EVA

//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? If I lived back then it could have definitely happened to me. Now, I don't think it could. People now are different and would not want this to happen again.

2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience? I would be scared. I wouldn't know what to do because once you're at the concentration camps you can't get out.

3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)? I would definitely lie, cheat, or steal to stay alive. I would try to lie about my age like Elie did and maybe steal food if possible. You would only have one chance. It is unfair what they were doing.

4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive? Try to survive. You should never give up. Some people didn't give up and did live.

5. Inhumanity means being inhumanly cruel and brutal. Do you think the world could ever allow this kind of inhumanity to happen again? I don't think the world wants it but it could happen. If people misunderstand each other it could happen by accident.

6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity? I think jail or death. Depending on how bad it was you could kill them because no one deserves that.

7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age? Maybe, it might. I don't think it is very likely but anything could happen.

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? I think Eliezer prays because he loves god even though he says he doesn't know why he prays in the book. I think he cries because first he is happy and second he is sad for people who died and such.

2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? They don't believe him because they don't want to. They think that such a thing couldn't happen in the 20th century.

3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. First they had to move into the ghetto, then they had to move into even smaller ghettos. After that they had to leave behind most of their possesions. Then they had to get on the trains and head toward the camps.

__Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? Her nightmares foreshadow the burning the dead at the camps and throwing people into the fire.

5. Where does the train finally stop? The train finally stops at the death camp Birkenau where they burn the bodies and kill people.

__Chapter 3, pages 29-46__ 6. When questioned by the SS officer, why does Elie lie about his occupation and age? Elie lies about his age because an inmate told him to and he will have a better chance of survival if he appears healthy and older than 15.

7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? He can't believe that people would be so cruel. He also thinks " How could God let this happen?".

8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? He is reluctant to pray because he thinks God is doing nothing to stop the Nazis from killing people and he is mad.

__Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist because he has a gold crown on his tooth. The dentist wants to take the crown for himself and sell it.

10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie is very upset. He has never seen his father like this before!

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 sad because the child is too small to be hanged so he lingers between life and death for a couple of minutes before he dies. Also while he is in the middle of life/death struggling the SS makes the Jews go up to him and look directly at his face.

__Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when they find out who goes to die at the crematoriums. They inspect everyone and if some people are very very weak and frail they write down their number and then later send them off to go and burn in the crematoriums.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die? He had come too far to die now and didn't want to give up. Elie believed that help was coming and it would be over soon.

14. Why does Juliek play the violin? He plays the violin because he hasn't in so long. Also, he plays in memory of all that have died.

15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father. Some of the other boys try to get rid of their fathers so they have a better chance of survival. Elie takes his father with him at all times and always tries to help him.

__Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death? Elie is all out of tears. He has cried so much he can't cry any more. Although he wishes he would cry and is ashamed.

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 looked like he was dead. Also, I'm sure he thought of all the corpses he saw at the camps and thinks he looks like them.

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 first night when they arrived at the camps. There he saw the burning bodies and chimneys of the crematories.

2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? The fires were the nazis burning people or when they gassed them and then burned them in the ovens. They consumed his faith because he was mad at god for not preventing this.

3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? Possibly, if there was a really bad situation like Elie's case someone could easily lose faith.

4. Why does he lose his desire to live? He thinks he will be killed soon and doesn't want to die a painful death in the flames.

5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? Maybe, if he was an adult he would understand more of what was happening like I am sure his father does.

6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? I think he wrote this novel because he wanted to remind people of the evils that occurred and also so he would never forget what happened to him. 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: Stein tells Elie's father that he is a relative. He wants to know if Elie's father has any news of where his wife and son are.

What I think: I think Stein is desperate to know about his son. He can't stand not to know about him.

I would’ve done: I would have asked about my son too. It would have been really hard not to know anything.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Franek puts Elie to work in a corner. Elie asks him if he can be near his father. Franek lets him be by his father.

What I think: Elie is afraid that he will be separated from his father. He wants to be at his side at all times.

I would’ve done: I would have been afraid to ask. He might have beaten me or worse just for asking.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Franek beats Elie's father for not marching in step. Elie then teaches his father to march correctly.

What I think: Elie doesn't want his father to get hurt. So, he tries to teach him so he won't get beaten anymore.

I would’ve done: I would have done the same. It is unfair to punish someone for not walking or marching correctly.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: The Rabbi's son leaves him. He runs from his father because he wants to have a better chance of survival.

What I think: His son is being selfish. If you are family you don't just leave them to die!

I would’ve done: I wouldn't have left my father. That is cruel and evil.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: An old man manages to get some bread thrown onto the train cart. His son jumps on him and kills him for the small amount of bread. Then some other men jump on the son and kill him for the bread.

What I think: It must have been pretty bad for the son to kill his father over only a piece of bread!

I would’ve done: I wouldn't have killed my own father! I would rather starve then kill my family over a measly piece of bread.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown: Elie's father dies. When Elie wakes up he is at the crematoriums. Elie is sad because the last word his father said was "Elie" and Elie hadn't responded.

What I think: Elie shouldn't have felt bad because if he answered his father he might have gotten in trouble and even died.

I would’ve done: I might not have answered either. I think it depends on how high/big the stakes are.

__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 phrase work is liberty is meant to be happy to the Jews like they will be set free but the camps are surrounded by barbed wire.

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) They say the yellow star you have to wear to symbolize you are a Jew won't kill you but it leads for the Nazis to take the Jews away and kill them.

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) The sign Warning Danger of Death is ironic because there is death everywhere and there is no danger because everyone will die anyway so there is no reason to be cautious.

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) Hitler didn't exactly keep promises. If he did they were bad ones. He was killing all the Jews which is a very bad thing.

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 shows that people are very cruel. Also it shows that anything is possible so you should be prepared.

2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) I think this might mean death. Working will only keep you from death but once you get older they will kill you or make you free.

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) They are happy that the bombs are dropping because if they die the deaths would be fast. This is inhumane because the Nazis are torturing them so badly that they would rather have a bomb dropped on them.

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 shows that the Jews had no more tears left. They had cried so much that they had nothing left to cry.