Our book, Night, is filled with beautiful and painful prose. One quote in particular that speaks of despair to me is when Wiesel refers to Zalman while on a march:
I soon forgot him. I began to think of myself again. My foot was aching. I shivered with every step. Just a few more meters and it will be over. I'll fall. A small red flame...A shot...Death enveloped me, it suffocated me. It stuck to me like glue. I felt I could touch it. The idea of dying, of ceasing to be, began to fascinate me. To no longerexist. To no longer feel the excruciating pain of my foot. To no longer feel anything, neither fatigue nor cold, nothing. To break rank, to let myself slide to the side the road...(104)
The despair in his thoughts is palpable. The short sentences create a slow staccato movement in the writing. The personification of Death wrapping itself around him to suck the life from him shows Wiesel as vulnerable and unable to get free. The most powerful writing, though, comes in the anaphora near the end. He repeats "To no longer" three times showing that his hope, a concept which escapes him comes in death. He sees life and what he is going through as tough and hard. I think what he is enduring is unspeakable and unfathomable. To him the desperation for hope and a freedom of life where he is no longer imprisoned by those who have committed these crimes against him is unbearable and only found in giving up. However, after this moment he sees his father and realizes that to give up would not only be a death sentence for himself, but also for his father. His father needed him.
I want you to choose a passage that you underlined in the book Night, type it out and then analyze it. Look at the structure, the wording, and using your literature terms explain what you see going on. You should also explain why you chose the passage you did. (Use mine as an example.)
Your grade this week will also include you going back and commenting on one other person's analysis and explanation. Maybe you see something in their quote they missed. Maybe, you agree. What ever you respond with, it must be kind, and appropriate. Do not just say, "Nice quote." That is not enough. This blog will be worth 25 points. Happy thinking!!!!!!!!
150 comments:
"After what seemed like a long moment, the hangman put the rope around his neck. He was about to sinal his aides to pull the cair from under the young man's feet when the latter shouted in a strong and calm voice:
'Long live liberty! My curse on Germany! My curse! My-'
The executioner had completed his work."
When I analyzed this passage I saw pride in the boy dying for his race. To me he was a hero among the Jews; he stood out and stood up for what he believed in. Also when he dies everything goes quiet and they pay their respects to him even though he was just a young boy and to the Germans was as valuable as scum.
The wording signals negativity from the very begining by the atitude and the very prescence of the people. It's like death itself was there that day. It also seemed to be pronlonging the death for a reason. I believe that this reason is to make it seem more important and sad. If I would make this moment have a color it would be black.
-Addie Gall
This quote is from Elie Wiesel's Night, when the Jews are being transported to Auschwitz.
"And so an hour or two passed. Another scream jolted us. The woman had broken free of her bonds and was shouting louder than before:
'Look at the fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere...'
Once again, young men bound and gagged her. When they actually struck her, people shouted their approval:
'Keep her quiet! Make that madwoman shut up. She's not the only one here...'
She received several blows to the head, blows that could have been lethal" (26).
The Nazi party considered Jews an "alien race", one that is not human. This quote shows that even though Jewish people are human, that through Hitler's torture which infects the brain, referenced through the fire in the quote,has transformed the Jews into savage animals. Every scream Mrs. Schachter released, surprised and irritated the Jews. In the quote, Eliezer calls Mrs. Schachter a "woman", not by her proper name. It seems that he now considered her a stranger, only caring for himself and his family. The Jews understood Mrs. Schachter's trauma, yet ignored it. Already, some Jews were becoming wild animals, thinking only for themselves. They do not care for Mrs. Schachter's pain. They just want to survive. The approval of violence to hurt Mrs. Schachter evinces the loss of humanity in the Jews. Even though the hits could have killed her, the Jews saw only the benefit of peace in the train without Mrs. Schachter.
To Addie Gall: It seems that the boy acted like the God Eliezer had always wished was present. The boy acted upon a terrible deed. By saying " 'My curse on Germany! My curse!' ", the boy is God is judging the German society, chastising them for allowing the death of His innocent followers. I like the quote; it is a powerful and meaningful quote.
"'Don't be deluded. Hitler made it clear that he will annihilate all Jews before the clock strikes twelve.' I exploded: 'What do you care what he said? Would you want us to consider him a prophet?'
His cold eyes started at me. At last he said wearily. 'I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.'"
I chose this passage because it showded that although Hitler has put the Jewish people through all this pain, some Jews have realized that he is the only one they can trust we follow through with what he is saying. (Shows the irony) I was not shocked at Elie's reaction to the man but i was shocked in the truth of his statement about Hitler. It makes me wonder did Elie start to feel the same way about Hilter after this encounter? The fact that a Jewish person in the concentration camps could have the guts to think that let alone say that though is behond my thought. To have all that built up hatred and anger for their positions in the camps is the emotions that I would think they would be reacting upon. Instead he calmly states this information, he actually uses the words "faith" and "promises" in the same sentence as Hitler. Elie reacted similar to how I felt in my thoughts but he "exploded" in utter disbelif about the first statement, but then when he hears the reason for the foolishness he shuts up after all it was a true statement so how can you argue with that?
Continued: Elie Wiesiel argued against this man for beliveing in the one dictator who was annihilating their race but in the end he was the only one who was giving a true edict about events that he would actually go through with.
To Addie Gall: I like how you incourperated the archetypes into this quote because it makes your reasioning stronger. I also think it was respectful that the boy yelled of his last wished into the crowd. Lastly you were correct in the sense that this quote really just demonstrates the punishment and cruelty in this camps as well as the solem feeling of the other inmates.
The passage that I chose from the book Night was this:
"After what seemed like a long moment, the hangman put the rope around his neck. He was about to sinal his aides to pull the cair from under the young man's feet when the latter shouted in a strong and calm voice:
'Long live liberty! My curse on Germany! My curse! My-'
The executioner had completed his work."
I chose this passage because this boy had so much bravery! Even though he knew he was about to die, he did not give up. He shouted about freedom and his hatred towards Germany. It really shows how nobile the boy was, especially because of how young he was. Another thing about this pasasge was that it just made the mood of the book turn depressing. Everything and everyone in the book after this was just still, silent, shocked. Thats how I have been reading throughout this whole book, this part especially, it's almost impossible not to feel something while readint this book, to not feel helpless for the Jews, to not feel grief for them, to not feel compassion for them either. Maybe it's just me, but this part in the book really opened my eyes as to how far someone was willing to go for their freedom.
-Kaylee Lhotsky 7/8
"Very close to us stood the tall chimney of the crematorium's furnace. It no longer impressed us. It barely drew our attention."
When i analyzed this passage I told us of how much they all ready endured and that it doesn't even bother them. They have been in even worse time like carrying heavy stones, having barley any food or warmth. Probable the worse thing is when some one close like your parents or brother sister died or even a close friend or maybe even just a neighbor that you knew.
Dmytro stasiouk comments on Rohan's quote.
Some thing that I think Rohan missed is that the women was {prognosticate} which means fore cast or predict. This lady could some how tell what was coming {chines, crematorium} "Look at the fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere...".
"They put me in a bed with white sheets. I had forgotten that people slept in sheets" (Wiesel 78)
To me, my quote showed the pain and the longevity of the amount of time that Wiesel had spent in the concentration camps. It showed the way that the Jews were dehumanized by the Nazis and how the people who were kept in the camps had forgotten the way that normal people lived.
Andrew Diamond 3*
"And I, who believe that God is love, what answer was there to give my young interlocutor whose dark eyes still held the reflection of the angelic sadness that had appeared one day on the face of a hanged child? What did I say to him? Did I speak to him of that other Jew, this crucified brother who perhaps resembled him and whose cross conquered the world?"(xix)
What I think is being explained is that Elle Wisel is looking at a sad man and wondering what he should do. Should Elle help this poor man religiously or should he help him by talking to him like he knows how this man is feeling?
The wording signals sadness from the middle to the end. Then from about the beginning the wording signals love and darkness. This quote signals love because Elle thinks that he can help this Jew from being sad.
“Next to the kitchen, two cauldrons of hot, steaming soup had been left untended. Two cauldrons of soup!...A royal feast going to waste! Supreme temptation! Hundreds of eyes were looking at them, shining with desire…free for taking. But who would dare? Fear was greater than hunger.”(59)
In this quote Elie Wiesel expresses his desire for the soup. Before this in the book he says how hungry he was, how he wanted extra rations of soup and how happy he was when he got the extra soup. He explains how the eyes of the Jews were watching the cauldrons with desire and how great the temptation was. Wiesel often wrote about eyes in his book to tell emotion and feelings. The Jews wanted the soup more than anything, but it was their fear that kept them from it. No one dared to leave their blocks. They knew that if they went for the soup they would be killed by the Nazi soldiers. I chose this passage because it really helps explain just how fearful and hungry the Jews were. This passage shows their determination to not give up and their will to live.
-Lydia Sch. 1 period
To Kaylee.Marie: I like how you express what the boy is saying and how he is showing his haterid towards Germany and how you show that he is so noble just for his age. Also I liked how you said that he was willing go for something just simple as freedom.
~Amanda Caspary~ 3*
To Julianne: I the quote that you picked is both meaningful and powerful. I agree that some of the Jews realized that Hitler was the only one following through on what he said he would do. I also wonder from reading this quote if Elie Wiesel started to believe this as well. This quote also shows how the Jews have lost their faith in God, it seems as if they now believe in Hitler instead. Hitler is the only one who has kept his promise to the Jews.
-Lydia Sch. 1 period
" To hang a child in front of thousands of onlooker was not a small matter. The head of the camp read the verdict. All the eyes were on the child. He was plae< almost clam, but he was bitting his lip as he stood in the shadow of the gallows.:"
" Long live liberty!" shouted the two men.
- Samantha S.
5/6 period
When i was reading this passage i thought that the boy was brave,becuase he wasn't ashamed of beging a Jew. When the chairs were finally tipped over everyone was just staring at him crying. every word in this passage I thought was important becuase he was to let the reader know that tis moment was important to Elie Wiesel, this passage was to make the read sad and to keep reading the book.
