. The last time he saw his own reflection was back in the ghetto. He believes that the old Elie died during the Holocaust but he isn't sure what he sees before him.
Questions: Why does the author leave the story on a cliff hanger? Why does no one experience hatred or want revenge on the guards?
Connections: When my grandfather passed away I felt very withdrawn from everything. I think this is how Elie feels about his father. He doen't feel anything and only worries about eating and how to get food.
Summary: after Elie's father is killed, he is withdrawn from the world. He only worries about food and when and where his next meal is coming from. The Nazis then try to kill the rest of the Jews, killing thousands everyday. The resistance group of prisoners starts driving out the SS guards. That same day, the Americans arrive. Shortly afters, Elie comes down with a severe food poisoning and then spends weeks in the hospital. He then looks into the mirror which he hasn't looked into one since the ghetto and describes as looking into the eyes of a corpse.
Predictions: Buchenwald is liberated by American soldiers and Elie is free.
Clarifications: Elie is freed by american troops but comes down with severe food poisoning. When he recovered he remembers looking into a mirror and seeing a corpse. The last time he saw his own reflection was back in the ghetto. He believes that the old Elie died during the Holocaust but he isn't sure what he sees before him.
Questions: Why does the author leave the story on a cliff hanger? Why does no one experience hatred or want revenge on the guards?
Connections: When my grandfather passed away I felt very withdrawn from everything. I think this is how Elie feels about his father. He doen't feel anything and only worries about eating and how to get food.
Summary: after Elie's father is killed, he is withdrawn from the world. He only worries about food and when and where his next meal is coming from. The Nazis then try to kill the rest of the Jews, killing thousands everyday. The resistance group of prisoners starts driving out the SS guards. That same day, the Americans arrive. Shortly afters, Elie comes down with a severe food poisoning and then spends weeks in the hospital. He then looks into the mirror which he hasn't looked into one since the ghetto and describes as looking into the eyes of a corpse.
Plot Line: Night
Exposition: A young man named Eliezer Wiesel is born and raised in Sighet, Romania. Being a devout Jew, he spends much of his time in the synagogue, studying the Talmud and other religious scriptures during the 1940's. Elie comes from a family of six with three sisters and becomes good friends with Moche the Beadle who was is a Jewish theologian. They became good friends and spend many days and nights praying and talking on religious issues. All was good and peaceful in Sighet.
Rising Action: All the foreign Jews in Sighet are then deported. Moche the Beadle was on that transport. Then several months later, Moche the Beadle comes back alone, with no one else who went on the transport. He tells the townspeople of how the Nazis killed everyone on the convoy but how he somehow escaped. None of the townspeople believe Moche and pass him off as crazy. The Nazis then take control of the city and start to move the Jews into makeshift ghettos. A transport train then starts to ship out the Jews to the camps. Elie and his family are the last to be transported out. Over a period of several days the train reaches its destination; Auschwitz. Elie, his family, and the rest of the Jews arrive at Birkenau; the reception center at Auschwitz. All the Jews are then put into two different groups. A group good for labor, another group good for the furnace. Elie and his father are sent to the work camp, while his mother and sisters are sent to the crematory. While at the work camp, Buna, all the prisoners are made to work throughout the day with little food or clothing. At the camp the prisoners are often beaten by the guards or the Kapos. Elie and the prisoners watch the hanging of fellow inmates but one of the hangings which was a little boy. This affected Eli considerably because it took away his innocence, he realizes that he is no longer a boy. Elie then questions the existence of God, wondering how such evil can take place when he can take it all away. Months later the war front approaches everyday. The Camp is then evacuated and made to march 42 miles in a blizzard to neighboring camp Gleiwitz. Hundreds die during the march and when the prisoners arrive, they are made to board unto the cattle cars. From there, the convoy is shipped to Buchenwald. A trip that takes 10 days to complete. During the trip, Elie and his father witness the other prisoners kill each other over bits and pieces of food. When the convoy finally reaches Buchenwald, Elie's father becomes severely sick and Elie must take care of him. some of the other prisoners attack and beat Elie's father and steal his rations of bread. Elie is torn between trying to care for his father or for himself.
