The book Night opens in the town of Signet where Elie Wiesel, the author ,was born . He
lived his child hood in the Signet, Transylvania . He had three sisters Hilda, Bea, and Tzipora. His
father was an honored member of the Jewish community. He was a cultured man concerned about his com
munity yet, he was not an emotional man. His parents were owners of a shop and his two oldest sister
s worked for his parents. Elie was a school boy and interested in studying the Zohar “the cabbalisti
c books, the secrets of Jewish mysticism”(Wiesel 3). His teacher was a foreigner, Moshe the Beadle,
a “poor barefoot of Signet”(Wiesel 3). He was Elie’s teacher until he was forced to leave Signet by
the Hungarians because he was a foreign Jew.
After several months Elie saw Moshe the Beadle onc
e again. Moshe the Beadle told his story about his journey that the Jews were forced to get out and
dig grave which would become final resting places for prisoners who were killed. Luckily, Moshe the
Beadle was able to escape. He pretended that he was dead in order to escape being killed. Not only d
id Moshe tell his story to Elie, he wanted to warn the Jews of Signet of what could happen to them.
However, they only thought it was a vivid imagination speaking from his lips. No one wanted to belie
ve his story and people lived life as usual.
It was not until German troops would enter Hungari
an territory that life would change for the Jews of Signet. At first the German soldiers did not see
m like a threat. During the week of Passover things seemed to be going well. People were celebrating
yet, it was not a complete celebration. On the seventh day of the Passover Jewish leaders of the co
mmunity were arrested. After that rules were set by the Germans. Jews were confined to their homes f
or three days and they could no longer keep valuables such as gold, jewelry and other objects. The G
ermans took it all. Elie’s father managed to bury the family’s savings in the cellar. After the thre
e days Jews had to wear a yellow star. After this more rules were set. Jews could not go to restaura
nts, travel on railways, go to synagogues, or go out after six o’clock.
As if the rules and re
strictions were not enough. Soon Jews would be placed in Ghettos. There were two gettos set up in Si
gnet. These ghettos were fenced in with barbed wire and the windows of the houses facing the street
were boarded up. The Jewish people of Signet tried to look at it positively and saw it as “A little
Jewish Republic”(Wiesel 9). People tried to live as normal and felt they would remain in the ghetto
until the end of the war. However this would not be the case. Elie’s father brought news to his fami
ly that they would be deported and the ghetto was to be destroyed. They did not know where they wer
e going , only that they would be leaving in the morning and could only take a few personal belongin
gs.
Fortunately for the Wiesel family their journey was postponed for a couple of days. When t
hey heard the words “All Jews outside!”( Wiesel 16) they knew it was time to leave everything behind
. The beginning of their journey was short. they stopped in another ghetto where they stayed for two
days until their journey would begin once again. After another stop they were then put on cattle wa
gons filled with eighty people to a car. It was uncomfortable, there was barely any air, there was n
othing to drink or eat, it was hot, and people had to take turns sitting down. When they arrived in
the town of Kaschau they heard the words “From this moment you come under the authority of the Germa
n army”(Wiesel 21). At this point they knew they were never going home. They traveled some more and
soon they would arrive at Birkenau the reception center of Auschwitz. When they arrived they could s
ee flames and “smell burning flesh” (Wiesel 26).
People were being separated “ Men to the left
! Women to the right!”(Wiesel 27). This was when Elie and his father were separated from his mother
and sisters. It would be the last time he would ever see them again. Elie and his father would now h
ave to stick together and rely on one another. They had to lie about their ages in order to stay ali
ve and together. As Elie passed through Auschwitz during the first few hours he learned of the crema
tories and what he needed to do to survive. He also began to question his beliefs in God . He said “
Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the universe...What had I to thank him for?”(Wies
el 31).