"The bell. It was already time to part, to go to bed. The bell regulated everything. It gave me orders and I executed them blindly. I hated that bell. Whenever I happened to dream of a better world, I imagined a universe without a bell." (page 73)
I choose the passage because it describes how much something little can affect someone so much. The definition of a bell is simple, it rings to wake people up or remind them to do something. However the meaning of that word changed so much for Elie while he was in Concentration Camp. It meant that he had to follow orders and do what he was told by the S.S officers. The author uses a fragment at the beginning of the passage to make the word bell stand out the most. This is because the bell is the main subject, it symbolizes a life with strict rules and regulations it symbolizes a life without any rights. The authors choice of the words "executed them blindly" shows that Elie has gotten so used to the bell that it's just his second nature to follow all the rules. He does what he's told even though he hates it.
Jacqueline K. 7/8th period
To Lydia Sch. 1st period,
I liked your passage choice, it's one that really stands out for me in the whole book. I agree that the eyes are a common symbolism throughout the book, they describe emotions and feelings. I feel like the passage has lots of description in it because it's from the point of view of the Jews and all they can think about is the delicious soup. They didn't want anything as much as they wanted that soup, you're right it shows that they would not give up their will to live.
Last comment was from me, sorry forgot to put my name!
Jacqueline K. 7/8th period
"What are You, my God? I thought angrily. How do ou compare to this stricken mass gathered to affirm to You their faith, their anger, their defience? Whay does Your grandeur mean,Master of the Universe, in the face of all this cowardice, this decay, and this misery? Why do you go on troubling these poor people's wounded minds, their ailing bodies?"
PG 66
I analyded the passage and saw the question that comes throughout the story, WHere is god? after some time, the prsoners relize that their beliefs, only come up with endless questions, to which there is no answer. Being stripped of their family, their rights, and their religion, has finally come to them. Elie endlessly questions his god. Why would he let this happen:to the people who beilieved and follwed him, beilived in him? The only answer that he can conclude is that god isnt there. As he pleads to find answers from the main reason that many of the inmates find hope in, he finds none, and loses his faith. The endless questions show his dispear. The dispear that troubled every one of those jews, trapped inhumanly in that camp.
Rachael S 5-6
"Blessed be God's name?
Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and high including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, Who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosent us to be slaughtered on Thine alter?" (67)
In this passage it shows how the main character, Elie, is changed by the horrible event that happened to him (the Holocaust). In the beginning of the book Elie is a religious young man. He would study the Talmud during the day. Even at night he would cry over the destruction of the Temple. By using the many question marks at the ends of his sentences, the author is questioning his god and his religion. The components of the sentences directly relate to his situation in the concentration camp and that is, of course, intentional. It shows how much he feels God has betrayed him and all of his people. He is also, in a way, blaming his god for all that has happened in the concentration camps. It shows his anger and a bit of hatred for his situation.
I chose this passage because I thought it had a lot of feeling in it from the author and there was a big change in his character from the begining to this part of the book.
~Alex H. 2~
To Kaylee.Marie:
I like that passage very much as well because of the young man's bravery. It shows he was fearless in his last moment in life in front of all his peers and the Nazis who wanted him killed. Although his short speech was cut short it still has great meaning to show how much hatred he had accumulated for Germany.
~Alex H. 2~
To Rohan Sirvastava: I agree with you in many ways. Also though I feel that in doing what they did to the woman they turned a blind eye on their own race they did this by being selfish. They did not care for the others they fought eachother even though young, old and sick. If they would have cared maybe they would have united against Hitler... maybe or known that the "Fire!" would be the end of most of them.
"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."
I consider this passage one of the most powerful in the book. When I initially read it, I only read the surface. I thought that it was just Elie Wiesel speaking of his first thoughts. Now, after much thought, I think that it is the key turning point in the novel. Before that passage, nothing is clear and as soon as we reach that part, everything quickly unravels. It shows that everything he though he knew turned out to be untrue. This describes the fear and memories that Elie Wiesel will have to take with him for the rest of his life. This also shows that, while Elie Wiesel might have turned on his faith and religion, he will always be grappling about that choice because the fact that God is mentioned so many times shows that Wiesel is conflicted about what to believe.
To Samantha S. 5/6 Period: The quote you chose is very meaningful. To add onto what you said, that quote also describes a peice of Elie Wiesel being killed. The boy and Elie have many similarities within theire beliefs and after seeing the boy hung to death, what's left of Wiesels' innocence is roughly ripped away and killed with the boy.
“The last night in Buna. Once more, the last night. The last night at home, the last night in the ghetto, the last night in the cattle car, and, now, the last night in Buna. How much longer would our lives be lived from one “last night” to the next? I didn’t sleep” (83)
The question that Wiesel poses is a great one. It seemed that the prisoners would constantly moving from one camp to another. Moving, moving, and always moving. The short staccato statements in this writing help to build the lists. The writing could easily have read ‘the last night at home, in the ghetto, the cattle car, and in Buna,’ but by using repetition a much better effect is reached. Many times throughout these short sentences, the words ‘last night’ are repeated several times, creating an anaphoric effect. The reader almost gets a feeling that he wishes to have just one final night. Maybe Wiesel wanted only one ‘last night,’ the one where he would slowly slip into the grip of death.
To Kelli S: I really enjoyed that quote that you picked. I too also read over that the first time, then had to back up and reconsider what the meaning was. I also believe that the strong anaphora with the repetition of ‘Never shall I forget’ dramatically strengthens the quote.
-Ryan M. 2
"But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long. In the midst of these men assembled for prayer, I felt like an observer, a stranger."
When I analyzed this passage I noticed that this is where Wiesel had finally decided what the world was really like. A place with no love, mercy, God, or man. Do I agree with him? No, but he was put into a horrible situation where he lost all hope and all faith in anything. He said that he realized he was alone, he thought he was alone because no one was there for him. He believed God had abandoned him, his people had abandoned him, and everything he had once loved and cared about was gone. Yet, he still felt strong, strong because he had made it this far alone.
Bekah H. 7/8
To Kelli S.: I agree with you that this passage is a significant part of the book. I like how you explained your change of thought about the passage you chose. How at first you thought it was just the authors first thoughts but as you dug deeper into the meaning you realized how important it is to the book.
"From time to time, SS officers on motorcycles drove the length of the column to shake off the growing apathy:
"Hold on! We're almost there!"
"Courage! Just a few more hours!"
"We're arriving in Gleiwitz!"
These words of encouragement, even coming as they did from the mouths of our assassins were of great help." (92)
Analyzing this passage I notice a change in mood. A bit before this, I noticed a sense of giving up, of showing indifference to their own well-being and survival while the prisoners were on their long march. Now I see a sense of enlightenment, if you will. The people become hopeful of the words of the officers simply because they have always been portrayed with a negative connotation up until now and suddenly, they want to help. I find it ironic that these people who always were there to cause harm are now suddenly rooting for the people they discriminated against in the first place.
I am also perplexed by the idea that Wiesel is looking up to these people now that they are 'rooting them on' but, as soon as God showed the slightest bit of wavering he turned on him cold-turkey. I don't understand his reasoning. God had always been there for him before this and now that his life has been turned completely upside down, he blames it on God for not doing anything. Why doesn't he blame the people actually responsible?! The SS officers and the Nazi army were against the Jewish community to begin and had no problem with it being known to all. I'm not saying it was a bad thing to be encouraged I'm just not so sure about how he took it.
To Ryan: I liked your theory on how Wiesel might have wanted that last night. I agree with you there. Although, the sentence where Wiesel says "I didn't sleep" right after his list, in my mind, says otherwise. I remember him talking about how sleeping meant being weak and weakness was death. If wanted that to be his last night, wouldn't he have slept?
Brittany G. 2nd period
One quote that I underlined in the book Night is on page 34, "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to life. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ash. Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never." I chose this quote because it is very strong writing. He repeats the phrase, 'never shall i forget' seven times so as to pound it into the reader's head how he saw these visions and they will remain in his mind forever- he will never be able to forget them. He says that he will never forget the moments that murdered his faith, and this goes along with the whole idea of faith and how he lost his when he witnessed the murder and torture that went on in the concentration camps. He also says that there were moments that murdered his God- this also goes along with him losing his faith because he no longer accepted God's silence. It contrasts between what he used to believe and how he no longer believes. He also appeals to imagery because he describes how children were burned alive and it is as if the reader can almost see it- can almost smell the smoke and hear the 'nocturnal silence'.
To Julianne: When I read that section in the book, I also stopped and thought about it. I think your interpretation of it was extremely meaningful and you thought of things I probably wouldn't have. I like how you wondered how someone could use the words 'faith' and 'trust' in the same sentence as 'Hitler'. I also think that is ironic. It is also extremely ironic how Hitler is the cause of all their pain and suffering and yet he is the only one they are able to trust. I agree with you completely.
"Blessed be God's name? Why, but why would I bless him. Every fiber in me rebelled. Because he caused htousands of children to burn in his mass graves? Because he kept six creamatoria working day and night, including sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in his great might, he had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to him: Blessed be thou, almighty, master of hte universe, who chose us among all nations to be tourtured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces?" (67)
I picked this passage out of all others in Night because for me, this part told of how Wiesel lost his faith and changed. He no longer believes that God will save him or that God will stop what is going on in the Holocaust. Wiesel wonders why God has chosen to do this, why he lets so many suffer and die. He even mentions that the creamatoriums aren't closed on the sabbath day. All in all, this passage shows that Wiesel is becoming more and more skeptical of God and what he believes in.
@ Ryan
I liked your passage because it really got the main idea of what Wiesel was probably thinking when he was in the concentration camps. He was just living one night to the next and trying to survive in the cold, ruthless world of the camps.
"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).
Never. The most powerful word in this passage is "never". Wiesel uses this word very differently from the usual sense, giving it more meaning then we often hear when it is used regularly. Never usually means not ever, but in this instance I feel that it is a pledge by Wiesel to not forget the events of the Holocaust and never let something that horrific happen again for all eternity. By saying never in the context that he did, Wiesel instantly allowed me to understand where he stood in reaction to the Holocaust. This passage tells the reader why Wiesel wrote the book in the first place. His quotes, which may seem very specific if you only look at it once, actually describe the feelings and experiences of many Holocaust survivors. In one passage, Elie Wiesel has explained why the survivors of the Holocaust are doing what they are doing, have done what they have done, and will do what they will do in remembrance of the horror that was the Holocaust.
-James B. 2
To Bekah H:
Your passage was a very good choice because it showed how Wiesel had lost faith in God. He felt that God had let him down and by doing so betrayed him. He was suggesting that he no longer believed God existed, because before his experiences in the death camps he believed that God would protect him from things like that. Your comment explains how many Jewish prisoners of the death camps felt about their religion after experiencing firsthand what happened to others of their religion.
