ALISON

//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?

2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience?

3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)?

4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive?

5. Inhumanity means being inhumanly cruel and brutal. Do you think the world could ever allow this kind of inhumanity to happen again?

6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity?

7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age?

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? Elie doesn't know why he prays. Something inside him felt the need to cry when he prays.

2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? The people in Sighet thought Moche was crazy. They also didn't want to believe him because they were in denial about the Holocaust.

3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. Jews were prohibited from leaving their residences under penalty of death. They also were forbidden to own jewelery, gold or any valuables. Jews were forced to wear the yellow star. The Jews were also forced to move to ghettos.

__Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? Madam Shachter's nightmares about a fire foreshadow Jews flesh burning in the camp they are going to. This is realized when Elie arrives at the camp and could smell the flesh burning.

5. Where does the train finally stop? The train stops in Birkenau. It is one of the main camps in Auschwitz.

__Chapter 3, pages 29-46__ 6. When questioned by the SS officer, why does Elie lie about his occupation and age? Elie's real age would of sent him to the crematoria but Elie didn't know this though. Luckily an inmate told him and his father to lie about their ages so they would stay together and live longer.

7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? Elie doesn't want to believe what he is seeing. He wants to overlook the pain and torture so it won't torture him.

8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? Elie is reluctant to pray because in his mind, God is the one allowing this to happen. Elie is also reluctant to pray because it is uncommon to pray for your own death.

__Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist because his gold tooth needed to be extracted.

10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie reacts to this beating by just watching it happen. He felt anger directed towards his father.

11. Why is the hanging of the “sad eyed angel” said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in the novel? The hanging of the "sad eyed angel" is said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in this novel because everybody in the camp of Buna had to watch this boy slowly die. They were forced to watch him writher before their eyes.

__Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when doctors come to the blocks to inspect the prisoners of their health. If they are in good health then they pass the inspection and live. If they do not pass, then they are killed. In chapter five, Elie was inspected by Dr. Mengele. Him and his two other friends passed the inspection.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die? Elie couldn't allow himself to die because he had come so far and he didn't want to give up now. He also didn't want to give up on his father.

14. Why does Juliek play the violin? Juliek plays the violin because he knows he is going to die soon. He wanted the last thing he did to be something he cared about very much.

15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father. Other boys lose track of what's important to them. Some even get to the point when a piece of bread is more important then the life of their father. Elie sticks with his father throughout the story so far and is loyal to him.

__Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death? Elie couldn't weep because he felt that his father has already been dead for a long time. His father gave up hope and there was no life left in him.

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? Elie can never forget the look in the eyes of the corpses that gazes back at him because that could of been him lying on the floor dead. He was so lucky to have survived the concentration camps. Elie can never forget the images that he saw their.

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? Night symbolizes the nightmares that Elie had during night. I think he chose that as the title because when you think of night you think of dark and that makes me think of bad things.

2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? Elie talks about seeing the fires that burned the children, babies and people. These fires consume his faith because he doesn't think God can allow such destruction to happen.

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 that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith because the things that Elie saw were unhumane. Things like that mess with your mind.

4. Why does he lose his desire to live? Elie loses all faith that he once had. He has no reason to live anymore because he does not own his life anymore.

5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? I think that his understandment about it might have changed. I don't think that his feelings about it has changed because he had to go through a life changing experience.

6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? I think Elie wrote this novel to show what it was like in the camp of Auschwitz. I think he also wrote it so nobody would ever forget the Holocaust. 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 des 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: Elie is eating all of his food at once. His father tells him not to and that tomorrow is another day.

What I think: I think Elie's father is being protective of his son. He is looking out for Elie. In all that is happening, I think it's amazing that Elie's father is still being a good parent.

I would’ve done: I would have reacted the same way that Elie's father did. I think he made the right decision to correct his son of what he did wrong.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Elie asks Franek to be near his father. Luckily he allows them to work in the same place.

What I think: I think if Elie didn't ask Franek to be near his father, then they would of most likely seperated. If the father and the son seperated, then I don't think they would of survived without each other.

I would’ve done: I would of done the same thing that Elie did. Elie didn't know Franek would allow him to be with his father, but he didn't really have anything to loose.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie decides to give his father lessons on marching in step. He did this because whenever his father marched out of step, he was thrashed by Franek.

What I think: I think it was really nice of Elie to teach his old father how to march in step. It amazes me of how strong their relationship is when so many others have betrayed their family for their own survival.

I would’ve done: I would have done the same thing too. I don't think I would be able to survive without someone that I love nearby. It was hard for Elie too when his father died.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: Rabbi Eliahu's son left his father behind while on the run to another camp. Rabbi Eliahu doesn't know this though. He is looking for his son not knowing what terrible act he has done.

What I think: I think it is terrible of what Rabbi Eliahu's son did to him. It shows you that people react differently their families during the Holocaust. Elie did the opposite with his father. Instead of leaving him behind, he coaxed him to keep running.

I would’ve done: I would of done the opposite of what Rabbi Eliahu's son did. I would of tried to help my father if he was falling behind. I would do anything to stay with my family.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: An old man gets a piece of bread while aboard a train. His son comes to him and kills his own father for the bread. Then two men come to the son and kill him for the piece of bread.

What I think: I think this is so cruel. The father and son both got killed just for a piece of bread. The son cared more about eating then his own father.

I would’ve done: I would of asked my father for a piece of his bread. I would not of killed my father for the bread. I would not be able to live with myself if I did that.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown: Elie's father was nearing his death and Elie stayed by his side for over an hour.

What I think: I think it was so nice of Elie to stay by his father's side. I can only imagine how hard it is to watch your father die. I think Elie took on the role of the father here. He was so mature about it.

I would’ve done: I don't think I could of stayed as strong as Elie did with his father. I probably would of broke down in tears, begging for my father to hang on to any last bit of strength that he had.

__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 ironic because the people in the concentration camps were not free. They were forced to work. People who get forced to do things are not free.

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 the yellow star identifies you as a Jew. Sooner or later you were killed or somehow treated inhumanely if you were a Jew. The yellow star doesn't physically kill you but it takes part in it.

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 ironic because the whole concentration camp is danger. You are at risk of dyeing anywhere you turn in Auschwitz.

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 ironic because Elie has more faith in the person who is killing a whole population of Jews. He has the faith that Hitler can annihilate his own religion.

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 is inhumane because nobody around the world is taking a stand and helping the Jews. They are basically ignoring what is happening.

2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) This is inhumane because it is false hope. If the people in the concentration camps were free then they wouldn't be working.

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 is inhumane because the people in the concentration camps are no longer afraid of death. They are used to being so close to dyeing.

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 the people in the concentration camps had to watch other people die in front of their own eyes. It is also inhumane because people have to watch other people free from the pain.