FRANNIE

//NIGHT// PREREADING ACTIVITY

Imagine yourself in the following situation: You and your family have been driven from your home. Now separated from them, you are suddenly alone. Shoved into a train like cattle, you are surrounded by screaming women, weeping children, silent old men, and ruthless soldiers. There is no food, no water, horror, and madness everywhere. Having arrived at your destination, you smell the stench of burning flesh: babies, children like yourself. Men and boys are hanged daily. There is only soup and perhaps a few morsels of stale bread to eat. You work until exhausted and are beaten for not marching in step. The gold in your teeth is extracted without anesthesia. Frozen and broken bodies surround you. Weekly you must run like a madman to escape being selected to die in the gas chambers or to burn in the crematory. You can’t even wonder if it will end, and you know that God has deserted you. You try to survive each day and lie through each night!

1. Do you believe something like this could ever happen to you? Why or why not? I do believe something this tragic could happen again. There are still many people in our world that are racist and believe anything bad they hear about someone or something. For example Hitler told people the Jewish people were just like animals and that is sorta like starting a rumor because it's not true.

2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience? Most likely I would cry! I would cry because I wouldn't know what Jewish people did to deserve this inhumane treatment. I also would cry because I would feel like God betrayed me. 3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)? I would cheat. For example if a Nazi solider said to me if you go beat up that Jewish person i'll give you more bread. Perhaps if I was that starving and I was told if I beat someone up for extra food I might have done it just for extra food.

4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive? I would try to survive. mydad always tells me, "The oldermans never quit." I would never give up because because theres always hope.

5. Inhumanity means being inhumanly cruel and brutal. Do you think the world could ever allow this kind of inhumanity to happen again? Possibly because it's happening right now in places like Darfur. Also there are some cruel/sick people out there.

6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity? I think the people who did this inhumane crime should be arrested and killed. They don't deserve to live because what they did was very wrong.

7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age? Its happening in Darfur right now! Obviously it is still happening. I think it's time to end Genocide and terrorism because honestly I believe that they don't make any sense. Reading Guide The following questions are thought questions that relate to various themes and ideas in the reading. Use these questions to guide your reading and better understanding of the novel. Be prepared to share your responses in class discussion or in a writing assignment. Please answer all questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES.

__Chapter 1, pages 1-22__ 1. Why does Eliezer pray and why does he cry when he prays? Eliezer prays because he's asking God questions. He doesn't know why he cries when he prays, he just does. 2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? They don't believe his stories because the things he is telling them are way to inhumane to believe or even hear. 3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. They lose their freedom by having to wear yellow star, by shopping at certain hours, and living in ghettos. __Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? They foreshadow what is happening at the concentration camps. They are about the crematoria. 5. Where does the train finally stop? The train stops in Aushvitz. __Chapter 3, pages 29-46__ 6. When questioned by the SS officer, why does Elie lie about his occupation and age? He lies because he is told to say he is 18 years old. 7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? He sees babies and children being turned in to smoke. He doesn't want to believe what is happening and that he could die any second. 8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? He feels God has betrayed him and the Jewish people. He also doesn't want to believe he is about to walk into his death. __Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist because he needs to get his gold crowns removed from his teeth. 10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie is upset about his fathers beating because he knows he can't do anything about it and doesn't want to have to watch what they are doing to him. 11. Why is the hanging of the “sad eyed angel” said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in the novel? It is said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in the novel because it mainly tells you how horrible the holocaust was and what the Nazis did to innocent people. It really gets to you!

__Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when the German Soldiers choose which people to keep and which people to burn. It's really sad and inhumane because they are killing someone like it's not a big deal.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die? Elie couldn't allow himself to die because he needed/wanted to stay alive for his father. Also he had a lot of faith and would never give up 14. Why does Juliek play the violin? I think Juliek plays the violin because it reminds him of home and playing the violin was his passion. 15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father. The other boys are selfish and worry about their needs before their fathers. Elie looked out for his father and made sure he ate and wouldn't leave his fathers side even at the worst times. __Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death? Elie couldn't weep at his fathers death because he didn't have any tears left. He has been through so much and literally he ran out of tears. 17. When he is finally free, Elie wishes to see himself in the mirror. Why can’t he ever forget the look in the eyes of the corpse that gazes back at him? He can never forget that picture of his dead looking face because it showed what has happened to him. It symbolizes the inhumane things the Jews went through.

Literary Analysis Characterization/Author’s Purpose After page: 34

Elie is a Jewish child who is extremely strong in his faith. He often spent nights in the synagogue weeping and praying. He was preparing himself to be initiating into “eternity.” Then came night.

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.

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. What does “night’ symbolize to Elie? Why do you think he selected it as the title of his memoir? I think Elie chose to name his book Night because what happened on the first night at the concentration has really effected his life. Also I think Night stood out to him and was a unique name for a holocaust book.

2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? The fires that consume his faith forever is the fire where children became smoke. The crematoria is the fire that destroyed everything.

3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? I don't find it difficult to believe a boy who **had** that much faith could lose his faith because what he saw happening was just disgusting and believed God had betrayed all people. I think anyone would lose their faith if something that scary was happening to you. 4. Why does he lose his desire to live?

5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? I don't think his words as an adult have changed from when he was younger. I think this because he saw what he saw and he felt what he felt and nothing can change that.

6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? I suppose Elie wrote this novel to inform people about the Holocaust so history won't repeat.