Climax: The climax of the story is when Elie's father dies. During the night, the guards took him to the crematory still barely alive. Elie was able to survive to this point because he had his father by his side. Elie couldn't cry over his father. He had been through to much, he has seen so much death and pain. He almost felt a burden taken off his shoulders, now he could focus on his own survival.
Falling Action: Elie is then sent to the children's section of the camp. Conditions were a little better and now he only focused on food instead of taking care of his dying father. The Nazis then tried to exterminate the rest of the camp but Elie manage to wait till the American forces arrived.
Resolution: Elie is then taken to the hospital where he recovers from a severe food poisoning. He has no family or friends left. He is then left with a reflection of a corpse that has suffered one of the worst tragedies against the human race.
Exposition: A young man named Eliezer Wiesel is born and raised in Sighet, Romania. Being a devout Jew, he spends much of his time in the synagogue, studying the Talmud and other religious scriptures during the 1940's. Elie comes from a family of six with three sisters and becomes good friends with Moche the Beadle who was is a Jewish theologian. They became good friends and spend many days and nights praying and talking on religious issues. All was good and peaceful in Sighet.
Rising Action: All the foreign Jews in Sighet are then deported. Moche the Beadle was on that transport. Then several months later, Moche the Beadle comes back alone, with no one else who went on the transport. He tells the townspeople of how the Nazis killed everyone on the convoy but how he somehow escaped. None of the townspeople believe Moche and pass him off as crazy. The Nazis then take control of the city and start to move the Jews into makeshift ghettos. A transport train then starts to ship out the Jews to the camps. Elie and his family are the last to be transported out. Over a period of several days the train reaches its destination; Auschwitz. Elie, his family, and the rest of the Jews arrive at Birkenau; the reception center at Auschwitz. All the Jews are then put into two different groups. A group good for labor, another group good for the furnace. Elie and his father are sent to the work camp, while his mother and sisters are sent to the crematory. While at the work camp, Buna, all the prisoners are made to work throughout the day with little food or clothing. At the camp the prisoners are often beaten by the guards or the Kapos. Elie and the prisoners watch the hanging of fellow inmates but one of the hangings which was a little boy. This affected Eli considerably because it took away his innocence, he realizes that he is no longer a boy. Elie then questions the existence of God, wondering how such evil can take place when he can take it all away. Months later the war front approaches everyday. The Camp is then evacuated and made to march 42 miles in a blizzard to neighboring camp Gleiwitz. Hundreds die during the march and when the prisoners arrive, they are made to board unto the cattle cars. From there, the convoy is shipped to Buchenwald. A trip that takes 10 days to complete. During the trip, Elie and his father witness the other prisoners kill each other over bits and pieces of food. When the convoy finally reaches Buchenwald, Elie's father becomes severely sick and Elie must take care of him. some of the other prisoners attack and beat Elie's father and steal his rations of bread. Elie is torn between trying to care for his father or for himself.
Climax: The climax of the story is when Elie's father dies. During the night, the guards took him to the crematory still barely alive. Elie was able to survive to this point because he had his father by his side. Elie couldn't cry over his father. He had been through to much, he has seen so much death and pain. He almost felt a burden taken off his shoulders, now he could focus on his own survival.
Falling Action: Elie is then sent to the children's section of the camp. Conditions were a little better and now he only focused on food instead of taking care of his dying father. The Nazis then tried to exterminate the rest of the camp but Elie manage to wait till the American forces arrived.
Resolution: Elie is then taken to the hospital where he recovers from a severe food poisoning. He has no family or friends left. He is then left with a reflection of a corpse that has suffered one of the worst tragedies against the human race.