"I listened to him without interrupting. He was right, I thought deep down, not daring to admit it to myself. Too late to save your old father. . . You could have two rations of bread, two rations of soup. . .
It was only a fraction of a second, but it left me feeling guilty." (111)
I chose this passage because it illustrates that Elie Wiesel was thinking that he might be better of just letting his father die. He was considering that maybe if he let his dad die, then he could have his dad's portion of food until he was gone. That was probably a part of him that was born in the concentration camps. Quickly, though, he realized what he was thinking and felt bad about it. It was his father after all.
To Addie Gall:
I agree that the color would be black for this moment. Also, when I read the passage you chose, I saw some suspense being built up because of the words "after what seemed like a long moment. . ." This tells us that the moment was probably quick, but it felt like it took years to them. I also think that some of the people watching probably felt pride for the boy because he was standing up in what he believed in.
-Corrine Luzier
2nd period
A part in the book Night that I underlined was on pages 76 and 77, it read:
“…Man is too insignificant, too limited, to even try to comprehend God’s mysterious ways. But what can someone like myself do? I’m neither a sage nor a just man. I am not a saint. I’m a simple creature made of flesh and bone. I suffer hell in my soul and my flesh. I also have eyes and I see what is being done here. Where is God’s mercy? Where’s God? How can I believe, how can anyone believe in this God of Mercy?”
This was said by a rabbi from Poland who was in the same concentration camp block that Elie Wiesel was. After analyzing this I can tell that it is a loss of faith and the mood is set up as confusion and doubt. He makes it sound like that all humans are powerless and cannot control the things that happen, which he repeats. The part that stood out was, “I suffer hell in my soul and my flesh.” You can imagine what it would be like and feel his pain. Another part that sets the mood is, “Where is God’s mercy? Where’s God? How can I believe, how can anyone believe in this God of Mercy?” This was his questioning and a type of rage since it seemed that God had abandoned them.
To Corrine Luzier: I agree with your analysis, but I also think that it is an example of how Elie Wiesel changes. When Wiesel and his father are first put into the concentration camps their goal was to stay together. Then, Wiesel started drifting away and his character changed because of the things that they went through.
~Olivia W. 2nd Period
The passage I chose is from page 80 and 81:
"Don't be deluded. Hitler has made it clear that he will annihilate all Jews before the clock strikes twelve. I exploded: "What do you care what he said? Would want us to consider him a prophet?" His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises to the Jewish people."
I think this passage just shows how defeated the Jewish people felt while they were in these camps. The irony behind it is that while the promises Hitler was giving to the Jewish people were bad he was the only one to follow through with them and the Jews realized this. In the passage it says that Elie "exploded" meaning that he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Elie thought that there was no way he could have considered Hitler a prophet. However it says the man looked at him with "cold eyes" and that he talked "wearily". This shows that as much as he didn't want to admit it he was right. Hitler was the only one who fulfilled his promises to the Jewish people. After he makes that statement Elie doesn't reply. This shows that as much as Elie didn't want to admit it this man was correct in what he said.
In response to Andrew Diamond's post I can agree. The fact that the camp had caused them so much pain that they begin forgetting the nice things in life even things as simple as sheets shows just how much pain they were going through and how miserable the conditions in the camps really were.
-Alan McIntosh
"I was putting one foot in front of the other mechanically. I was dragging with me this skeletal body which weighed so much. If only I could have got rid of it! In spite of my efforts not to think about it, I could feel myself as two entities- my body and me. I hated it."
In the passage I like how Wiesel describes himself as "two entities." The way he seperates his mental side and his physical side shows that the camps have truly made him numb to physical effects on his body. The fact that he can run while he his foot is in excruciating pain is amazing. Wiesel mentally is hurting worse than his body, he hates the fact that he has to drag around his heavy aching body.
The way he chooses to present his thoughts to the reader makes the reader feel what he is feeling. He uses strong words and phrases to further impacted the reader. When he uses this metaphor: "I was putting one foot in front of the other mechanically," he makes his point clear. The short sentence he used at the end shows that his feeling the very precise and clear.
-Haley Y.
to racheal:
I agree that the question, " Where is God?" is there throughout the book. When Wisel asks, "Why do you go on troubling these poor people's wounded minds, their ailing bodies?" he is searching for the justice in the events that God is putting him and fellow Jews through. I also agree that Wiesel eventually finds that God isnt there.
-Haley Y.
To Alex H.: I used the same quote as you. I agree with your thoughts on the passage as I think the same about Wiesel and the way he wrote it. I agree with you with the idea that he is blaming God and showing alot of anger toward him. :)
Amanda C-7/8*
This is the passage I chose from the book "Night":
"Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kepst six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great night, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?"(67)
This passage really said something to me about Wiesel as I was reading it. In the beginning he would study religion and study the bible but by the end he would almost believe the opposite about god and what he was taught. He thought of God as a traitor in a way. He doesn't know why he would punish people in this way. His experiences give him the idea that maybe God doesn't control everything in life, or maybe he does but is actually punishing him. The tone of his words were fairly full of anger and frusteration. The frusteration being towards God. Also the diction was used well to show his emotion. "Every fiber in me rebelled." The word rebelled makes this passage more interesting as we can see the aggression and passion in his tone.
Amanda C- 7/8*
“But then I remembered something else: his son had seen him losing ground, sliding back to the rear of the column. He had seen him. And he had continued to run in the front, letting the distance between them become even greater.
A terrible thought crossed my mind: What if he had wanted to be rid of his father? He had felt his father growing weaker and, believing that the end was here, had thought by this separation to free himself of a burden that could diminish his own chance for survival.”(91)
I chose this quote because of how it portrays how awful these times were. It is very, VERY possible that the son DID leave his father behind. That is the horrible thing. At the concentration camps most people had to forget about their friends and family just to survive. If your family becomes too weak most people left them behind. Family is an important to keep close to you when in bad times, but this place was so terrible you actually left your loved ones in the dust to stay alive! Self preservation was more important than family? The way Wiesel says “A terrible though crossed my mind” you can tell how horrible betraying your family was. Though he sounds kind of disgusted, later he changes his tune and is relieved that the burden of taking care of his father is gone. I just don’t understand it; how could conditions be so horrible that you are actually relieved that the person/people that raised you is/are dead, so you don’t have them as a burden? My family is the most important thing in the world to me… I don’t know how anyone could betray their family.
To Lydia Sch: I agree with you completely. Wiesel does seem to keep mentioning eyes over and over to depict emotions. That quote does really show their determination not to give up, even though they were too fearful to actually try to get the soup (well, all except one). You’re right about Wiesel mentioning soup a lot. I skimmed over a few chapters of the books and it seemed like on at least three-fourths of the pages he mentions how hungry he is, or how he had the soup and wished for more. Great job!!!!!!
C. Lenhoff- 1.
"The Gypsy stared at him for a long time, from head to toe. As if he wished to ascertain that the person addressing him was actually a creature of flesh and bone, a human being with a body and a belly. Then, as if walking from a deep sleep, he slapped my father with such a force that he fell down and then crawled back to his place in all fours".
When I was analyzing this passage, I thought about how the jews were treated before being put in the camps. They were considered their own race, not worthy to be talked to or to encounter. Once they had spent some time in the concentration camp, they were no longer even considered human. Their bodies so worn, shriveled from malnutrition. Nobody cared what was done to the prisoners because they did not matter. They were just skin and bones taking up space.
The last post was by Lydia Stephens 2nd period!!
Commenting on Andrew Diamond's post, not remembering that people sleep on sheets is the only information you would need to realize how unhuman these people were treated. It also shows the desensitivity of the new horrid life that was given to these people. They knew that they didn't live the same way but they learned to stop complaining because there was nothing that could be done.
To Kelli S.
The way you analyzed that part in the book was really deep. I agree with what you said. The killing of the prisoners in the concentration camps faith is more than just what it seems. That is an introduction to that theme, and you read into it very well. The detail of Wiesel's memory has scarred him fo life. But you analyzed the story to the athours point of view and read into his emotions. I really liked it.
Rachael S. 5-6
the quote i use is "the days became short and the nights almost unbearable. form the first hours of dawn a glacial wind lashed us like a whip"I picked this quote because it tells how much the Germans dident care. it also said that the Germans are doing this like a death penalty. in my response i agree with Alan m that Hitler just wanted the Jews gone. i also think that Hitler wanted them gone because he thought they ruined the economy.
Isaac payne
"Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because
He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He
kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the
Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz,
Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say
to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us
among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our
fathers, our mothers, our brother end up in the furnaces?"
This quote speaks to me because he is explaining his anger toward God,
Elie Wiesel is explaining the loss of his faith because he believed God
turned on him and the Jewish race. Elie Wiesel says God is an eminent
being because he has the power to do all the things he has done to the
Jews. Elie Wiesel believes God indiscriminately chose the Jews to be
tortured at concentration camps.
To Rohan: I agree with your analyzation of your quote. The Jews
believed the women on the train, but chose to ignore her. They didn't
want to understand that the "fire" was real. When they get to the
concentration camps they saw the fire and felt as if that's what the
women meant. By calling Mrs. Schanter "women" he is saying she isn't
worthy of a name, she's to crazy to be a human.
Paige S. 1st
"They put me in a bed with white sheets. I had forgotten that people slept in sheets" (Wiesel 78)
I picked this passage because it suprised me. It had not been that long that Wiesel was at the concentration camp but it was common knowledge like that that was forgotten. It sparks questions. Such as what else does Wiesel have to live without that is considered essential for others? Would sheets be considered a luxury for him? So on and so forth. He was put in a bed with sheets when his foot began hurting. It shows that they could have provided sheets for everyone but only wanted to make sure that the younger people of the concentration camp were kept in good health.
Jazlyn R 7/8
"Manomes closer to god through the question he asks him, he liked to say. therin lies true dialogue. Man asks and God replies. but we dont understand his replies. we cannot understand them because they dwell in the depths of our souls and remain there until we die."
i chose this quote because i shows teh connection between god and man. it shows how hard it is to understand the way God gives you an answer. when i analyzed this paragraph i saw why it was easy to lose faith.
~deja williams 3rd~
"And in spite of myself, a prayer formed inside me, a prayer to this God in whom I no longer believed. 'Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu's son has done,'" (91).
Wiesel prayed to God, even though he no longer believed in God. In previous quotes, Wiesel calls God "the eternal and terrible master of the earth," (33). But in this quote, although Wiesel no longer believes in God, Wiesel finds it neccessary to pray to God because if there is a God, He would be able to give Wiesel the strength he needed and seeked.
