CHRIS

//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? I think that if an evil person rises to power close to Hitler's prime, and he targets certain groups, I could be in one of those groups.

2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience? I would be stunned with terror from seeing death all around me.

3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)? To deal with this terror, I could lie that I was somebody else, or steal food for myself.

4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive? I doubt these people felt any hope because some were instantly killed. I would give up and die because of this reason.

5. Inhumanity means being inhumanly cruel and brutal. Do you think the world could ever allow this kind of inhumanity to happen again? I bet the world would have a lot of resistence at first to the inhuman people. Eventually though, I think they would give up.

6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity? I think the people who are causing this to happen should be punished having them experience their own concentration camps and death camps.

7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age? I think that now that people have learned about all the horrid things the Holecaust had, they wouldn't let it happen. There is a possibility that people might let it happen again.

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 wants to learn more about Jewish faith and he does not know why he cries.

2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? The townspeople of Sighet don't believe Moche's stories because they do not believe that millions of people could be killed very easily.

3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. Jews start to lose their freedom after foreign Jews are taken away and killed, then everyone in town were put into ghettos, and they gave up their valuables. Finally Jews were started to be transported to Auschwitz.

__Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? Madam Shacter's fire nightmares foreshadow the fires coming out of the ovens at Auschwitz.

5. Where does the train finally stop? The train finally stops at the death camp of Auschwitz: Birkanau.

__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 and occupation because he was told to do so by an inmate.

7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? Elie disbelieves what he sees because he did not believe that he saw children and babies being thrown into the fire.

8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? Elie is reluctant to pray now because he thought his God was not with him when he thought he was about to die.

__Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist because they want every Jew plucked of their gold teeth. Elie lies about being sick and escapes, but they eventually get his gold tooth.

10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie reacted by wanting to leave in order to not suffer a beating, and he was angry at his father because he did not react properly towards Inek's anger.

11. Why is the hanging of the “sad eyed angel” said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in the novel? This is a profoundably moving event because the gaurds hung a child.

__Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? Selection is when Dr. Mengele comes to the prison barracks and judges the Jews on their health and physical appearance. Selection is bad because the prisoners who's numbers Dr. Mengele writes down are transported to the crematorium. The ones that are taken are usually unhealthy, underweight, and or sick.

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die? Elie couldn't let himself die because he can't die in the snow

14. Why does Juliek play the violin? Juliek plays his violin because he was going to die and he wanted to play one last song.

15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father. Other boys, such as that Polish boy, took advantage of their fathers and then while running, abandoned them. Elie still treats his father respectively where he tries to save his father and helping him march.

__Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Eliezer weep at his father’s death? Elie cannot weep over his father dying because at Auschwitz, it is every man for himself. There are no fathers, brothers, friends, or any kind of connection because it is every man for himself.

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 will never forgot his corpse reflection because this is what he looked like in Auschwitz, and it is what he looks like now.

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 to Elie, symbolizes his stay at Auschwitz, which felt like one long night to him.

2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? Eliezer is speaking of the crematorium fires. These fires consumed his faith because he thought he was about to die and his God was not with him.

3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? I do not find this difficult because a boy learns throughout his life and they begin to dougt some things. I am sort of losing my faith.

4. Why does he lose his desire to live? Eliezer loses his desire to live from the nocturnal silence of the camp.

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 will remain the same as an adult because he has been haunted by Auschwitz all his life.

6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? I think Eliezer wrote this novel as another way for the modern to see the horrid results of the Holecaust.

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's father is arguing with a relative that he met at the camp. Elie's father is angry and annoyed from this relative ganging up on him for not reconizing him. The relative is angered too.

What I think: I think Elie's father is overeacting towards this angered relative.

I would’ve done: This seems to be hateful relationship between Elie's father and this relative. They are fighting just because one of them can't remember the other one. I would've asked the relative nicely what his name was.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Elie wants to stay in the same bunker as his father's when he has to switch bunkers. Elie is caring and protective for his father.

What I think: Elie is indeed caring for his father and he wants him to survive Auschwitz.

I would’ve done: This relationship seems to have a caring son and a father who is easy going. I would have switched bunkers because I would not want to be punished if I don't.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie teaches his father to march properly during marches. Elie wants to make sure that his father does not get beaten or killed. Elie is concerned about his father's health and his ability to march.

What I think: Elie wants his father to survive the camp and not get beaten. He does want his father's injury to be detected in the next selection.

I would’ve done: I would have helped my father too, but when we are resting.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: Elie finds out that another man's son abandoned his father while everyone was running to get ahead.

What I think: This relationship has an uncaring son who wants to survive and a somewhat sick father. The young man leaves his father in the back but is killed and trampled when he collapsed from exuastion.

I would’ve done: I would've left my father only if I knew he could not make it. I would follow th every man for himself rule of concentration camps.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: An old man was stealing bread for his starving son. His son killed him out of hunger and stole the bread. He is then killed by two other hungry prisoners.

What I think: This relationship has a kind, caring father and a greedy son. Along with two other greedy men.

I would’ve done: I would have eaten the bread myself or I would kill the person who stole bread if I washunger stricken.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown: Elie ignored his sick father and went to sleep not watching over him. While he was sleeping, his father died. Elie reliezed that it was every man for himself at Auschwitz, and he ignored his father dying. Elie was somewhat selfish, but he realized the truth and he went with it.

What I think: I think that Elie knew his father would not survive and he let him die so that he, himself could survive. He was following the every man for himself rule of concentration camps.

I would’ve done: I would have let my father die because the doctors would not do anything and I would want to survive the camp.

__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 ironic part is that these prisoners are extrmely exausted from marching, and then there is another camp with a sign that said work is liberty.

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 stars do eventually mean death because the Germans can identify them as Jews, and they will taken to a concentration camp to be eventually killed.

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 ironic part here is that that sign says warning of death, while Auschwitz is 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) This is ironic because Hitler promised the Jews death, and Elie lost his faith and now he has faith in Hitler for death.

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 excerpt means that Elie thinks the world does not care about what is happening to everyone at Auschwitz and Birkanau.

2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) This excerpt means that work makes the prisoners of Auschwitz feel free because they are imprisoned, and making them work is to make them feel 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 excerpt means that Auschwitz has made the prisoners not afraid of death through bombs because you could die an even worse death at Auschwitz. The bombs would fill them with joy because the bombs destroy the concentration camps.

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 excerpt means that Auschwitz is so horrible, that people are to afraid to cry or they forgot how to cry from all the fear from Auschwitz.