When they arrived at their barracks they were forced to strip and given new clothing. T
hey also saw a barber and had their heads shaved. They were reunited with others from their old comm
unity of Signet. It made them happy for the moment but they knew that the only thing they must conce
rn themselves with is surviving for themselves. The next day Elie and his father were moved to new b
arracks where they were soaked in petrol. This was known as disinfection and it was done whenever an
yone entered a new barracks. After soaking in petrol they then took a hot shower and were given new
clothes. At this point their pride and hope was practically non-existent. They were no longer themse
lves. They were informed that they were in Auschwitz and that it was a concentration camp and that
they had to work or else they would be sent to the furnace. However, the furnace was not a threat to
them they had been through so much already that the idea of death really had no meaning.
A few
days later they were to leave Birkenau. They marched away from that camp to another destination. Th
ey reached another camp with a sign to the entrance reading “Work is Liberty!”(Wiesel 38) they were
now in Auschwitz. They thought this camp was much better than Birkenau. The buildings were concrete
not wooden. They had to go through another disinfection upon entrance. When they arrived at another
barracks they met a prisoner who was in charge, he was Polish, he told them they had already gotte
n through the selection and there was hard work ahead of them. They had to have the strength to live
and hopefully one day have liberation. They were assigned to Block 17 and told to go to sleep for t
he evening. The words of the Pole did boost moral and there were hopes that the war was almost over.
The next day they would be given their identification numbers which would be tattooed on thei
r arms. This number became their name. They stayed at Auschwitz for three weeks. The day they were t
o leave they were given rations of bread, counted, and they left, walking, to their next destination
. Their walk lasted four hours and they arrived at the next camp, Buna.
At Buna they went throu
gh disinfection and then assigned to their labor units. They were quarantined for three days during
that time they would go through a medical examination and then they would work. During the medical e
xam they were asked if they were in good health and of course they had to say yes. They also saw a d
entist. The dentist was not checking for bad teeth but for gold teeth. Anyone with gold in his mouth
was written down on a list. Elie, unfortunately, had a golden crown. He was later called back to th
e dentist for extraction of his tooth. Elie was not going to give up his tooth and told the dentist
he was sick. This went on a few more times until eventually the dentist was transferred to another c
amp and the tooth was forgotten. He did not want to give up his tooth because it was all he had and
could one day prove to be valuable. One day along the line he would have to give up his tooth. It wa
s when a foreman named Franek noticed the gold tooth in Elie’s mouth. He used Elie’s feelings toward
his father to get it. He saw that Elie’s father could not march and tormented Elie’s father . Elie
tried to teach his father how to march but it did not work. Eventually they had to give into Franek
and give him the tooth.
During their time at Buna they were placed in a warehouse for electrica
l equipment which was a good unit according to other civilians. The work was not hard but they did h
ave a harsh Kapo. His name was Idek, he had a bad temper and it was a good idea not to get in his wa
y. One example of his bad temper was when Elie witnessed him with a young polish girl. Elie was whi
pped twenty-five times for witnessing this event. Idek’s explanation for this was for his “curiosity
”(Wiesel 56).
Another event that occurred during their stay at Buna was an air raid. The Americ
ans bombed the camp. The raid only lasted a little over an hour. The bombing made the prisoners happ
y they did not fear death. It also made Elie happy that the warehouse he worked in was not bombed.
A week after the bombing, the prisoners were forced to watch a hanging of a man who stole during the
raid. The Germans claimed “Let this be a warning and example to all prisoners”(Wiesel 59.) It was o
nly another attempt at inflicting terror in the prisoners minds. After the hanging they were forced
to walk past the dead man before they ate. The idea of the crematory no longer bothered Elie but thi
s event bothered him.
On the evening of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, Elie once again que
stioned God. He could no longer listen to the prayers and he felt betrayed. The Jewish were supposed
to observe Yom Kipper by fasting. Many questioned whether or not they should fast. If they did fast
it might make them weaker and possibly lead to their death. Elie did not fast.
Elie was separa
ted from his father. They were placed on separate units. The rumor of selection was passing around t
he camp. Elie was afraid his father was to weak to make the selection. The head of Elie’s block gave
the prisoners tips to get through the selection. He told them to run, not to walk slowly, and not t
o look at the SS. He also told them not to be afraid. Both Elie and his father passed the selection.