Characterization: Night
Eliezer Wiesel: Elie is the narrator within the story. The story is passed through his eyes and shows the struggles he faced through the war. Elie is a round character, the reader learns a lot about him through details and over the course of the book becomes very well developed. Elie even becomes a dynamic character. Looking back at his life in Sighet, long before he was shipped to the camps he was very devout in his religion. As his life passes through the concentration camps he no longer believes in the existence of God. The boy who entered in the camps came out as an old corpse. He died long before his liberation.
Shlomo Wiesel: Elie's father who was with him almost every step to liberation was a round character. His own story is laid out through the book. Giving the reader a well developed look into who this man was. Much like his son Elie, Shlomo is a dynamic character. He was once a man who cared for the whole community, but know is only concerned with keeping his son and himself alive. Shlomo lives comes to an end while being imprisoned at Buchenwald. His death helps Elie by making him focus more time in feeding himself and trying to stay alive. If he didn't die as early as he did, Elie would have to care for him, giving up his food and effort to keep him alive.
Moche the Beadle: Elie's religious teacher, who helped develop his understanding of God and his purpose in his life. Moche is a very flat character. The reader doesn't know much him other than his experience with the first transport. The reader feels sadness when thinking about Moche. Nobody believed him when he told his story of the Nazis killing the Jews. Moche after his experience became a dynamic character. He no longer laughed or told jokes. He was overcome with sadness and from that moment, was never the same.
Mrs. Wiesel: Elie's mother is relatively unknown throughout the story, her name not even mentioned. She is a flat character because she is briefly mentioned in small portions of the book. Elie and his mother were separated at Birkenau where she was lead away to the crematory.
Hilda, Bea, and Tzipora Wiesel: All siblings of Elie who were lead away to their deaths long with his mother. They were briefly mentioned in the beginning of the story and very little is known about them.
Idek and Franek: Both Kapos and foremen who were in charge of the prisoners. They often beat on Elie and act savagely toward him. Both characters are stock because if one thinks of a guard at a concentration camp both Idek and Franek come to mind. Large men who had terrible tempers. Both characters are also flat, with very little known about them. Lastly both character are static who stay the same throughout the story.
Tibi and Yosi: Both good friends to Elie who plan on moving to the holy land after the war. Not much is known about Tibi and Yosi which makes them flat characters.
Dr. Josef Mengele: A truly evil human who is responsible for the killing of thousands of people and also performing medical experiments on men, women, and children. This character is flat with very little known about him. The author presents Dr. Mengele with direct characterization. Coming out and describing how evil he is and his job at Auschwitz as the angel of death.
Madame Schachter: Jewish women from Sighet, who rode with Elie and his family in the cattle car. She then suffered a mental breakdown. She would scream of a fire or a furnace that would devour her and burn all the passengers into ash. She was then subdued my other members of the cart who could no longer take her screaming. Madame Schachter is a flat character with very little known about her.
Juliek: Friend of Elei's who played the violin at Gleiwitz after the death march and was discovered in the morning to have died. Juliek was a flat character in the story.
Rabbi Eliahou: Rabbi who was the backbone of Judaism in the camp and helped the prisoners stay strong in their faith. Not much is known about the Rabbi which makes him a flat character.
Stein: Family member of Elie's father who isn't recognized by him. Elie then convinces him that his family is still alive which was his sole motivation to stay alive. He soon discovers that his family was killed. Stein is a flat character who was also dynamic because he once fought to stay alive for his family and when he releases they have all died, no longer sees a reason to live and dies.
Meir Katz: Friend of Elie's dad that helps save Elie's life when he is being straggled on the train. Meir is a flat character because no much is known about him.
Zalman: Friend of Elie's who runs with Elie during the death march at Auschwitz who was trampled to death by the thousands of prisoners behind them. Zalman is also a flat character because other than being Elie's friend, nothing else is known about him.
