Concept-Vocab Anaylsis
Night by Elie Wiesel
Organizational Patterns:
The organization of Night is in a fairly linear pattern with little delineation. The book
consists of nine untitled chapters that follow Eliezer’s journey through the Holocaust of World War
II. The nine chapters are divided basically by Eliezer’s changes in location, with one exception:
when Eliezer sees a young boy hung and loses his faith in God, a new chapter begins. The story
begins with Eliezer in his home town of Sighet and reflects both his attitude and the town’s attitude
toward the ongoing war with Germany prior to their deportation. The story then follows Eliezer as
he is placed in the Sighet ghetto and deported. The journey on the train is described thoroughly, as
is the arrival in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Eliezer then travels to Buna, another concentration camp, and
then through a death march to Buchenwald. Finally the book closes with Eliezer’s liberation. The
chapters do not consist of a connected story, but are rather brief experiences that give a glimpse
into the life and thoughts of Eliezer. It is told very much in an attitude of memory, as if each event
or thought is flashing across the screen of Eliezer’s mind.
Issues related to the study of Literature:
Themes: The story relates the horrific struggle of survival of a young boy during
the Holocaust. It involves several different themes:
1. A call to action: prevention of this type of horror from ever happening again.
The structure of the novel is such that the read walks away from it thinking two
things:
a. How could this have ever happened? How could evil have gained
such control?, and
b. It cannot be allowed to happen again.
This is one of Wiesel’s desires in writing this book: that people will take a
stand against evils being committed against humanity.
a. “How could it be possible for them to burn people, children, and for the
world to keep silent?” (30)
2. The struggle of witnessing: silence, voice and the guilt of survival. One of the
most moving passages in the book comes at the very end when Eliezer gets
up from his hospital bed to look at himself in the mirror for the first time since
he left the ghetto in Sighet:
“From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back at me. The look in his
eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me.” (109)
Eliezer survives the Holocaust only to be confronted with the memory of those
who did not survive, those whose voices were silenced. Throughout the book
those people are recalled in both the stories Wiesel relates and in the silences
that he conveys, the silence of voices that have been stilled.
3. The death of faith and innocence in the face of evil.
a. “’Where is God now?’” “And I heard a voice within me answer him:
‘Where is He? Here He is- He is hanging here on this gallows…” (62)
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b. “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has
turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven
times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the
little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of
smoke beneath a silent blue sky.
“Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.
“Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all
eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments
which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.
Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as
long as God Himself. Never.” (32)
4. What is humanity? The various reactions to being placed in the crucible of a
concentration camp, along with stories of humanity.
a. “Humanity? Humanity is not concerned with us. Today anything is
allowed. Anything is possible, even these crematories…” (30)
b. “In one ultimate moment of lucidity it seemed to me that we were
damned souls wandering in the half-world, souls condemned to
wander through space till the generations of man came to an end,
seeking their redemption, seeking oblivion-without hope of finding it.”
(34)
c. “Here, every man has to fight for himself and no think of anyone else.
Even of his father. Here, there are no fathers, no brothers, no friends.
Everyone lives and dies for himself alone.” (105)
Setting: The story begins in Sighet, Hungary, and moves through three different
concentration camps: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Buna, and Buchenwald. The countries involved
are Hungary, Poland, and Germany. The years are 1941-45 with the main focus being on
1944-45. The atmosphere is that of World War II.
Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing takes place throughout the novel, but is a bit different
because the novel is told an autobiography told in a memoir-style of writing. The audience
knows before even starting the novel that Eliezer will go to a concentration camp and
survive.
1. Moshe the Beadle’s witness of the horrors of his deportation isn’t believed. (45)
2. Sense of impending doom as the townspeople refuse to believe that the
occupying Germans will harm them. (6-9)
3. Those waiting for deportation are denied water, a basic necessity of human
survival. (14)
4. “An open tomb.” (15)
5. Hysterical prophecy of Madam Schaechter: “Jews, listen to me! I can see a
fire! There are huge flames! It is a furnace!” (23)
6. They begin reciting the prayer of the dead for themselves. (31)
Karma Sue Mitchell, 2005
Point of View, Narrative Voice: The story is told in the first person, from the perspective
of an older man, reliving the events of his teenage years, specifically the year he was
fourteen. He relates various experiences and perspectives that have been derived from his
time in a Nazi concentration camp.
