MASON

//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? Yes, because sadly history tends to repeat itself. 2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience? 1st i would run, then if that didn't work i would fight back as best i could. 3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)? Although i don't want to admit it i would probably resort to all of those techniques. (i cant believe i actually spelled techniques right the first try.) 4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive? Of course i would 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? allowed... no being forced to on the other hand, yes. 6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity? The death penalty 7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age? Yes, from other examples such as Osama Binladen and other terrorist/ terrorist groups.

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 thinks it is right and he cries because he thinks it is significant. 2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? People don't believe because they are to afraid to admit that the germans might come and put them in consotration camps, so they just denied him in general. 3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. Some examples of how Jewish people gradually lose freedom their are first Germans move into there houses, then they lose privliges such as jobs, temples and goods, then they are moved into a large getto, then to small getto, then they get shipped away in cattle cars to death camps. __Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? Madam Shachter's nightmares about the fire foreshadow are the killing of hundreds of Jewish people by the horrid burning of their bodies and souls. 5. Where does the train finally stop? The train finally stops in Birkanue a very large death camp. __Chapter 3, pages 29-46__ 6. When questioned by the SS officer, why does Elie lie about his occupation and age? Elie lies so he will live, because they have minimum ages and occupations and if you dont meet them they'll burn you. 7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? Elie disbelieves what his eyes show him because he is to afraid to accept it, it is too cruel, inhuman and he doutbes the fact anyone could be so ruthless. 8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? Elie is reluctant to pray now because he questions why he should pray to a god who did all this to his own people who worshipped him. __Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie was summoned to the dentist to get his golden crown removed. 10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie reacts to his fathers beating by not doing anything but feeling sorry for him. 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 was said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in this novel because it are hanging an innocent little child. __Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when the Germans would kill people if they were out of shape and couldn't sprint down a straight line. how they would do it would they start a line of ss troops and having the prisoners sprint down it.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die? Elie couldn't allow himself to die because without him who would help his father. 14. Why does Juliek play the violin? Juliek plays the violin to help him think more calmly. 15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father. Eliezer's treatment to his father compared to how other boys treat their fathers is amazing, most boys try to abandon their fathers so they can survive themselves. __Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death? Elizer cannot weep at his fathers death because he is 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? Elizer wont ever forget the look in the eyes of athe corpse that gazed back at him because he looked like a dead man walking around.

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 pain and chaos in the camps that goes on no matter what they do. 2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? The fires he speaks of is the fires in which they burn the jews who arent useful anymore. They do so because he questions why god would do this to anyone. 3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? Though I do find it amazing that a boy could lose his faith so quickly it is a harsh world and to some unlucky people much to harsh. 4. Why does he lose his desire to live? Elie lost his desire to live because he would rather die than live in such a dreadful and horrible place such as this consotration camp. 5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? Elie has most definitely changed because he has much more responsability now than he ever has before. 6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? To show us how horrible it was and how easy it was to deny life.

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: This relationship was that stien was worried about his wife and kids, so he came and asked about them

What I think: I think that he cared about his family and wasnt going to let it go.

I would’ve done:I think that i wopuld have acted the same way to make sur emy family was okay and wasnt in a concontration camp.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Elie refused to work in a place without his father so they brought father aloung with him.

What I think: I think that this is very thoughtful and responsible because he is what is keeping father alive.

I would’ve done: i dont actually think i would do the same this time. i think that i would kept my mouth shut and feel sorry about it later.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: That father told elizer to not give franek his golden cap, but franek started to punish father so elizer tried to give him marching lessons.

What I think: i think that though it is nice it is completely hopeless because you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. im not saying that you cant teach him because is to old but because he is to stressed and aged.

I would’ve done: i think that i wouldnt have listened to my fathers advice and given him my golden tooth anyway.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: this was a sad relastionship with rabbi eliahu and his son. his son saw that his dad was slowing down to much and just abandon him to die.

What I think: i think that is just cruel, who would abandon thier own father i know that i would never do such a thing.

I would’ve done: i would have done the exact opposite as rabbi eliahu's son, i would have stopped for a moment check on my dad and fi9rireman carry him if i had to.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: a man killed his own father for bread and then got killed himself.

What I think: i think that this is terrible and inhuman a it is just bread and b he was about to give some to his son

I would’ve done: i would have shared woth my father as he had suggusted.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown: this is a sad relationship between elie and his father because his father dies and elie thinks free at last.

What I think: i think that fathers are a blessing not a tool.

I would’ve done: i think that i would have never been happy for my fathers death especially if he wa sthe only family member i 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) That the Germans are probably going to kill all of them. 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 because in the end it indirectly kills 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) It is ironic because they are probably going to die inside the camp anyway. 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) It is ironic because he's the trying to kill them. 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 because it means that nobody in the world really cares. 2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) It is an completely incorrect statement because it kills you not sets 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) This is inhuman because that they were so abused they no longer cared for life. 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 because they were hanging a child.