LILY

//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 believe that it could happen, although i really have trouble imagining something like this happening to me, personally. Not in Highland Park, not in 2010. I know it could, i just cant imagine it because its so horrible its difficult to grasp your head around it. 2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience? I would be in total shock. After i realized what was going on, I would probably cry, harder then i ever have before. 3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)? I would lie about my age. Saying that your older and healthy can keep you alive. I would say that im older so that i can work instead of being killed. I would probably not cheat or steal from any other jews or prisoners, they are in the same situation. I would do as much as i could to stay alive. 4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive? I would DEFINITELY try t survive. No matter happens or what you see, life is worth fighting for. 5. Inhumanity means being inhumanly cruel and brutal. Do you think the world could ever allow this kind of inhumanity to happen again? Yes i do. It is happening right now. There is Genocide going on right now in Darfur. people say, "Never again" and yet very few people are doing stuff to stop it. 6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity? Jail for life. killing doesnt solve anything, and retaliation is not the solution. Everybody has the right to live. Killing people makes you as bad as the killer. 7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age? No i don't. If it were to happen here the country would take care of it. As soon as it becomes local, its our issue. 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 to feel a connection to god. It is so normal to him, itis like breathing. He is not possitive why he cries. It is because he feels so deeply about what he is doing. 2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores? The people have never heard of such crazy stories. It is impossible for them to believe such horrible things. They are in an allusioon because the war and the concentration camps have been held a secret so well. 3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom. The jews could not go to stores before six. Later they were put into ghettos. __Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow? The nightmares are foreshadowing deaths in the gas chambers and the crematorium. It also means the distruction of the jews. 5. Where does the train finally stop? The train stops in Birkenau, 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 so he would not be kiled. If you were strong, healthy and of the right age yu do not get sent to the crematorium. Right away. 7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him? Elie can't belive tht somethig this horrible would happen in that time in age, without the world knowing, or caring. 8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray? Elie thinks he shouldn't stay pray to a god that is staying quiet while the jewish people are murdered. __Chapter 4, pages 47-65__ 9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist? Elie is summoned to the dentist so the Natzis can remove any gold in is mouth. 10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? Elie stands, and watches. He does not make a movement to stop the beating. Elie does not even blink. 11. Why is the hanging of the “sad eyed angel” said to be one of the most profoundly moving events in the novel? The "sad faced angel" was just a child. he had not done anything wrong. Not only was it terribly inhumane to the child, but every prisoner had to watch him die. __Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection?

__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 represents fire and death to Elie. It represents evil and the holocaust. Night is the title because it represents all the horrible things that happened there. 2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith? Elie speaks of the pits of fire where the babies were burned. It consumed his faith because when he saw the fire he thought that god had deserted him, and left his people to die. 3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? I do believe this. I think that no matter how religious someone is, watching something that horrible makes it impossible to stay faithful. Nobody wants to pray to someone who they feel has left them to die. 4. Why does he lose his desire to live? Elie thinks that anything is better then Aushwitz and that it was his only option. He thought it would be better to die of the barbed wire fence, then to slowly die in fire. 5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why? I think Elie would no longer want to die, but besides that i dont think his feelings would of changed too much. 6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel? Elie wrote this to show the world what happened and to make sure that it is never forgotten, even after all of the survivors die. It is important people learn so it does not happen again.

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 does not pay attention to relatives. he did not recognize this one relative. Elie recognized the relative. When the relative asked, Elie lied about hearing from the relative's family. Elie did not want to tell the relative the truth; Elie lied so the relative would be comforted. This is something the father should have done.

What I think: Elie showed compassion to lie to the family member. It does not reflect well on the father that he can't even recognize his own family members.

I would’ve done: I would of covered for my dad and said that his family was O.K. The relative obviously cared about his family.

2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown:Elie was given a good work spot and he risked it to be next to his father.

What I think: Elie cares very much about his father. They are very close, and he would not want to be separated. He probably is also scared to be separated.

I would’ve done: I probably would of asked to be with my father because i would not want to separated from my father either. That way i would know where he is if something were to happen.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie would not give up his gold crown, so his father would be beaten for marching out of step. Elie would help his father march by practicing with him. What I think:It is horrible that the father was getting beaten for this. the gold crown was not worth his father getting beaten oveer.

I would’ve done:I would of had the gold crown removed so my father would not be beaten.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown:

What I think:

I would’ve done:

5. Page 101

Relationship shown:

What I think:

I would’ve done:

6. Page 112

Relationship shown:

What I think:

I would’ve done:

__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 saying had said "work is liberty!" The iron door meant that if you worked ahrd enough you would be set you free, but actually they worked you to death. By working they were taking away the little freedom they had. 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 that the father said that you don't die from the yellow stars. What really happened was that the yellow stars showed Natzis that you were Jewish. The Jewish stars did in fact, indirectly kill you. 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 caption was warning them against death, but the whole place was made to kill them. 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) Normally promises are ones that you want people to keep. People usually promise to do good things. Hitler promised to kill the Jews and that is what he was doing.

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) The Natzis are killing millions cruelly. Most of the world knows about what the Natzis are doing and yet for a while nobody was doing anything. Everybody had their own problems to worry about. 2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) At the concentration camps they work you to death. The sign was giving them false 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) People thought that even death was better then what was happening at that camp. Many wanted to die to be taken out of their misery. 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) The victims had seen so much, there was just nothing left in them to cry.