Wiesel's praying to God showed that Wiesel was desperate in this situation. Wiesel understood the importance of staying with his father and he wanted to make sure he had at least put some effort into fufilling this wish. This quote also shows the theme of a Father-and-son relationship. During the frantic running and fighting to survive, Wiesel still prayed so he would be able to stay and live with his father. Unlike Rabbi Eliahu's son, Wiesel wanted to stay with his father and he sought it in drastic measures: he prayed to God even though he no longer believed.
To Rohan Srivastiva:
I really liked your response and I thought it was very detailed. A key thing you forgot to mention is Mrs. Schachter was a prophet. This is important because Mrs. Schachter's screams and cries foreshadowed what what going to happen at the concentration camp. Overall, I agree with your thinking.
"So? Did you pass?
Yes, and you?
Also.
We were able to breathe again. My father had a present for me: a half ration of bread, battered for a small piece of rubber that could be used to repair a shoe."
This passage shows desperateness. A half ration of bread could be exchanged for a small piece of rubber? We take these things for granted in our everyday life. They used these things as a nessacity to live; for survival. And the fact that he called it a "present" When i think of present, I think of giftcards, clothes, ext. but he got a half piece of bread and was thrilled. They truly were in a bad place. Also they have a casual conversation on if they get to live or not. Thats terrible... The wording here goes from short sentences to very long ones. Almost building suspense or terror.
Michelle First period
to Alex H. 2*
I really like how you explained that passage as being a change of the author's character in the book. I never thought of it that way and it is an excellent way to look at it. You are so right, the author completely changed during that part and that passage truly captures it.
"Blessed be God's name? Why, but why would i bless Him? Every fiber in my body rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in his mass graves? Beacuase He kept six crematoria working day and night,including Sabbath and the Holy Days?" (Wiesel67)
As I was analyzing this passsage i realized that Wiesel was struggling with a loss of faith and a loss of hope. He was also very confused at the time.If i had to compare a color to his feelings at this time I would say its more of a grayish area because he doesn't know exactly what to do and he is almost lost in his own thoughts.
Jeffa 1st period
Our book Night is filled with so much sorrow and grief. The whole book is a story of suffrage. I liked to find little parts that were not so sad, were not so tragic. I liked to look at how sometimes the inmates would look out for each other, how they could help:
"hey, kid, how old are you?"
The man interrogating me was an inmate. I could not see his face, but his voice was weary and warm.
"Fifteen"
"No. You're eighteen"
"But I'm not," I said. "I'm fifteen."
"Fool. Listen to what I say."
Then he asked my father, who answered:
"I'm fifty."
"No." The man now sounded angry. "Not fifty. You're forty. Do you hear? Eighteen and forty."
He disappeared into the darkness...(30)
This inmate, a fellow Jew, was trying to help them. He had saw what the camps would do if you were to young or too old. So he decided to help the poor souls going in for selection.
I really like this passage because it shows how these are a caring people. They stick up for each other. This is one of the few parts of the book that is not troubling. It is caring and when you dig deep you find our wonderful a deed that inmate did, for if he had not, the author and his father may not have survived.
To Andrew Diamond
I agree with your idea of how it was a sign of dehumanization and how it was a sense of longevity. The quote you used really contained alot of sadness adn almost depressing vives it gives off. This quote is not the longest but however it is good because it speks alot within the writing.
“Next to the kitchen, two cauldrons of hot, steaming soup had been left untended. Two cauldrons of soup!...A royal feast going to waste! Supreme temptation! Hundreds of eyes were looking at them, shining with desire…free for taking. But who would dare? Fear was greater than hunger.”(59)
I chose this quote because it showes just how fearful the Jews were. It shows that just because they were very hungry, the fear over powered the hunger. They were more willing to live then to get shot just for trying to get some extra food. It shows their will to live because they would rather live and be hungry then get momentary satisfaction from getting extra food and be shot. This also shows that they have not stoped fighting yet. They are still determined.
To Demo- I agree with you. Also i think it's pretty sad because they know so many people have died from the cremastorium and they are not impressed, it barely even bothers them. Yet they know exactly what goes on in there.
"They put me in a bed with white sheets. I had forgotten that people slept in sheets" (Wiesel 78)
This quote shows me that first of all, the incredibly terrible conditions these people were in, where they only know of white sheets as death beds. He only remembers the people that died. How they were burnt, suffocated, gassed, and tortured. This is what he means in this quote.
to Rohan Srivastiva: I love how you explain your quote, going in depth on how the Nazi's thought and acted. You clearly state the meaning behind the passage you chose.
ethan engelke 2nd period, the last post was my me as well
While reading "Night" By Elie Wiesel, One quote that showed how sudden and fast one could change in the camp was when Wiesel had just arrived in Auschwitz and his father was slapped so hard that he fell to the ground:
I stood petrified. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent. Only yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminal's flesh. Had I changed that much? So fast? Remorse began to gnaw at me. All I could think was: I shall never forgive them for this... (39)
This quote is so powerful that you feel as if you had just witnessed this yourself. The repetition of questions instead of statements lets you know exactly what he was thinking at that very moment. He was bewildered and guilty that he was indifferent for this event. One day at the camp, and he was already a completely different person. The diction that he uses such as "struck, and dug my nails into his flesh," creates dramatic imagery that shows Wiesel's extent of hate for what had happened. He was not only disgusted with the man for hurting his father, but with himself for staying silent. Also, his short sentences in between describing his thoughts, show the audience how fast they were all occurring in his mind. It was an immediate response.
- Maddy G. 1st period
To Jacqueline K. 7/8th period,
I really liked the quote you chose. As I was reading, this same quote stuck out to me as well. I agree with you that it describes how much something little can affect someone so much. I think we see this almost everyday. Once something has a different affect with you, it stays with you and can never be seen the same again. I thought that you did a a great job explaining the symbolism. I had not thought of that when I first read this quote, but your explanation let me understand and agree with you.
- Maddy G. 1st period
"He tried to calm them, to reassure them about their fate, to explain to them that saying in the camp did not mean much, had no tragic significance: "After all, I stay here every day..."" (74).
Wiesel writes this as his recount to what someone said after the selection. The number were read off, and the men that did not pass begged and pleaded to remain in the camp. The blockalteste then tells them this. This shows the use of persuasion. He is trying to convince the victims that the camp isn't anything to fear. When in reality, the camp slaughtered people daily. The blockalteste tried to downsize the significance. This is what Hitler did when the American Red Cross came to visit a ghetto during the Holocaust. The Nazi's fed the children well and refurnished the homes. Only to put on an act. This quote was part of the act.
To Michelle!: I agree with what you say. A ration of bread could become their idea of currency. Food is a necessity for the body. The fact that his father would give it up shows a true test of fatherly love. Wiesel also prized the rubber. A piece of rubber could be found anywhere. But in the camps, rubber, or any find, was gold.
-Jacki K. 1*
"I wanted to come back to Sighet to tell you the story of my death. So that you could prepare yourselves while there was still time. To live? I don't attach any importance to my life any more. I'm alone. No, I wanted to come back, and to warn you. And see how it is, no one will listen to me."
This quote is from the first chapter of Night, when Moche the beetle is telling Elie why it is he came back after he went through the terrible experience. As i was analyzing this passage, I found it shows that even though the times were hard, and that moche could have easily ran away as to not be involved with the war any more, but instead he came back to Sighet because of the good in his heart. I chose this quote because I like to think there is still good in the world, even though majority of things happening today are bad, this proves that there is at least the smallest bit of good. I think Wiesel wrote it this in because it is a key part of the book, it shows love and care while the rest of the book shows hate and neglect. The quote kind of gives you something to compare the rest of the emotions and thoughts in the book to.
To: Lydia Sch
I like the quote you picked because it shows the will of the people to live compared to the will of the people's hunger. The Jews in the camp know if they try to get some of the soup they will most likely be shot and killed, yet they go for it anyway out of their hunger and desire.
-Ryan K.
"Never shall I forget that night, the first night at camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke.
Never shall I forget the faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God himself.
Never."(Weisel 34)
This paragraph in the book Night written by Ellie Weisel shows a great significance to the effects that most of the Jewish people had after living in the concentration camps. The paragraph tells the things that Weisel will never forget. I saw a sense of shame and remorce in this paragraph. The paragraph is an important part to the book because it shows that as a whole you can not really forget about what happened and what went wrong. You will always have your bad memories somewhere in your thoughts.
to: Rohan S.
Your explaination is very good because you explained that even the Jewish turned on people of their own kind. I really liked your quote and you did a good job explaining it.
The passage I chose from the book Night was about the start of when Elie lost his faith in God:
"For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?" (33)
This passage shows how Elie Weisel is slowly loosing belief in God's abilities. He even says "for the first time," which shows the slow coming of the loss of faith. He doesn't understand what happened that it had to come to this. What did he do to deserve it? In that moment he is vulnerable. He is showing how he always depends on God in his time of need and now He failed him. Wiesel mocks Him by calling Him "Almighty" and "Master of the Universe," and by doing this, he shows how he doesn't appreciate what is being given to him in the situation.
Response to Amanda C:
We have similar passages. We both talked about how Wiesel is losing the trust and faith in God. I liked your passage a lot. There was an abundance of detail on how he felt in the situation he was put in.
"NEVER SHALL I FORGET that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall i forget that smoke. Never shall i forget the small faces of the children whose bodies i saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall i forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.Never shall i forget the nocturnal silence the that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.Never shall i forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreamed to ashes.Never shall i forget those things, even were i condemned to live as long as God himself.
Never." (34)
When i analyzed this quote i looked at the wordings and i saw that "NEVER" was repeated a lot of times. This just explains that after he gets out, he will never in his entire life forget anything or anyone in this quote. This quote speaks in a different way because it stil says that he will NEVER forget anything.
~Jaimie Wasikowski 5/6~
To rachel s: I just want to say really good quote and i like how you used it. I like how in the beginning it says "What are you, My God? i thought angrily." He was starting to question his God. Really good quote. see you next week.
"I knew a rabbi, from a small town in Poland. He was old and bent, his lips constantly trembling. He was always praying, in the block, at work, in the ranks. He recited entire pages from the Talmud, arguing with himself, asking and answering himself endless questions. One day, he said to me:
"It's over. God is no longer with us."(76)
The longer sentences are giving the paragraph detail about how devoted this rabbi was. It comes in suspense when the reader learns that even the most faithful lose their faith in the hardest of times. Faith was important, it should have helped keep the Jews strong and together. Instead, because of Hitlers insane methods and cruel punishments, it drove many Jews away from faith and each other.