Tone: The tone of this novel is very much one of sorrow, lost, and devastation. It is told
matter-of-factly, but at the same time is endowed with a sense of horror at the events that
take place. It is the voice of a man sorrowing for his loss of faith and innocence, and the
loss of the lives of millions.
Irony: There are numerous places of irony in this novel, but can be difficult to deal with
because they all are ironies associated with the realities of death.
1. Moshe the Beadle warns the Jews of Sighet to flee, but they don’t believe him
and end up in the hands of the Nazis.
2. Madame Schaechter, who they all think is insane and hysterical, is the only
person who can see what will happen to them.
3. “Work is liberty” is on the gate at Auschwitz. They work and never receive
liberty from the Nazis (they receive it from the Americans).
4. “I’ve got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He’s the only one who’s kept
his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.” Hitler has become a
“prophet” because he has done exactly what he said he would, which in
Eliezer’s mind, God has not.
5. Eliezer leaves the hospital because he thinks the Nazis will kill those left in the
hospital when they evacuate. He finds out later those people were liberated by
the Russians two days after the evacuation.
Affective issues related to the work:
Students may or may not be able to relate to Eliezer and his treatment at the hands of the
Nazis (hopefully none will be able to relate, but you never know). All students should be able to
understand the suffering that hatred and prejudice can inflict upon people and hopefully have a
desire to prevent or at least avoid that kind of suffering. Students should also be able to connect
with the struggles Eliezer has when his values and beliefs are confronted with a harsh reality that
denies those very things. They should be able to explore why Eliezer determined that God was
dead and what caused the change. They should also be able to discuss whether or not Eliezer truly
believed that God was dead, and why or why not. This should then be related to the struggles they
may have in their own lives with connecting what they have been taught, to what they confront in
“real life” and how the interplay between the two is part of what determines who they are. Students
may also become interested in other events of human suffering such as the Cambodian killing
fields, and why these types of events continue on in the world today. What can be done about
these types of events? There may also be possible connections made between the Nazis reasons
and the reasons for various terrorist actions today (September 11th would definitely work).
Vocabulary Issues:
The vocabulary in this book is really not extremely difficult; it is more the subject matter
that makes this book one for upper high school levels. There are a few terms that have specific
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meanings in the context of the Holocaust. Some examples of these words are: evacuation, ghetto,
crematory, shower (students need to know that “showers” for some prisoners meant death in a gas
chamber), block, ration, roll call, etc. Other words, such as “synagogue” or “the Talmud”, derive
from Jewish culture and may or may not need to be defined. There may also be some concerns
about minor use of swear words in the novel (s.o.b is used twice by Nazi soldiers). I don’t think it
would cause problems though.
Background Knowledge:
As mentioned prior to this, students should know some basic information about what
happened during the Holocaust, along with definitions of some terms that have special meaning in
the context of the Holocaust. Students for the most part have heard of the Holocaust and a general
definition, but get fuzzy when it comes to the specifics. Much of the information could be taught
before, during, or after reading the text. Explanations of various aspects of Jewish culture and
belief may also need to be given for better understanding. One example of this is Wiesel’s
references to “the Angel of Death.” Students should know this refers to one of the curses showered
upon the Egyptians by God through Moses in an effort to get Pharaoh to free the children of Israel.
Implications for students of diversity:
This is a very good book for discussing issues of diversity in race and culture, and how
those issues are dealt with. The Jews, along with other groups such as gypsies and homosexuals,
were targeted by the Nazis as people who should be eliminated from their “perfect State.” This is
prejudice in its most extreme form, and the novel provides a wonderful forum for discussing
prejudice and our reactions to people of other cultures, races, or value systems. Issues such as
how to increase tolerance and understanding, along with how to fight prejudice, indifference, and
injustice toward others are topics that should be, and must be, discussed when reading this book.
