SCHUYLER

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 do think something like the Holocaust could happen to me. I personally don’t think it could happen in such a mass again, but I do believe that today’s technology could easily be manipulated to anyone’s advantage.=== 2. What would be your first reaction to this horrifying experience?

My first reaction to a horror such as the one described would definitely be tear-drawing and bring terrifying shock to me.
3. What means might you use to deal with what is happening (example: would you lie, cheat, steal)?

In order to cope with a situation like this, I know I would definitely become anti-social and isolate myself from the others.
4. Do you think it would be better to give up and die or try to survive? ===If I didn’t know that the Holocaust would end and I was in it, I honestly don’t my answer to that because when I take into consideration the physical toll of the concentration camps and seeing others die, I honestly think I’d get hit with depression and then give up….but I really don’t know.=== 5. Inhumanity means being inhumanly cruel and brutal. Do you think the world could ever allow this kind of inhumanity to happen again?

I believe that the world can let inhumanity as such happen again, but not like concentration or extermination camps, more over killing a race of people can and already is happening.
6. What kind of punishment do you feel would be suitable for this kind of inhumanity? ===I strongly believe in humanitarianism, but oppose it in the case of a genocide leader. I strongly feel that a person responsible for genocide should undergo the worst possible torture available in the world and suffer a short life filled with the horrors he brought to the people he harmed.=== 7. Do you think this kind of inhumanity could exist in our day and age?

I think the humanity of the Holocaust could possibly happen again. I feel that man learns from man’s errors, but the world still allows genocide. After all it’s still happening right now.
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 believes in God and wants to learn Kaballah. He cries because when he prays he feels proud.
2. Why don’t people believe Moche’s stores?

The people of Saghet think he’s uneducated and crazy because he’s homeless (mainly because they think he’s crazy).
3. Site examples of how the Jews gradually lose their freedom.

An example of freedom loss of the Jews is when their city was fenced off. They then had to move into ghetto’s and leave some of their stuff.
__Chapter 2, pages 23-28__ 4. What does Madam Shachter’s nightmares about a fire foreshadow?

Madam Schachter’s “scenes” foreshadow the crematorium at Auschwitz (for them Birkenau). She ended up being right but it kind of creeps me out how she would know.
5. Where does the train finally stop?

The train finally stops in Birkenau, a concentration camp among the many 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 age and occupation because the prisoner told him to lie about his age, and he faked his occupation because he thought he’d be considered useless if he said he was a student.
7. Why does Elie disbelieve what his own eyes show him?

Elie disbelieves his eyes because he doesn’t want to believe that God had deserted him.
8. Why is Elie now reluctant to pray?

__Chapter 4, pages 47-65__
9. Why is Elie summoned to the dentist?

Elie was called to the dentist because the prisoners at Buna were being checked for gold crowns and/or gold teeth.
10. How does Elie react to his father’s beating? ===Elie reacted to his father’s beating by not moving all. Elie was petrified but felt remorse and anger after the beating because he thought about how much he had changed and was frustrated because he didn’t make a move.=== 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 one of the most profoundly emotionally moving events in this book because when the child was hung, he remained on the brink of life and death for a half hour.
__Chapter 5, pages 66-84__ 12. What is selection? ===Selection is the process where SS officers and Dr. Mengele choose prisoners that are either deemed healthy or unhealthy by Dr. Mengele. Those who are written down are generally sent to die in the crematoria. Those who pass selection are still allowed to live.===

__Chapter 6, pages 85-97__ 13. Why couldn’t Elie allow himself to die?

Elie wouldn’t let himself die because in time he knew he would be liberated by the Allies, who were getting closer and closer to their convoy.
14. Why does Juliek play the violin?

In the story Juliek played the violin because he was going to die and he intended to play one last song.
15. Compare how the other boys treat their fathers with Eliezer’s treatment of his own father.