To JackiK:
I agreed with the response to your quote. It is persuasion because the blockalteste was downsizing what was really going on. I also believe that he felt bad for the Jews not going to the depot and used the quote "After all, I stay here every day..." to calm them down.
“Next to the kitchen, two cauldrons of hot, steaming soup had been left untended. Two cauldrons of soup!...A royal feast going to waste! Supreme temptation! Hundreds of eyes were looking at them, shining with desire free for taking. But who would dare? Fear was greater than hunger.”(pg.59)
i chose this section of the story because it shows how hungry the jewish people in the consentration camp actually were. it also shows how harhly they were treated because if a jew went over to the cauldrons of soup and took some they could be injured or even killed. Elie also states later on in this quote that every man is crawling with him. Elie is trying to tell us that every man that is watching him wants him to get this soup and bring it back to share with everyone.
-zack miller-
Lyndia Sch: i used the same quote as you but you left out the part when the man went over to the soup and almost brought it back but he didnt, he was shot and killed.
-Zack Miller-
To aussie.gurl, the quote you picked did show that the prisoners in the camps were annoyed and tired of that bell. that they hated the bell and they could have been scared of it.
"Why, but why would i bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death?" (67).
When i analyzed this passage i felt that Elie Wiesel was unsure why he should praise God if in great might, He created all of the concentration camps. Wiesel felt angry at God because He was letting all of the German Nazis kill so many people in the crematoria all day long, and all night long. Wiesel continuesly questions why he should praise God, over and over again. Wiesel was angry at God for letting all that they went through, happen.
"Why, but why would i bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death?" (67).
When i analyzed this passage i felt that Elie Wiesel was unsure why he should praise God if in great might, He created all of the concentration camps. Wiesel felt angry at God because He was letting all of the German Nazis kill so many people in the crematoria all day long, and all night long. Wiesel continuesly questions why he should praise God, over and over again. Wiesel was angry at God for letting all that they went through, happen.
To Rohan S: I like how you added the part about the Nazi propaganda and how well you explained the qoute you chose. Jake kuharcik-3
Lydia Sch: I agree with everything you said for the most part. The irony in they didnt want to get killed for getting the soup but there chance of survival rate is almost equal. In my opinion, they should've taken the risk because whats the worst that could happen anyways?
"there no longer was any distinction between rich and poor, notables and the others; we were all people condemned of the same fate--still unknown."(pg.21)
from this quote i pulled out that it was clear everyone who was jewish no matter what social standard everyone is the same. i think everyone realizes this once they see how the concentration camps worked, and how everyone was treated badly.
paige s. i agree with your statement of how elie wiesel rebelled and didnt want to have anything to do with God. i also agree that he did abandon them.
"Very close to us stood the tall chimney of the crematorium's furnace. It no longer impressed us. It barely drew our attention."
I chose this passage because i thought it was very interesting how not to long ago they were amazed yet terrified at the chimney and now they hardly even noticed it.
To Demo- Demo i really liked your passage. I had the same thoughts you did on it. I thought it was nicely done and well thought out. Good work.
The book Night is filled with quotes and passages that are extremely thought provoking and inspirational. However, one quote in particular stuck out for me personally. Wiesel writes the night before the prisoners are to leave Buna:
"It was cold. We got into our bunks. The last night in Buna. Once more, the last night. The last night at home, the last night in the ghetto, the last night in the cattle car, and, now, the last night in Buna. How much longer would our lives be lived from one "last night" to the next?
I didn't sleep. Through the frosty windowpanes we could see flashes of red. Cannon shots broke the silence of night. How close the Russians were! Between them and us-one night-our last. There was whispering from one bunk to the other; with a little luck, the Russians would be here before the evacuation. Hope was still alive" (83).
From this quote we can see the many different ways Elie Wiesel writes structurally. For instance, one technique Wiesel uses is anaphora. This is seen when he uses the constant repetition of the phrase “The last night”. The reason he uses this is to emphasize a constant flow of time. Through this emphasis he shows his exhaustion of constant change and movement, along with the idea that his life is always fading and it consists of one excruciating task after another. Another technique Wiesel uses is imagery. This use can be seen when he uses adjectives and descriptions to create an illusion in the mind that allows one to feel that they are there, witnessing the events first hand. An example of his uses of imagery include: “the frosty windowpane”, “flashes of red” and “cannon shots broke the silence of night”. From these it is easy to create the visual of a dark and cold night with a war going on very close with fire, explosions and loud and echoing sounds. In addition to Wiesel creating mental visuals and clear focuses on the progression of time Wiesel also uses the technique of dramatic irony. This is seen in the end sentence when he writes: “… with a little luck; the Russians would be here before the evacuation. Hope was still alive”. This piece of his work is important because it allows us as readers to have insight that the characters in the book do not. This idea allows us to realize the irony that the characters feel hope and faith; however they won’t become free or able to live. Also, it causes the readers to gain a sympathetic and caring feeling towards the characters.
The reason I chose this passage is because I feel it does a really good job showing and capturing the idea of the constant uncertainty and discouragement Wiesel felt. In addition, I feel it does a really good job showing the perspective of what it was like to suffer constant change and movement. I feel that this passage can help people to see the type of doubt and agitation that not only the prisoners of the concentration camp felt, but all those who suffered during the time of the Holocaust. In addition to this passage being reflective, I also like it because it is a very technical piece that is descriptive and allows readers to visualize pain, suffering and a world of confusion in a brand new light.
"He seemed to be telling the truth. Not far from us, flames, huge flames, were rising from a ditch.Something was being burned there. A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this, with my own eyes... children thrown into the flames. (Is it any wonder that ever since then, sleep yends to elude me?)" (Wiesel 32).
When Reading this passage of "Night" it's hard to magine the horror of seeing young children burn. Watching as demons through the very symbol for innocence into the flames and happily watch them die. The short sentences revealed his short train of thought as he saw such a travesty being done. He says how such a sight still holds in his mind today, permanently scarring him. he suffered through the Holocaust which we can only begin to imagine. That unforgettable event will always be remebered and in that one paragraph Elie Wiesel shows it all. The unspeakable terror and horror of the death around one, shown in his short sentences. The detailed discription as he leads us up to the terrible picture of the burning of children and how it scarred him for eternity in a slow yet rise to the final picture.
To Camerinm1-
I like how you commented Elie Wiesel questioning God. How Wiesel was angry at God for letting so many horrible things happen. But I think you could say the anger of Wiesel was partly shown in his quick questions. His mind dedicated to only one thing and to blame God.
Colton K.- 1st period
To James B.:
I agree with your idea that Wiesel uses "Never" in a way to explain that he will not, at any time, forget the horrific events that happened during the time of the Holocaust. I really enjoy your point of view on this passage because I felt you did a good job explaining what Wiesel is trying to convey throughout this piece. Overall, I felt you did a really good job with your explanation. It helped me to gain a new personal perspective on the passage that I never saw before and to see a deeper picture of what Wiesel is trying to explain.
Then he left, in the direction of the hospital. His step was almost steady, he never looked back. An ambulance was waiting to take him to Birkenau.
There followed terrible days. We recieved more blows than food. The work was crushing. And three days after he left, we forgot to say Kaddish." (Wiesel-77)
In this exerpt, you really begin to see the effects of the camp on Wiesel. Before the camp, Wiesel most likely would have said Kaddish after the death of a friend like Akiba Drumer. Auschwitz wiped Wiesel's mind clean of all thoughts concerning Akiba Drumer and the importance of completing his last wish. Survival was the only thing that mattered.Wiesel's short sentences help convey to the reader how important this memory is. The sentence length also shows how painful this was for Wiesel. In a sense, this exerpt is ironic because normally saying Kaddish would be one of the most important things to Wiesel, but now under the circumstances, it has fallen on his list of importance. His faith has been lost under the harsh blows of the Nazis.
To Jacqueline K. 7/8th period:
I agree with you on the fact that sometimes the little things in life effect us a lot more than they should. My dad always says "Mountains out of Molehills" when a situation is blown out of proportion. I would like to add though, that maybe Wiesel focused on the bell as being such a problem to distract himself from the horrifying situation he was in the middle of. The bell provided an outlet for his anger at the Nazis and his dissapointment in God.
Sam 1st Period (I also left the previous comment and forgot to sign it)
A quote from the book night bye elie wiesel was
" The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You don't die of it....'" Chapter 1, pg. 9
The signifigance of this quote is the irony that the jews were unaware of the enormus genocide about to occur and change their lives. The words like oh well says that its like a casual thing to just be excuted for being a jew.
"Men to the left! Women to the right!
Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without emotion. Eight simple, short words. Yet that was the moment when I left my mother. There was no time to think, and I already felt my father's hand press against mine: we were alone. In a fraction of a second I could see my mother, my sisters, move to the right...And I walked with my father, with the men. I didn't know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever. I kept walking, my father holding my hand" (Wiesel 29).
Upon reading this for the first time, I felt sadness for the Wiesel family as they were separated from each other. I believe the passage shows the effect these eight words and his experience has on him. First of all he uses an anaphora as he says "eight words" twice in a row and then continuing on, explaining their meaning. This shows the importance and impact the phrases "Men to the left! Women to the right!" had on him. This was the time when his family had been separated, destined to never see each other again. The structure of the third and fourth sentences draws close attention to the meaning of the eight word phrase. Each individual word is emphasized by the separation achieved by the commas, showing that each word has its own special place for the comprehension of the phrase. Next Wiesel goes on to discuss the topic of him actually leaving his family. He talks about holding his father's hand as they stood, feeling dreadfully alone, watching their loved ones walk away from them. At then end of the quote, he brings back the fact that he was holding his father's hand. This shows that he had a strong connection to his family and he was holding onto the only person he had left. This also gives some foreshadowing to the fact that Elie Wiesel will stand by his father's side and try to keep him alive as best he can in later challenges.
I chose this quote because of the way Wiesel portrays the way words had such an effect on him. Also because it shows the care he had for his family and the heartbreak it caused when they were separated.
Leah W. 1*
To Bekah H. 7/8*: I agree with the way you analyzed this quote, saying that it was when his views of the world changed. The fact that somethings turn completely upsidedown from his old views says a lot about the challenges he has been through and the way they have changed him.