A few more months went by, it was January, and Elie was suffering of a swollen foot from the c
old. He had it examined and the doctor told him he need to have an operation or he would lose his le
g. During his stay in the hospital, he enjoyed not having to work or be ordered around. Although he
was enjoying this “time off “ he had to get out of the hospital or else he might be selected. Elie h
ad his operation and was supposed to stay in the hospital until hi foot healed. When he heard that t
he camp was to be evacuated all except the patients in the hospital he realized he better get well q
uick. He left to find his father and they made the decision to evacuate from the camp with the other
prisoners.
Elie and his father, along with other prisoners, left the camp on a dark snowy nig
ht. They were forced to run to their next destination. They could not think all they could do was ru
n. When they were finally able to rest, it was in the snow. Elie’s father did not want him to sleep
to long especially in the cold because he may not wake up. When the journey began once again, people
were trampling over others and dropping to the ground not able to go any further. Elie no longer fe
lt his wounded foot all he could do was run. They only had hope to reach the next destination as qui
ckly as possible. They stayed at a camp called Gleiwitz for three days with no food or water. Their
next stop would be to a train.
On the train everyone was packed in and trying to keep warm. The
re were dead people on the floors and they had to make stops to dump the dead people. People took th
e clothing of the dead. They had to eat snow to keep from getting dehydrated and they were not given
food. Elie saw the savage instinct in people who would kill their own family for food.
Their n
ext stop was Buchenwald. Upon arrival they were counted and pointed to the assembly place. They then
headed to the showers. At this point Elie’s father could barely hold on , he was near death. He was
weak and had no desire to live. Elie stayed with him during the last moments of his life. On Januar
y 28, 1945 Elie went to sleep and his father was still alive. When he woke up the next day his fathe
r was gone(Wiesel 106).
On April 11,1945 Elie was free. The Americans moved in on Buchenwald an
d took over the camp. The first thing the free men wanted was food. They could not think of revenge
or their families “Nothing but bread”(Wiesel 109). Elie was sick from food poisoning after the liber
ation, he almost died. However, when he was finally able to get up and look in the mirror after so m
any years he did not even recognize himself. All he could see was a “corpse” staring back at him.
Elie Wiesel now lives in the United Stated under the name of Andrew Mellon. He is the Professor o
f Humanities at Boston University. He is also Chairman of the Holocaust Memorial Council. This organ
ization is a nonpolitical organization that was formed to educate people of the crimes put forth on
the Jewish people during the Holocaust (Chaimberlin 14).
Works Cited
Chamberlin, Brewster, and Marcia Feldman eds. The Liber
ation of the Nazi
Concentration Camps 1945. Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C, 1987.
Wiesel, Elie. Night . Bantam Books: New York, 1989 .