Literary Analysis: Characterization Elie explicitly recounts events that describe his relationship with his father during imprisonment in the camps. He also describes events in the relationships of other fathers and sons in the camps.

In your book there are many examples of father-son relationships. Give examples, including the page number of a father son relationship and tell what you think about that relationship, tell why you might or might not have acted in a similar way. This does not have to be done on Elie and his father. There are many other examples of father-son relationships as well. An example has been done for you.

Example: Page 39:

Relationship shown: Elie’s father is struck, but Elie does not move to help him. His father whispers that the blow does not hurt. Although Elie does not move, he feels remorse and hatred toward the gypsy. He is angry and unforgiving.

What I think: Elie is a child and probably fears that if he helps his father, he too will be beaten. His father does not blame him and does not want to see him beaten or do something he might regret; thus, he tells Elie that the blow does not hurt.

I would’ve done: This seems to be a relationship where the father is protective of the son who is young and frightened. I would have acted in the same way if I were the father, thinking that I need to protect my child.

1. Page 43-44

Relationship shown: Elies relative Stein asks him if he's heard any news from his wife Reizel and their two boys. Elie is a good relative back and to make Stein feel better Elie lies to him and says he has heard from Reizel and the children and that they are doing fine.

What I think: I think Elie is a good relative and want's to comfort Stein. Stein is obviously homesick and misses his family and Elie realizes thats the only way to make Stein feel a little better and have more faith.

I would’ve done: I would of done the same thing. If it took a lie to get my relative through something this horrible I would of lied like Elie did. I think Elie did the right thing.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: The relationship shown was how Elie wanted to sit near his dad when they were sent to work.

What I think: I think Elie is a good son because he shows how he wants to stick with his father. It also shows their father and son relationship was really strong because there all each other have.

I would’ve done: I would of done the same thing because I would want to be with my family member at all times.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie is a good son and is putting in effort to each his dad how to march so he wont get beat up and so Elie wont lose his crown.

What I think: I think this shows how loyal he is to his father. He gets made fun of for teaching his father how to march and he loses a ration of bread just so he can do the right thing for his father.

I would’ve done: I don't think i would of done the same thing as Elie did for his father. I think I would get my crown pulled and moved on with life.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: The relationship shown is not a promising relationship. Rabbi Eliahu's son left him when they were running to the next camp.

What I think: I think this shows how selfish Rabbi Eliahu's son became. He didn't care about his father and didn't wait up for him when he was getting tired.

I would’ve done: I would of stuck by my fathers side no matter what, just like how Elie did for his father.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: The father of Meir had bread and was going to share it with his son Meir, but because Meir's hunger got the best of him, he killed his father!

What I think: I think this is horrible and even inhumane. The Nazi's threw one piece of bread in a cattle car filled with a hundred starving men and watched them fight over a single piece of bread. Some killed each other for that piece of bread just like Meir did to his father.

I would’ve done: I would of done the same thing Elie did. I would not move because chances are I wouldn't be the one getting the bread, I would be the one dead.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown:How much Elie had cried in the past and how much Elie had seen he didn't even have enought tears left in is body to cry for his fathers death.

What I think: I think this is horrible. I understand why Elie couldn't cry but I feel crying when someone dies is a sign of respect.

I would’ve done: I most likely would of cried. I am close to my father and if anything like that happened to me I would be heart broken.

__Night__ Irony

Read each passage below. Explain what is //ironic// about the meaning of the passage.

1. “but we had been marching for only a few moments when we saw the barbed wire of another camp. An iron door with this inscription on it: ‘Work is liberty!’ “ (page 40) This is irony because it means the harder you work the closer to freedom you will be and in reality the harder they work the longer they stay to work for the Nazis. It's all a lie.

2. “Some of the prominent members of the community came…to ask him what he thought of the situation. My father did not consider it so grim…’The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You don’t die of it…’ ” (page 11) This is ironic because wearing the jewish star means/symbolizes differance witch all leads into death, because when your different you don't deserve to live the same life as those who are similar.

3. “On we went between the electric wires. At each step, a white placard with a death’s head on it stared us in the face. A caption: ‘Warning, Danger of Death.’ ” (page 40) This is irony because it's not really a warning, it's the truth.

4. I’ve got more faith in Hitler than anyone else. He’s the only one who’s kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.” (page 51) This is irony because what he is saying is Hitler s the only one who has kept his promise to kill the Jewish people.

Inhumanity

//Night// is filled with thoughts and comments that reflect inhumanity of World War II. Explain what each of the following excerpts from the novel mean.

1. “The world? The world is not concerned with us. Today anything is allowed. Anything is possible, even these crematories.” (page 33) This comment is inhumane because arts of the world aren't even doing anything about the horrible things going on. 2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) This is inhumane because it's giving them false hope and lying to them. They are using the jewish people. 3. “we were not afraid. And yet, if a bomb had fallen on the blocks, it alone would have claimed hundreds of victims on the spot. But we were not longer afraid of death; at any rate, not of that death. Every bomb that exploded filled us with joy and gave us new confidence in life.” (page 60) This shows the amount of awful things that have happened to these people that they rather die then suffer what they are suffering. They feel they have nothing to live up to anymore. 4. “I witnessed other hangings. I never saw a single one of the victims weep. For a long time those dried up bodies had forgotten the bitter taste of tears.” (page 63) This is inhumane because its a sad description of what the Nazis did to the people.