Night by Elie Wiesel in the end was a very
powerful book that makes one think deeply about that
horrible genocide that happened not so long ago. Elie
really gets personal on how it was like in these
camps—the death of his family, his god, and even a
little of himself. I would without a doubt recommend
this book to others who want to learn a little more
about what exactly was happening in those
concentration camps.
From reading Night I learned what it was
really like in a concentration camp in the 1940’s and
how the people there were merciless. In that case, it
really was survival of the fittest, seeing as on the
healthy were chosen to live during the selection which
separated many families. For example, before I read
the novel I didn’t know that they only ate soup and
bread and that they traded many things to each other
for supplies like shoes and extra rations of food. Also,
before I read this, I didn’t even know the names of the
camps, like Auschwitz and Buna, or Buchenwald. Or
even that they had certain blocks for certain things,
like the hospital block, or that they had a dentist. Even
the fact they weren’t allowed shoes most of the time or
had to be naked most of the time surprised me. It was
even worse for them then anyone even expected.
I think the Holocaust was one of the worst
travesties—as well as genocide— in
history. I believe no one wants to relive, nor remember
what happened in those horrible years. I feel that this
was unnecessary and stupid to go through with and
kill a race just because one person of power too, even
though no one else knew. Even if they knew, I
wonder, would they speak out?
I felt that Night was a very powerful novel
since it depicted the years he spent in a concentration
camp, and separated from is family. It really stated
what happened in those concentration camps firsthand, and what they had to go through every day just
to survive—and stay far away from the crematory that
would burn them alive. After I was done with the
novel, the thoughts about this genocide still lingered
with me as the thought of it does it everybody.
&
!
•
“On April tenth, there were still about twenty
thousand of us in the camp, including several
hundred children. They decided to evacuate us
all at once, right on until the evening. Afterward, they were going to blow up the
camp.” (pg. 109)
•
“At about six o’clock in the evening, the first
American tank stood at the gates of Buchenwald. (pg. 109)
•
“The three ‘veterans,’ with needles in their
hands, engraved a number on our left arms. I
became A-7713. After that I had no other name.”
•
“ ‘Do you see that chimney over there? See it?
(Yes, we did see the flames.) Over there—that’s
where you’re being taken. That’s your grave
over there.’ “ (pg. 28)
•
“The first step: Jews were not allowed to leave
their houses for three days—on pain of
death.” (pg. 8)
•
“The London radio, which we listened to every
evening, gave us heartening news: the daily
bombardment of Germany; Stalingrad; preparation for the second front.” (pg. 5)
•
“The lorries drove toward a forest. The Jews
were made to get
out. They were
made to dig huge
graves. And
when they finished their work,
the Gestapo began theirs. Without passion, without haste, they
slaughtered their
A bunk in a concentration camp.
prisoners.” (pg. 4)
Elie is in the second row, seventh from the left.
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