-------------------------------------------------------------- book night opens town signet where
elie wiesel author born lived child hood signet transylvania three sisters hilda tzipora father hono
red member jewish community cultured concerned about community emotional parents were owners shop ol
dest sisters worked parents elie school interested studying zohar cabbalistic books secrets jewish m
ysticism wiesel teacher foreigner moshe beadle poor barefoot signet wiesel elie teacher until forced
leave hungarians because foreign after several months moshe beadle once again moshe beadle told sto
ry about journey that jews were forced grave which would become final resting places prisoners were
killed luckily able escape pretended that dead order escape being killed only tell story wanted warn
jews what could happen them however they only thought vivid imagination speaking from lips wanted b
elieve story people lived life usual until german troops would enter hungarian territory that life w
ould change jews first german soldiers seem like threat during week passover things seemed going wel
l people celebrating complete celebration seventh passover jewish leaders community arrested after r
ules germans confined their homes three days they could longer keep valuables such gold jewelry othe
r objects germans took father managed bury family savings cellar after three days wear yellow star t
his more rules could restaurants travel railways synagogues clock rules restrictions enough soon pla
ced ghettos there gettos these ghettos fenced with barbed wire windows houses facing street boarded
people tried look positively little republic tried live normal felt they remain ghetto until however
this case father brought news family deported ghetto destroyed know where going only leaving mornin
g take personal belongings fortunately family their journey postponed couple days when heard words o
utside knew time leave everything behind beginning their journey short stopped another ghetto where
stayed begin once again another stop then cattle wagons filled with eighty uncomfortable there barel
y there nothing drink take turns sitting down when arrived town kaschau heard words from this moment
come under authority german army point knew never going home traveled some more soon arrive birkena
u reception center auschwitz when arrived flames smell burning flesh being separated left women righ
t separated from mother sisters last time ever them again have stick together rely another about age
s order stay alive together passed through auschwitz during first hours learned crematories what nee
ded survive also began question beliefs said should bless name eternal lord universe what thank arri
ved barracks forced strip given clothing also barber heads shaved reunited with others made them hap
py moment knew thing must concern themselves surviving themselves next moved barracks soaked petrol
known disinfection done whenever anyone entered barracks soaking petrol then took shower given cloth
es point pride hope practically existent longer themselves informed auschwitz concentration camp wor
k else sent furnace however furnace threat been through much already idea death really meaning later
leave birkenau marched away camp destination reached camp sign entrance reading work liberty though
t much better than birkenau buildings concrete wooden through disinfection upon entrance prisoner ch
arge polish told already gotten selection hard work ahead have strength live hopefully have liberati
on assigned block told sleep evening words pole boost moral hopes almost over next given identificat
ion numbers which tattooed arms number became name stayed weeks rations bread counted left walking n
ext destination walk lasted four hours buna buna went disinfection then assigned labor units quarant
ined during time medical examination medical exam asked good health course also dentist dentist chec
king teeth gold teeth anyone gold mouth written down list unfortunately golden crown later called ba
ck dentist extraction tooth give tooth sick went more times eventually transferred tooth forgotten w
ant give because prove valuable along line give foreman named franek noticed mouth used feelings tow
ard march tormented tried teach march eventually into franek buna placed warehouse electrical equipm
ent which good unit according other civilians hard harsh kapo name idek temper good idea example tem
per witnessed young polish girl whipped twenty five times witnessing event idek explanation curiosit
y event occurred stay raid americans bombed raid lasted little over hour bombing made prisoners happ
y fear death made happy warehouse worked bombed week bombing prisoners watch hanging stole raid germ
ans claimed warning example attempt inflicting terror minds hanging walk past dead before idea crema
tory longer bothered event bothered evening rosh hashanah year once questioned listen prayers felt b
etrayed supposed observe kipper fasting many questioned whether should fast fast might make weaker p
ossibly lead death fast separated placed separate units rumor selection passing around afraid weak m
ake selection head block gave tips walk slowly look afraid both passed months went january suffering
swollen foot cold examined doctor need operation lose stay hospital enjoyed having ordered around a
lthough enjoying hospital else might selected operation supposed hospital foot healed heard evacuate
d except patients realized better well quick left find decision evacuate other along dark snowy nigh
t destination think finally able rest snow want sleep long especially cold because wake began trampl
ing over others dropping ground able further felt wounded foot hope reach quickly possible stayed ca
lled gleiwitz food water stop train train everyone packed trying keep warm dead floors make stops du
mp took clothing snow keep getting dehydrated food savage instinct kill food stop buchenwald upon ar
rival counted pointed assembly place headed showers point barely hold near weak desire live last mom
ents life january sleep still alive woke gone april free americans moved buchenwald first thing free
wanted think revenge families nothing bread sick poisoning liberation almost died finally look mirr
or many years even recognize himself corpse staring back lives united stated under andrew mellon pro
fessor humanities boston university chairman holocaust memorial council organization nonpolitical or
ganization formed educate crimes forth holocaust chaimberlin works cited chamberlin brewster marcia
feldman liberation nazi concentration camps government printing office washington night bantam books
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