ABBY

//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? Eliezer prays because he feels the need to. Eliezer dose not know why he crys when he prays. 2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? They did not belive Moche's stories because they thought he was crazy. 3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. Some examples are the germans force the jews out of there homes. They are also forced onto a crowded train. __Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? The nightmares Madam Shachter had foreshadows the burning of the jews in the camps. 5. Where does the train finally stop? The train finaly stops in Birkenow. which is one of the camps. __Chapter 3, pages 29-46__ 6. When questioned by the SS officer, why does Elie lie about his occupation and age? If you have a certain age or occupancy you might be killed. He also lies because a man told him that he was eighteen not fifteen and his dad was fourty not fifty. 7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? Elie disbelieves his own eyes becasu ehe thinks he is dreaming and it is not really happening. 8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? Elie is reluctant to pray becasue he has no hope since people are dying right infront of him. __Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist becasue they had to take his gold crown on his tooth. 10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie reacts by doing nothing. He just stands there angerly watching his dad get beat up. 11. Why is the hanging of the “sad eyed angel” said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in the novel? The reason why the hanging of the "sad eyed angel" is one of the most moving events is because it was just a little kid that was being hung. He was hanging there for thirty miniutes with everyone just watching him. __Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when the SS come and see if you are healthy enough to still be working. If you are not then they kill you.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die?

14. Why does Juliek play the violin?

15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father.

__Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death?

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?

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 night he came to Birkenow and saw people dieing right infront of him. I think he selected it as his title becasue of what happened during the nights at the camps. 2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? The firess that he speaks of that consumes his faith is the fire in th cremitorium. The fire consumes his faith becasue he is seeing people die right infront of him and he thinks he is going to die to. 3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? yes, I belive he could lose his faith. He was in a situation were it is really hard to keep his faith when he is just a few steps away from death. 4. Why does he lose his desire to live? He looses his desire to live because people are dieing right infront of him and also becasue he knows he will die soon anyway. 5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? No I do not think his feeling would change. If you were an adult you would be feeling the same way if you knew you were about to die. 6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? I think he wrote this novel to show people what happened at the camps, and what happened to him during that time. 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: The relationship shown is Elie is worried that his father is not eating. Elie would tell his father to eat. He would make sure his father would eat or he would yell at him. What I think: I think that Elie was a good help for his father. He wanted to make sure his father was eating so he could stay alive. I think that this shows that Elie really cared about his dad and wanted to help. I would’ve done: I would have done the same thing if i was in the same situation. If one of my family members was not eating I would yell at them and make sure that they would eat like Elie did. 2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Elie and his father are going to be separated but Franek let them be together. Elie ased Franek if they could be together and he was nice enough to let them. What I think: I think that it was good Elie asked to be with his dad because if he did not they may not have seen each other again. I also think that it was good they had Franek because they usually would not let them be together. I would’ve done: I would have done the same thing Elie did. If I knew i was going to be separated from my family i would probley ask becasue if i could not it would be the last time i saw them. 3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie gave his father lessons to march in step. Elie did not want to see his dad get beaten up so he was a big help. What I think: I think that Elie did the right thing because if he did not help his dad, his dad would get hurt. This shows how much Elie cared about his father. I would’ve done: I would have done the same thing if I was in that situation. I would hate to see one of my family members get beaten up right infront of me. 4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: The relationship is between Rabbi Eliahu and his son. Rabbi Eliahu lost his son why they were travaling away from the camp.He could not catch up to his son and his son ran more ahead. What I think: I think that the son should have stayed with Rabbi Eliahu. In this situation i would want to stay as close to my family as possible becasue you might not see them again. I would’ve done: I would have searched for my son to like Rabbi Eliahu. I would be scarred that they might die so i would search everywhere and ask people if they same him. 5. Page 101

Relationship shown: The son of the man killed his father for a piece of bread. This shows how hungry there are to kill one pf there family members. What I think: I think that it was a very mean thing to do but when people are this hungry they probley dont care. I would’ve done: I would not have done the same thing because even though i would be starving I would not have the courage to kill a family member. 6. Page 112

Relationship shown: Elie was worring about hid dad when he was sick. He knew his father was slowely dieing but he did not want to think of it. His father died during the night and that was the last time Elie got to see him. What I think: I think this is very sad because to see a family member die is really sad and it was even more sad for Elie because he was seeing his dad dieng for weeks. I would’ve done: I would have been very sad. Elie could not cry becasue he had no tears left but he was probably feeling really sad. I would probley do the same thing.

__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) The reason why it is ironic is becasue work is not liberty. You are forced to work at the camps. 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) It is ironic becasue you do die from the star. The star shows that you are jewish witch means you will be sent to the camps and most likely die.

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) It is very ironic becasue the danger of death is not just on the electric wires, it is all around them. Everywhere they go and everything they do has the danger of death.

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) The reason why it is ironic is becasue Hitler has kept no promises to the jews. For example, he said they would have a nice place to stay if they would go to the camps, but he lied becasue the camps are not nice.

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 inhuman becasue nobody is taking a stand to help them. Nobody knows what the nazies are doing to them at the camps. 2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) This is inhumanity becasue it was giving them a false sense of hope. 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 inhuman becasue they already knew that most everyone was going to be killed or die, so they were happy to see the alies getting closer to winning the war. 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 inhuman becasue everyone had to stand there watching there freinds or family getting hung to die. Nobody said anything when they were getting hung.