The passage that caught my eye the most was "form ranks of five!" there was a tumult. it was impertative to stay together.
"Hey kid,how old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"No. Your eighteen.".
I think at that point in the book thats when Elie knew that he was in grave danger. He had to act like someone he is not just to stay alive. When i read that passage a image of an older man giveing Elie the advice he needed to stay alive poped into my head. I would like to comment on deja's passage becuase she understands why Elie lost his faith and she in my english class."nice quote".:) james helms
"Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because
He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He
kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the
Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz,
Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say
to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our
fathers, our mothers, our brother end up in the furnaces?"
When I analyzed this passage I felt the anger that Elie Wiesel had inside of him. To him this was Gods fault he did nothing to stop the terrible things in which were happening to his people. He could not just sit there and praise his lord while all these negative things going on. The passage holds many questions, it shows the idea that there were no answers. It leaves us hanging not knowing why God would let this happen. It gives detail on the things being done to there people. I shows emotion which causes its reader to have sympathy for Wiesel. which might not have even been intentional. Maybe that is why I chose this quote because it made me feel for the writer.
To Julianne: I agree with the fact that this was the only thing that the Jews could count on. I would not say it came to a shock to me either. I think that it was sad though. All that the Jewish people could count on was death and the man who was killing them. This was a man that Wiesel hated yet he was the only person that he knew would keep all of his promise.
"Why, but why would i bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death?" (67).
I can see why Wiesel would question God in this situation, and I think I understand his point, but why in the world would you question something that inevitably exists. I think that Wiesel is at his angriest in this section of the book. In regards to the sentence structure, it speeds up the reading, which is similar to anger; both happen quickly.
To Jake: I find it interesting that you would pick that quote, and I agree with you that it is rather remarkable how desensitized people can be.
Night is filled with many horrible events. One event in particular shows what all the things happening did to people. In the following quote, Wiesel speaks of revenge, or rather the lack of revenge:
Our first act as free men was to throw ourselves onto the provisions. That's all we thought about. No thought of revenge, or of parents. Only of bread.
And even when we were no longer hungry, not one of us thought of revenge. The next day, a few of the young men ran into Weimar to bring back some potatoes and clothes-and to sleep with girls. But still no trace of revenge.
The lack of anger, and resentment from the jewish people amazes me. The sentences are short, longer, short, longer. He is stating something and then explaining it. Wiesel uses anaphora and repeats the word revenge 3 times. He uses this to show us that they truly didn't want to get back at them. As horrible as what they went through was, i think that more then anything they wanted to, for lack of a better word, forget it. They wanted to pretend it was all a dream. Things that we take for granted like food and clothes, were all they cared about. The fact that they didn't want revenge almost angers me. How, after all of that torture could they walk away? I also think that this passage shows how truly grateful they were just to be alive. The passage also shows how brainwashed they were.
hannah 1
I chose my quote because their reaction to being free truly amazed me.
to olivia: I completely agree with you. I also think that the quote you picked is a great example of anaphora! It really shows how big of an impact this all had on Wiesel.
hannah m 1
"'For God's sake, where is God?'
And from within me, I heard a voice answer:
'Where He is? This is where-hanging from this gallows...'"(65)
This quote takes place after three of the imprisoned Jews were hung on gallows while the others where forced to watch. One of the audience exclaims "Where is God?" when he that one of the hung was just a child, to light to die immediately and swung from the noose in obvious torture.
In this passage, there is the doubt that has been growing steadily inside of Elie Wiesel throughout his who experience come to a perfect opportunity to make itself prevalent. Wiesel doesn't know his God any more. His life used to be all about Him, but not any more. God was in every aspect of his life and he believed with all of himself that God would come to the rescue of any Jew, no matter what. But there was a little Jewish boy hanging from a gallows, still alive and being tortured. Wiesel's God would not let that happen. Wiesel's God obviously just didn't see.
But God always sees. So the one explanation that makes sense would be that God had died too.
Or maybe there was no God at all. When saying "Where He is? This is where- hanging from this gallows..." Wiesel expresses how he saw the boy dying and lost all of his former faith in that instance. His beliefs- his God -had died with that boy on the noose.
This quote shows (what I think is) the most important turn in the book- the loss of Wiesel's faith. I think that it is not only important to how he sees the world, but also to he becomes, which is a little bit more savage. This quote shows me his defining decision, and from his word choice, I can deduce his way of thinking. Wiesel looked for a way to believe for a while, but this is the point where he gives up. His metaphorical use of the gallows can apply to his self as well as his God, really, since at one point his religion and him were one and the same.
Anna J 7-8 period
“Then came the march past the victims. The two men were no longer alive. Their tongues were hanging out, swollen and bluish. But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was till breathing... And he remained so for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes. And we were forced to look at him as close range. He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished. Behind me, I heard the same man asking: “For God's sake, where is God?” And from within me, I heard a voice answer: “Where He is? This is where – hanging there from this gallows...”” (64-65)
I chose this passage because it shows how much everyone was discouraged and how they thought God had abandoned them. Wiesel thinks God is hanging from the gallows with the other victims. God wasn't helping them and they were left to fend for themselves all alone. Wiesel watches the boy fight “between life and death”, showing just how close all of them could be to dying themselves. Analyzing the passage, Wiesel uses descriptive imagery to let us see the three men hanging from the gallows. He describes the “swollen and bluish” tongues and how the boy's eyes were “not yet distinguished”. He also just states the facts, he wants us to know how horrible this was, “we were forced to look at him at close range”. His tone is sad and discouraged.
"Blessed be God's name?
Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine alter?" (67).
This passage in the book shows the feelings of the author, Elie Wiesel. It shows how he truly felt about God and his religion after the horrible event of the Holocaust had affected him greatly. He had lost his mother and sisters while his dad and him tried to overcome this obstacle. Wiesel questions where is God when all of this misery and suffering is happening. This is a good example of how Wiesel challenges his faith and also of how he slowly begins to lose this part of his faith.
I chose this passage because it shows how he has changed by the Holocaust. It also shows him questioning his faith and causes him to think about if he should really follow it or rebel it. This is also the point where he starts to change his view on the world and how he decides to go on after the event.
-Kyle C. 7/8period.
oops! ^Emily Lapolla 7/8*
To aussie.gurl:
Wow! I really like this quote. I underlined it to. I like how you said "how much something little can affect someone so much" because its so true. I agree that Elie does do what hes told even though he hates it. What does the definition of bell change to Wiesel after he's been to the camp? He's always looking ofr the bell, and once he hears it he hurries off to not get in trouble by the gaurds. He's almost scared of the bell.
"But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the acuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and i was alone,terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy."
Looking back at this I realize that poeple really are not themselve when theve lost hope in someone or something important. Elie Wiesel was horrified by God's indiscriminate doings and had no idea why he continued to torture the Jews. In reality, God does not cause these tradgic events to happen. God allows them to happen in the hands of God. Wiesel was empty without a faith and the void would no be fulfilled until he starts to believe and hope in God once again.
To Paige S:
I fully agree with your analysis. God is the main rejection in Wiesels life and wants nothin to do with him. Wiesel does believe that God has turned his back on him and the Jews.
to hyellow12:
I do like your quote, but I think that there may be a few points that you stated that could be argued.
I don't think that Wiesel is using anaphora in that particular spot so much as the word was imperative to his point and therefore the use of it more than once was important as well.
Also, you say that he speaks as if he wants to forget, but I can argue that throughout the entire book and in the preface and the speech that we had read, Wiesel stated many times that we must not forget the Holocaust. To forget would imply indifference, and that word, to Wiesel, is a profanity. I think that the quote could seem that way by its self, but when put in the context of the book and taking what we know that Wiesel has actually said into account, he would not of wanted to forget.
I do, however like how you found a telling of the brainwash that they underwent in your quote. Not immediately evident (to me I guess), I think that that was a good eye.
"The night was gone. The morning star was shining in the sky. I too had become a completely different person. The student of the Talmud, the child that I was, had been consumed in the flames. There remained only a shape that looked like me. A dark flame had entered into my soul and devoured it."
When analyzing this passage, I noticed the sensory imagery that the author used. Seeing the shining star in the sky being an example.
This passage shows how Elie Wiesel went from a religious, faithful, Jewish child to more or less, a shell. He is a shell in the sense that he has no emotion, no opinions, and that he no longer cares. Disconnected from everyone and everything, these aspects shape him into a new person. That is why I chose this passage, because it shows character development in Wiesel, going from an enriched, enlightened being, to nothing more than a shell.
-Casey 1 period
"I did not fast. First of all to please my father who forbid me to do so. And then,there was no longer any reason for me to fast. I no longer accepted gods silence"
when i read this statement it was one of the most important part of the books for me. it showed that at that point he gave up on trying to please god. And the irony is that he spent his childhood trying to please god to in the future not doing so.
To Jake "The Stud" Simonelli: I agree with your analysis. By being terrified of the crematorium and then not even impressed by it, that shows a little irony. Irony comes from that of a cynic, which is what Wiesel has become.
To Anna J:
I like how this quote is another way or reason that shows how Wiesel had lost faith in his God and religion and I liked how you showed what the author could be thinking like if he died or wasn't even there in the first place and how it was the part we he also had lost faith in God.
-Kyle C. 7/8period.
commenting on demo's quote. i agree with his statement that the workers no longer feared the large chimneys anymore because they thought that death was an easier punishment then having to work in the camps.
-Hunter G
One quote that I picked from the book Night, was this:
"After what seemed like a long moment, the hangman put the rope around his neck. He was about to sinal his aides to pull the cair from under the young man's feet when the latter shouted in a strong and calm voice:
'Long live liberty! My curse on Germany! My curse! My-'
The executioner had completed his work."
I thought this passage was important because even though the boy was about to die, he stood up to them, said what he believed and he shouted out his hatred towards the germans. This quote also showed how much the jews really had to suffer and it changed the mood for me and i felt so bad for them. The boy was so young and everyone was forced to stand there quietly and watch one of their own die. The jews never gave up and they worked so hard just to be free.
-Sarah W. 7-8
To Kelli S: I liked the quote you chose, it was very descriptive and i took your advice and read it more than once. With each time i read it i got an even deeper meaning. It also supports the essay we recently did in class on how Elie Wiesel started giving up on god and also himself.
