JACOB

//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 prays because he is very faithful. It says in the book that when he was asked if why he cries when he prays he said he doesn’t know.

2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? The people of Sighet don’t believe Moche’s stories because they thing there is no way anything can happen to them because their life is going perfectly normal. Also we as in the Jews of America wouldn’t believe him either.

3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. The Jews gradually lose their freedom by different laws. Laws gradually take away the humanity of Jews including they can’t go to public schools, they can’t own restaurants and they couldn’t be lawyers etc. Then after this they are put into ghettos then finally the trains come and their all of their freedom is lost.

__Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? Madam Schacter’s nightmare foreshadows the blazing fire from the chimneys which are burning from all the people that have been murdered. 5. Where does the train finally stop? The train finally stops in Birkenau, a death camp in Auschwitz.

__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 occupation and age because a random inmate told him too. Also I think he was told this because if he said his real age, it could’ve been the difference between life and death.

7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? Elie disbelieves his eyes from what he sees because he thought in his lifetime he wouldn’t see anything as bad as what he saw.

8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? Elie is reluctant to pray because he doesn’t believe God is there because Ellie didn’t think He would let something this bad happen to him or the Jews. __Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist because he has a golden crown in his teeth. The Nazis would force people to give their golden crown and if they refused there would be harsh consequences.

10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie’s reaction to his father’s beating is that he ignores it the whole time and doesn’t look at it. Then after he gets really angry at what happened.

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 the novel because it horrible and disgusting to think of an innocent boy being hung just for being Jewish.

__Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when the SS troops line up all the Jews, make them run and then the doctor decides to write down their number. If he writes down a number that person will most likely die. The selection is very tense and there is lots of advice in the book to make the Jews help each other to make sure their friends do not get their number written down.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die? Elie couldn't allow himself to die because he wanted to stay alive for his father.

14. Why does Juliek play the violin? Juliek plays the violin because that is his favorite thing to do and that is the last thing he wanted to do.

15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father. The other boys don't treat their fathers with much respect and some are willing to run away from their fathers to stay alive. Elie on the other hand will do any thing to save his father and risks his life many times.

__Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death? Eliazer cannot week at his father's death because he said he ran out of tears, yet he wish he could. 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 what he saw in the mirror because he couldn't believe that he could ever look like this. Also he said he looked like a walking dead man, and he probably wouldn't forget that ever either.

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? To Elie night symbolizes the the dark, dispair, nightmares and evil that went on during the Holocaust. I think Elie chose Night to be his title because this is probably what he thinks of when he thinks of his experience.

2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? The fires he speaks of were the fires that were murdering all the innocent people in the ovens. The fire consumes Elie's faith because he doesn't believe that God could let something like this happen.

3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? I for sure think it would be difficult for a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith because 4. Why does he lose his desire to live? Elie loses his desire to live because he thinks the whole thing is a nightmare and all the babies that are being killed scare him. 5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? I think Elie's feelings have changed not because of his age but because he has now had many years to think about all the things that happen.

6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? I suppose Elie wrote this novel because he wanted to tell his story which could've been like millions of other people. Also he wants to make sure the story of the Holocaust lives on and that no one forgets what happened.

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 cousin asked Elie and his father if his children were still alive because that was his only reason to live anymore.

What I think: I think this is very heart warming and makes me want to cry. I also think that this man is a very caring person to do such a nice thing for his kids. I think this shows lots of respect to his children I would’ve done: I would've tried to live if my kids were or not because that is what they would want me to do. I would've lived my life for them.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Elie asks an SS officer to work next to his father.

What I think: I think this is very caring thing to do and it might have given his father extra motivation.

I would’ve done: I would've done the very same thing because I would want to stay as close to my father as possible. I would want to know that he is still there and not have to be a mystery.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie's father is beaten because Elie won't give Franek his gold crown and Franek is beating his father so he will march. Then Elie teaches him to march and is not succesful.

What I think: I think this a very nice thing to do and he needed to do it. Also even though they don't get to keep the gold crown they still bond very closely. I would’ve done: I would've given my gold crown at the beggining because I wouldn't be able to bear seeing my father be beaten. 4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: Rabbi Eliahu fell behind when they were running and his son saw him and didn't do anything. His son ended up dead. Elie has the horrible thought that his son wanted Rabbi Eliahu to be dead.

What I think: I think this is horrible and is disgusting. I think that your dad has given you everything and you can't even help him out is a horrible thing.

I would’ve done: I would've slowed down to be with my dad. I would've been there for him. Yet if he had passed out I would probably go on because I know all my father wants for me is too live and to live a good life.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: Meir, a kid crushes his dad on a cattle car for a ration of bread and kills him. A few seconds later Meir passes away too.

What I think: I wonder how Meir can live with himself, he had just killed his own dad. I can't believe a ration of bread can make you want to kill your father.

I would’ve done: I would've let my dad have the bread and tell him to keep quiet so no one would hear him or see him.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown: Elie wakes up and sees his dad isn't there. He remembers the last word he said was his name and he had not responded. What I think: I think this relationship is one of the ways I remember the Holocaust. I am still in shock that this happened to so many differnt people. I would’ve done: I think Elie handled the situation perfectly and I would've done the same thing, yet I would've said some sort of prayer for him.

__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 this is saying that work makes you free and it only kills you. 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 it is saying that the yellow star won't cause you harm and that is how the Nazis knew how to kill and give harm to. 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 everywhere in the camps is danger not just between electric wires.

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 Hitler is a huge lier. He said the Jews were going to a good place not a death camp and then he said that work makes you free and nothing makes you free.

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 means that people may think the world is concerned, yet if they were concerned how could something like the crematories happen?

2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) This means that the Nazis make the Jews think they are going to be free if they work, but this is just a huge lie! 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 means that they didn't really care about their lives anymore they just cared if the Nazi soldiers died.

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 showing the digusting and despair and the things that went on during the Holocaust. Elie is right he should've never seen any of the things he saw yet he was forced to.