Gender issues:
Gender issues are not really addressed in this novel. The novel actually focuses mainly on
men in concentration camps, with very little mention of women. There are in fact only seven
women mentioned in the book: Eliezer’s mother and three sisters, Madame Schaechter, the French
girl who worked next to Eliezer, and the girl Eliezer sees sleeping with Idek. None of them have an
essential role in the text, but are influences that affect Eliezer. Despite the lack of emphasis on
gender, I believe the book would be well received by both males and females because it is more a
book about the human spirit in general.
The Central Question/Enduring Issue:
The focus of this book is two-fold. First of all, this book is a witness to the horror and
tragedy of those who experienced the Holocaust, whether they lived or died. In many ways it is a
voice that speaks for those who can no longer speak; a voice that tells of the death of faith and
innocence that all victims experienced. It is also a witness to the terrifying power of evil that goes
unstopped. Associated with this is the second issue of this book, a plea and call to action for
prevention of the evil that causes a violation of basic human rights for any reason. Wiesel sums
this idea up in this quote from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in 1986:
“Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.
When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders
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and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of
their race, religion, or political views, that place must- at that moment- become the center
of the universe.”
This issue of freedom from persecution and prejudice is an issue that I would like to address in my
classroom. Discussions about how to encourage tolerance and understanding between people
should be had as part of teaching this novel.
Research Issues/Project Ideas:
1. Research and create a timeline of the events of World War II and the Holocaust.
Specifically connect one person, or several, to at least 10 of the events that happened.
You can get personal histories and interviews off the internet at places such as the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
2. Conduct an oral interview of a person who lived during World War II and their memories of
that time period. Write up the interview, along with a brief paper on your experience and
what you learned.
3. Research other incidences of genocide. Choose a specific one and present the issues
surrounding the genocide, such as who was killed, why, by whom, and what happened to
stop it. Also address what could have been done to prevent it and what can be done today
to prevent genocide. This could be done as a group project and presentation
4. Read this Jewish legend and afterwards write a personal essay on what you believe it
means to see the face of your brother or sister in any human creature and how this can be
achieved.
An ancient rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and
day had begun. “Could it be,” asked one student, “when you can tell whether the animal in
the distance is a sheep or a dog?” “No,” answered the rabbi. “Could it be,” asked
another, “when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it is a fig or a peach
tree?” “No,” answered the rabbi. “This is how you can tell. It is when you look into the face
of any human creature and see your brother or your sister there. Because if you cannot do
this, then no matter what time of day it really is, night and darkness are still with us.”
5. View one one-hour news broadcast, two different TV shows, and one full length popular
film. Take notes as you watch on what is being taught about humanity and specifically
people of different races, cultures, and beliefs. Finally write a 1-2 page paper about what is
being “preached” in the media today. (This reflects the “propaganda” we are being taught,
along with teaching students to be more critical viewers.)
6. Students will write about an event in their lives that has affected who they are and what
they believe. This should be a story about a time when their beliefs about themselves and
the world around them were confronted and conflicted, and how that conflict was
addressed or resolved.
7. Research conditions of concentration camps and present visual demonstrations of them.
Examples: type of clothing they wore- show pictures and/or actually bring clothing
representative of what they wore, the beds they slept in- pictures along with box
measurements laid out in the classroom on the size of the beds and how many people
slept in them, the amount and type of food that they received, etc.
Karma Sue Mitchell, 2005
Informational/Functional Texts:
1. Maps of Hungary, Auschwitz/Birkenau, Buna, and Buchenwald, and the area that
Eliezer and others traveled. These can be obtained from
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/Holocaust/resource/gallery/maps.htm
2. History books on the Holocaust such as Hitler’s War Against the Jews by David A.
Alshuler.
3. History books on concentration camps such as I never saw another butterfly:
Children’s Drawings and Poems form Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944 edited
by Hana Volavkova.
4. Biography of Elie Wiesel. One can be found at
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wie0bio-1
5. News articles and other information on World War II
6. Websites on the Holocaust such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
(www.ushmm.org), The Holocaust History Project (http://www.holocaust-history.org),
or Nuremberg War Crime Trials (http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/imt.htm).
7. View photographs of various concentration camps and Holocaust victims. These can
be obtained from numerous resources such as the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum website (http://www.ushmm.org)
8. View film(s) about the Holocaust
Karma Sue Mitchell, 2005