Evaluation Of Themes
Struggle with the Existence of God: Elie struggles throughout the book with religion and the question of if God is real and if so,shy does he allow his chosen people to be butchered, gas and burned. While growing up in Sighet, God is a fundamental aspect of his being. Everyday he would meditate in the temple or read scriptures. But when his family and him were taken away to Auschwitz and he saw some of the most horrific things done to the human race. He wonders why such evil can be committed but no punishments for those who committed them. He witnesses his mother and sisters taken away never to be seen again. Elie also believes that this world was made and modeled after heaven. God couldn't have possibly made this world of smoke and ash after heaven. Throughout the story, Elie is faced with things that broke his faith but in the end, it only made his faith stronger in God.
Silence: Another theme of "Night" is silence. Silence in the actions and words of the prisoners. They Jews had thousands of people compared to the guards who numbered in the barely into the hundreds. Each prisoner was only concerned with himself and well being. Following the status quo to live as long as possible. If more prisoners revolted I believe many could have been saved.
Evil Acts Committed Against Humanity: Elie during his stay at multiple concentration camps witnesses unbelievable acts of cruelty not just from the Nazis against the Jews but prisoners killing prisoners. Elie realizes that evil will stem from evil. There is a point in every man that can be reached and broken. He will no longer be man but beast. That is what the Nazis did. They created animals who would kill their own fathers or brothers for the smallest bit of food to survive. To live, you must be on your own. To survive meant to care for yourself, there is no charity in a concentration camp.
The Relationship Between A Father and His Son: The relationship that Elie shares with his father is special. Without each other, both couldn't survive long. They lived for each other. While at the same time, both saw the evil acts that sons committed against their fathers. Like beating their father to a pulp or leaving your father behind during the march hoping he was going to die or the worse, killing your father over he smallest of rations of food. When Elie and his father watch these scenes unfold, it brings them closer. It makes them understand how lucky they are to have someone who is willingly to die for you. This theme just shows that to Elie, love for his father is more important than than his survival.
Evaluations for Motifs
Tradition: Judaism is a religion rife in tradition and history. The Jews have suffered more than any ethnic group in the world. Hitler's sole mission was to exterminate the Jews and their whole culture. They did this by rounding up all the Jews and killing them. Destroying the memory of them by destroying art, literature, temples, artifacts, etc. As for Elie, even though he has given up on religion, being Jewish is something he is still proud of and being in the concentration camp had nearly broken that for him.
Religion: As a kid, religion was something that Elie has kept dear to himself. But after the experiences he has had while in the concentration camp, he denies religion being part of his life. But he clearly feels guilty about his father's death and not saying the Kaddish. During some of his lowest moments in camp, he would pray to God for something to get him through. even though Elie no longer believes in God, he stills needs him for the lowest parts of his life.
Evaluations for Symbols
Fire: A very important symbol of the evil the Nazis possess. They use it to burn the bodies of children and the elderly. It's also used for the furnace, one of the major ways they would kill the prisoners. The first time that fire is used in the story as a symbol is when Madame Schachter develops visions of fire devouring all the Jews. Fire symbolizes the living hell that the prisoners will soon be part of.
Night: This symbolizes the darkness that shrouds all the prisoners. The darkness is pain and foreshadows the evil ahead of them. It also symbolizes life without God. In the beginning of the bible it refers to Earth as a dark mass of stone before God changed it. The camp is the same way, life without God.
Evaluation for Tone
Ceremony for Rosh Hashanah: Outside a ceremony was held to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. Elie is angry at all the fellow prisoners because they are worshiping the God who put them here and has allowed to Nazis to kill them everyday. Elie denies the existence of God because he wouldn't allow his own chosen people to suffer like this. He does this with tone by saying how angry he is and that he is the accuser and God the accused.
Evaluation for Mood
The Death of his Father: Before Elie's father dies, he was continually beaten by fellow prisoners. He is defenseless and his son doesn't want to direct any unwanted attention from the other inmates. Later a SS Guard goes to his father and nearly beats him to death and later that night his father is taken to the furnace. The author's mood was very dark and angry making the reader feel sad and angry that his father lasted this long till he was murdered.