One quote that I highlighted while I was reading Night is,"The last day of the year. The word "Last" had an odd ring to it. What if it were the last day.?" I picked this quote because I think it shows how the people in the concentration camps really lost their faith and thought that god was actually punishing them for not showing enough loyalty, but it wasn't. Actually it was the outcome of indifference.
To Olivia W:
I really like your quote and it's analysis. I think you did good job explaining the pain that the victims went through. And also you did a good job explaining what the people in the concentration camps actually thought.
-Jennifer W. 7/8
“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 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.”
I feel that Wiesel is trying to emphaize the true horror and pain that was inflicted upon him during his stay at the camps. The Germens took away all his hopes and dreams and made him feel as if he were nothing. That he didn't matter and Weisel is trying to stress that no matter what people do; make shrines, memorials, arrest former Nazi Police; the damage has been done. Weisel will have to carry his burden around with him for the rest of his life. The color that most fits this piece is black because it symbolizes no hope. Which is what Weisel will forever have.
-Ellie Kutrubs-
"After what seemed like a long moment, the hangman put the rope around his neck. He was about to sinal his aides to pull the cair from under the young man's feet when the latter shouted in a strong and calm voice:
'Long live liberty! My curse on Germany! My curse! My-'
The executioner had completed his work."
As I read this passage I saw the honor that shown through this young jewish boy. He knew he was going to die so he got out his last thoughts on Germany and what he believed in. This seems to drag on even though in reality it probably only took about four seconds for the boy to say that and be killed. Even though this was a young boy who probably only ten or twelve people knew him yet the whole camp seemed to pay their respects to him. Well the residents of Auschwitz.
To Alex H: I agree with you about him feeling betrayed by God and his religion. You can see his transition from being almost involved in his religion constantly to being almost totally against God.
"Why, but why would i bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death?" (67).
I chose this quote because it really shows how Wiesel is losing his faith in God. How all of the bad things that is going on with the Jews is God showing that he resents the Jews. Why should the Jewish family prase him when all he does for them is starve them and take them away from their human body.
Camerinm1- We have the same quote and i agree with what you said how they used the camps to show that God does not care. That through everything God looked down on Jews that why he made the Jews go through everything that killed their hopes and took the life away from them.
Kayla Cameron 5/6
“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 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.”
This quote deminstrates Weisel's final feelings on this subject. He has lost hope of ever forgetting what happened to him. He uses long thought out sentences and then to emphaizes his true feelings a short final one. He refreneces his religion to again emphasize how serious he is about always remembering this event. Weisel is saying that no matter what people do; make shrines, memorials, arrest former Nazi Police; it will never be enough to erase his pain. The color of this passage I feel should be black to symbolize no hope.
@Kaylee.Marie
I thought that the way that you went further then just the words and point of this passage was really great. The way you went into the mood and the feeling you get while reading is what makes writers great. NICE JOB !
"One day when I was able to get up, I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto.
From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me.
The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me." (115)
I choose this quote because it shows how much Elie changed from the time he was in the ghetto from the time he was liberated. After he was imprisoned in the concentration camp, the life was sucked out of Elie. He was so skinny, he looked like a skeleton with only a layer of tight skin over his bones. He looked like a living corpse. The look in his eyes has never left him because in them, all of the horrors he has seen and been put through are in the shadows of his eyes.
"Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He kept six crematoria working day and night? Because he caused thousands of children to die in his mass graves?"
When I analized this passage,I found that there is rage in Elie's voice when he questions God's work. Also, I analized that since God gave us free will and that we can make our own decisions and forge our own paths, Elie must believe that God is in control of the German's actions.
Addie - I agree with everything that you said. That boy was the hero of the Jews for his bravery. This quote shows the true cruelty of the German soldiers. The use of archetypes in your explanation really helped bring out the true meaning of the quote.
"'Here, take this knife," he said."I won't need it anymore. You may find it useful. Also take this spoon. Don't sell it. Quickly! Go ahead, take what I'm giving you!"
My inheritance...' (75)
This quote is from page 75 of Night, by Elie Wiesel, when the Jews in Auschwitz are going through selection.
I found this quote to be very blunt and obvious, while having significant meaning. Wiesel and his father are going through selection, but the father feels as if he will not make it through. He tries to give his son a knife and spoon, which Wiesel calls 'his inheritance'. The irony of this quote is that although Mr. Wiesel tries to be sympathetic and care for his son before he dies, I have to wonder, why give him the tableware now? Wouldn't you want to try to help your son while you were alive? Maybe sharing them with him, or giving him the knife, or maybe the spoon? This shows how selfish each and every Jew was while at Auschwitz. The selfishness was not a negative thing, it just symbolizes how desperate the situation was. If your motto is 'every man for himself', then the situation must be desperate, and hopeless, and horrible!
This quote also shows how much Wiesel's life had changed. He'd gone from having a prosperous life, to having his family's only possessions being tableware. The situation is so drastic and serious, it is reflected in his sarcastic tone when Wiesel says 'My inheritance...' That one statement packs a lot of emotion in two words, showing the reader how much the Jews had to adapt to survive in Auschwitz.
-Natalie S. 1*
To Dbosko56-
I liked the way you interpreted the quote, and how your analysis made the quote easier to understand. Plus, the way you said that people are not themselves when they lose faith in something they once held at an importance is a theme of the whole book, and I think helped sum up the quote really well.
-natalie s 1*
"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"
The first obvious presence in this quote is the act of foreshadowing - it practically tells us the changes Wiesel will go through of the course of the rest of the book. The act of repition and lists gives you a feeling of someone trying to convince you of something, and it also adds heavy emphasis that he is about to go through a change that he can never return from with the repeated 'nevers' (specifically, the final and single 'never' sticks the most). The structure is a list of things, then one single "Never will I" statement. These interjecting sentences get smaller until we are left with the final and bitter never.
Last comment was left by Morgan D, second period.
"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke.
Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived from me for all eternity the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
Never (34, Wiesel)."
WHne I broke down this passage, I saw many things. The structure in which this part of the book was written communicates a dark sense of acceptance by repetition of the word "never". Reading that word over and over again communicates the fact that even now the things he saw and the things that were done to him haunt the author. The abrupt end of each sentence allows the context and use to resonate with the reader. It alows the meaning to sink in while staring at the empty space on the page that follows the period. The passage is arranged in such a way that there is space after each sentence because of this theme. This overall structure gives the reader the ability to deeply comprehend and contemplate the meaning of each separate statement. Each separate cause of suffering.
This section of the novel sums up the novel as a whole in my opinion because it hits on many of the key points that Mr. Wiesel was trying to communicate. The fact that this event spared no one, not even children. It also conveyed the cynicism that the author felt (and still fells) because of these events. His loss of faith in God, humanity, and his own being. His soul. It even connected to the title of the novel "Night" (can't italicize, sorry...), by speaking about how a long period of night overcame these events. The author used it almost as a euphemism for all the awful things that were done to his people. The despair and suffering and fear that was felt during the terrifying period of darkness. That is what Wiesel meant by incorporating such a term, and probably naming the book. That the night was just that. It was like a blanket of negativity that hung over that entire period of his life. Even now, though transparent, it is still present in him.
- Angie G. 2*
@ Morgan D. from 2*:
A.) I would like to apologize for using the exact same quote right after you, I failed to read any other responses before righting my own.
B.) I must say I disagree with your particular interpitation of why the word "night" was repeated. I don't think that it was tryin to convince the reader of anything, although that is what repetition is usually a vessel for... I think that the author was trying to communicate the fact that even now, these things still haunt him. Not that he was trying to make the reader understand that they do, he was was justinfomring us of it.
All due respect,
Angie G. 2*
"god is testing us. he wants to see weather were are capable of overcoming our base instincts, of killing the Satan within ourselves. we have no right to dipear. and he punishes us mercilessly, it is a sign that he loves us that much more"(45)
when i analyzed this passage i could really see that they had the will to live no matter what they go through. they believed that the satan within themsevles was the reason that they are getting treated the way they were but it had nothing to do with it.
sorry ricky kemp wrote the last comment
"Why, but why would I bless him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death?" (68)
Wiesel had felt that God was indifferent to the Jews. He said God had done no good for the people that were being killed daily. These people were innocent and had done no wrong but were still being put in the crematoria. The author has a really strong diction, using powerful quotes. When the author compares the concentration camps to factories of deathy, the connation is extrely touching and heartbreaking. This quotes shows Wiesels lack of faith and his poor realtionship with God.
to:oliviaY
Your exlantion is well detailed and is a good way to sum up the effects of th oncetration camps. You also said how the quote made you feel and how it mad Wiesel whih I thought was very important.
The quote I chose was from when the Jews were on the train to Auschwitz.
"And so an hour or two passed. Another scream jolted us. The woman had broken free of her bonds and was shouting louder than before: 'Look at the fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere...'
Once again, young men bound and gagged her. When they actually struck her, people shouted their approval: 'Keep her quiet! Make that madwoman shut up. She's not the only one here...'
She received several blows to the head, blows that could have been lethal" (26).
The passage above describes the change of all the Jews. In the beginning they tried to work together to keep up their spirits and pray for the best. However, at this point in Night the Jews were becoming repleted of sleep, food, faith, and hope. They were growing selfish and impatient, taking advantage of any opportunity to recieve excess food and clothes. They were also beginning to reach the point where they would do anything for something they wanted, such as hitting an innocent lady for a few moments of silence. The diction of this passage also gives the sense of arrogance. Mrs. Schachter is suffering and trying to warn the others of the fire of the crematoriums and they blatantly ignore her and call her crazy later leading to abuse. This is a time that distictively marks the loss of faith, hope, understanding and ability for the Jews to lean on eachother to survive.
To Jeff Anzo:
The passage you chose was a time of rebellion for Wiesel. He felt fufilled with himself for not honoring God's name. I think you chose a very important and powerful passage. I like how you compared Wiesel's feelings to a color. I compelety agree with you saying how he is in a greyish state.
i am commenting on Dmytros quote and it really does show what they have endured because they know people are being burned in there and they just walk by like nothing is even happening.
Ricky k.
“The Kapos forced everyone to look him squarely in the face. Afterward, we were given permission to go back to our block and have our meal. I remember that on that evening, the soup tasted better than ever...” (63). This event took place when the prisoner stole something during the air raid. Wiesel explains the taste of the soup that night. The reason why he said that is because the prisoner was guilty of stealing. Wiesel thought that the hung prisoner deserved what he got. Throughout the entire book, Wiesel tells us the thickness, thinness, and the taste of the soup. Another day, Wiesel writes, “He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished...That night, the soup tasted of corpses.”(65). Wiesel claims that the soup tasted like corpses because he knows that the boy who was killed was innocent. Wiesel probably thought that the little boy did not deserve to die in such a cruel way. The reason why Wiesel compares the taste of the soups between the two males were hung is because he thinks the terrible tasting soup links to the innocent buy.
To Bekah Hunter: this is very true. Wiesel persevered through all of the horrible things that he went through. He was scared and alone, and yet, he survived.
"Another doctor came to the block. My father refused to get up. He knew it would be no use...But I had neither courage nor the strength. I was riveted to my father's agony. My hands were aching, I was clenching them so hard. To strangle the doctor and the others! To set the world on fire! My father's murderers! But even the cry stuck in my throat." (109)
I choose this quote because I think it showed Elie Wiesel beginning to give in to what was actual happening around him.There was an abundance of people in pain and coming to an end of their lives around him but he acted like his father was the only one. Wiesel also uses very short sentences that get to the point and grab the readers attention. I also thought a hint of imagery was added when he began to explain what he wanted to do, set the world on fire and kill his fathers murders. The staccato sentences also show his furry and anger toward the unchangeable event.
Cheyenne.W_1
"Blessed be God's name?
Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and high including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, Who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces" (67)
I think this passage represents that Wiesel and the other Jew's had lost hope. They believe that God has betrayed the, even as they worship him, he continues to let brutal, horrible tragedy fall upon the them. Wiesel has given up on the god that in his eyes had turned his back on them. This shows how even the most devote Jews had lost their faith through the tortue inflicted on them. I chose this quote because it puts into perspective how one human can break another down to even destroy their beliefs.
to hannah m 1*
I agree with you. it's amazing that there is no anger at in their first thoughts after there liberation. All they can think of his food. I think this means it's like they're in survival mode still, and that their priorities are strictly to stay alive. Also i think that they are just so used to be treated like animals that when they have freedom, they almost don't even know what to do with it.
ellen 1*
Cheyenne Wurm's comment on Rohan Srivastava's post:
I loved how you took the things we have learned about the Holocaust and added them to your explanation, it really makes me think about all the things Jew's were called and the true effect it had on them. When you pointed out that the Jewish were seen as a "alien race"and non human, it helped me understand what the people were doing to the woman. In a way you could have also pointed out bluntly that they might have been doing the same thing Hitler did to the Jewish.
"His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: 'I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.'"
(81)
This quote is one of the most notable ones from the book, but also I think the most important. To me, this was the turning point in the story from hoping they would be rescued soon, to comprehending that they had a greater chance of dying. When I picture this scene in my head, I see the man saying those words in such a plain, clear voice that it causes everybody else to become silent.Here we see the victims losing their faith in not only humanity but their God.
-Hannah Grabowski 2nd-
"But no sooner had we taken a few more steps than we saw the barbed wire of another camp. This one had an iron gate with the overrhead inscription: ARBEIT MACHT FREI. Work makes you free. Auschwitz."
When I looked at this part of the story I pictured people marching in straight lines, kind of like we do in marching band. I picture it being a long, quiet march, with only gun shots being heard. I picture some nervous faces, but also some relieved faces since the journey soon would be over.
I picked this part of the story because I think it is important.
And for the Jewish, the sign on the gate that said "Work makes you free" is true.
They can work and work and work, but in the end most of them end up digging their own graves. I think a lot of Jews thought dying was the only way to be in peace and free.
Jessica T. 5/6*
"They put me in a bed with white sheets. I had forgotten that people slept in sheets" (Wiesel 78)
This quote is showing that the Jews were almost brainwashed of what the real world was like. The SS and hitler made the lives of the Jewish race so horrible that they forgot what it was like to just have basic living need.
Thomas 7-8
I'm commenting on Kelly S.:
You really took the quote and explained it as a key turning point in the novel. I agree with you 100%
@Sarah Palmer:
I was really happy I saw that you chose the quote about the Rabbi. I almost picked it myself. I agree with the idea that this tragic event forced even the Rabbi of their church to not believe in God, but I think I would have to be more convinced to agree with the statement that it turned the Jewish people against each other. Off the top of my head, I remember the Jewish people more sticking together and praying together, rather than hating each other.
-Hannah
@MikeC.
I agree with your comment on this blog. I can also see why in that quote, Wiesel might question God.
God was supposed to always be on their side, helping them through everything that goes on in their lives.
During this time period, the Jews couldnt do anything but question God because it did not seem like he was there.
They thought one of two things. Either,
1. God had abandoned them.
2. God was killed by the crucial acts preformed by the nazis
Jessica T. 5/6*
"I soon forgot him. I began to think of myself again. My foot was aching. I shivered with every step. Just a few more meters and it will all be over. I'll fall. A small red flame....a shot.....Death"
I chose this quote because it shows how little hope he has to live. Reality has overcome him and now he is face to face with death, considering wether he should walk into it freely or if he should fight. He knows exactly what will happen to him when he falls. This is a very tragic and un humane situation that he is in.
- kevin
"He paused then added: "And most important, don't be afraid!" That piece of advice we would have loved to be able to follow."(71)
I chose that quote be cause it shows how much fear the Nazi's had stricken the Jews. Not only were the Nazi's intimidating, but the fact of also dying was quite extreme. Selection was a bad thing at the camps. If you were chosen, then you would be executed. How were the supposed to not be afraid that your life relies on a hateful SS Doctor's simple words of "Of go on." or "You will be executed."
To Hunter Golias: I completely agree. That part did show a lot of the book and on how much he had given up. The irony was also extremely ironic and strong.
@ Jessica T.
I agree with you because that is exactly what i pictured when i read it. I thought of all the despair that they went through and about the enormous numbers of people that suffered
"How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, Who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces"
I chose this quote because it shows that Wiesel is starting to lose his faith in God. He starts to wonder why he should be worshiping someone that is isn't there for the Jewish people or helping them. It shows him starting to question God and what he is really doing.
Addie Gall: I really like the passage you chose.I also liked how you told about how much that person really cared about his race. Using the arcetype was really good too!
To Julianne: I feel like in that passage, it made everyone give up. It was like a turning point where after that everyone started getting sick, it got cold, and all were tired of listening to Hitler.
"But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long. In the midst of these men assembled for prayer, I felt like an observer, a stranger." (68)
When I read this passage, I think about how easily his faith was shaken by this horrible event. By giving up on God, he began to rely solely on himself. He was alone, and there was nobody to help him, no one to care for him, no one he could turn to when all seemed lost. By giving up on his faith, he was nothing, and he realized that he was "nothing but ashes", but he felt stronger than ever after he denounced his faith. I find it interesting that though he gave up on God, he recognized that without God, there was nothing in this world to live for, but he could not give himself to God anymore. He still believed that God was real and that He was the ruler of the Universe, but he no longer accepted Him, he no longer praised His name. He mentions that he feels strong, stronger than God himself, and it would not be surprising if he felt superior to the others who still worshiped God because he might have thought that it was a lost cause because God did not care for them anymore.
To Kelly S.:
I agree with you that that quote is very powerful, but I think that his decision to turn on his religion is one that he would stick to strong because although he had previously devoted his whole life to God, he could not forgive him for making the Jews endure such pain and torture.
~Katie D. 7/8ยบ
"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.
this quote was touching to me because he didnt kniw what to do just taken from his home, most of his family and his life style.
to kevin m.
i agree with ]you because throughout his time at the camp he does lose his faith with god and life. but when all the inmates get there hopes up and there faith comes back they lose it cause when they thingk the front is getting closer it doesnt.
"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."
When looking at the quote I thought, "All hope is lost." This is a very strong way of saying that everything he believed in was now gone and that he will never forget what had happened to make him feel that way. This is thought of as a very dark color, for its saddness and deppression.
Addie: I very much agree with what you said about the sence of respect on both sides of the people during the execution. All of the other Jews had a moment of silence for the boy and the Germans couldnt have cared less. I also agree with your color idea where you chose to bring in the sence of sight in a blunt way, choosing one color to define a moment. Black would have been a very sad and depressing moment throughout the Jews and I think it was a very apropriate choice.
-Sarah P first period
the quote that i picked was when Wiesel's dad was handing him a spoon and knife. "take this spoon and knife and take it fast i have to stay behind. I was one of the chosen to stay there mite be another selection. take the spoon and knife."
" i will be able to give it back to you"
When someone analyzes this passage they see a person giving a spoon and knife to a kid because that is all they have to give the boy if they died from the selection. Wiesel took the spoon and knife and went to work where he normally did.
to Addie: i like how you described the quote that you chose. one reason is because of how you put archetypes that we used into your response.
"In the wagon where the bread had landed a battle had ensued. Men were hurtling themselves against each other, trampling, tearing at and mauling each other. Beast of prey unleashed, animal hate in their eyes, an extraordinary vitality possessed them, sharpening their teeth and nails...His eyes lit up a smile, like a grimace, illuminated his ashen face. And was immediately extinguished. A shadow had lain down beside him. And this shadow threw itself over him. Stunned by the blows, the old man was crying:'Meir, my little Meir! Don't you recognize me...You're killing your father...I have bread...for you too...for you too...' The old man mumbled something, groaned, and died. Nobody cared. His son searched him, took the crust of bread, and began to devour it. He didn't get far. Two men had been watching him. They jumped him. Others joined in. When they withdrew, there were two dead bodies next to me, the father and the son." (page 101 and 102).
This quote shows just how far people were willing to go to get a crust of bread. Backing up for a moment, the Jews were not fed anything in this train ride. They had been surviving off of snow. They were litterally starving to death. Then people threw bits of bread down into the cargo hold. The starved people mutiliated each other for a single piece of crust off the bread. They had been reduced to their most animalistic forms. The son had killed his father, the one out of two people in the world to whom that boy could call his parent. And he killed him. And for what? A piece of bread in his mouth for a few seconds before someone else got the bright idea to jump him and steal the bread. In the process the boy was killed. This chain reaction of deaths was happening all over the cargo bay. It shows the horror that people were going through, how badly people wanted food. You couldn't prognosticate that if you were the best weatherperson in the world who also happened to know witchraft to see the future. It was crazy.
--
Paul Smith
7/8 Period
To Mike C.:
I agree with your statement that Wiesel was at his angriest at that point. With the short sentences it does make the reader read faster. Overall it was a great analysis of the passage.
--
Paul S.
7/8 Period
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