The other boys treated their fathers without sympathy and in one case a child left his father behind. Elie on the other hand loves his father and wouldn’t leave him behind.
__Chapter 7-9 pages 98-115__ 16. Why can’t Elizer weep at his father’s death?

Eliezer couldn't weep at his father's death because he quote on quote said, "I was out of tears". This I find truly a horror to behold that he found he could not cry at the death of his father's.
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? Eliezer cannot ever forget the corpse in the mirror because he cannot believe that the corpse is actually him; that his body has deteriorated that much since the concentration camps and the Holocaust in general.

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? ===I think that to Elie, night symbolizes the horrors of the Holocaust and that also in his book, the truly horrific things happen at night. I believe that Elie chose this as the title to his book because when thinking about the Holocaust, night must’ve been what came to mind first.=== 2. What fires does he speak of that consumed his faith forever? Why do these fires consume his faith?

Elie speaks of fires consuming his faith because of the crematoria flames. Those flames consume Elie’s faith because as he stares into them, he feels as if God had deserted him. 3. Do you find it difficult to believe that a boy so devout in his faith could lose his faith? Why? ===I don't think so because in the case of Elie, he was face to face with death. I mean, it is amazing to throw away your faith after years of practice, but when face to face with death, the idea of throwing away your faith could actually appear reasonable.=== 4. Why does he lose his desire to live? ===Elie loses his desire to live because he has finally come to the conclusion that God has forsaken him and everyone else who believed in Him. He has done too much work and gets little if not any reward.=== 5. Elie spoke these words as an adolescent. Do you think that as an adult his feelings have changed? Why?

I don't think that Elie's adolescent mind has drastically clouded his head; moreover that Auschwitz itself has clouded him.
6. Why do you suppose Elie wrote this novel?

I suppose that Elie wrote this novel to exploit the horrors and the reality of the Holocaust in its terrorizing essence.
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

I would’ve done: As Elie's father, I would've decided to help Elie before he devoured his only ration.
2. Page 49-50

Relationship shown: Elie and his father are at work in what I believe is Buna and Elie is working away from his father. Elie requests to work next to his father and is granted this request on account that their Kommando is a nice person.

What I think: I think that Elie is a very bold and caring adolescent for his age. Most people (in Elie's case kids) wouldn't dare to speak up to be next to their fathers. In fact, some children and parents believed in the idea that you have to work for yourself and disregard family and friends for the reason that you can't rely on anyone else.

I would’ve done: What I would've done would be average compared to Elie's actions. If I hadn't known that my Kommando was actually nice enough to even hear out my requests I probably never would've said a word about moving. Should I have known, there's a good chance I would've possibly asked.

3. Page 55-56

Relationship shown: Elie is teaching his father how to march properly, because Franek, their group foreman, is beating Elie's father because Elie is lying about why he can't give up his golden crown.

What I think: I think Elie has the heart of a saint because he's offering help to his father. While Elie is helping once, Franek makes fun of Elie and his father because of Elie's sympathy and his father's incompetence for marching straight.

I would’ve done: I would've definitely helped my father learn to march. However I never would've stepped up to Franek.

4. Page 90-91

Relationship shown: Rabbi Eliahu is looking for his son who was lost during the running to camp. As it turns out, Rabbi Eliahu's son had abandoned him on purpose because he didn't want anything to do with him anymore.

What I think: I think that Rabbi Eliahu's son has no sense of morality. Beyond leaving Rabbi Eliahu, his son probably is not aware of the toll that has been taken on rabbi Eliahu himself, who has to deal with the fact that he lost his son.

I would’ve done: I never would've just abandoned my father like that. I would've stayed with him until the end. As cliché as that may seem, I feel that the willpower for my father is strong enough that I would stay with him.

5. Page 101

Relationship shown: A father is in a train cart with other men and his son. The train is passing through a German village where workers are throwing bread into the carts and watching men fumble around and fight for the bread. The father is successful in getting the bread and offers some of it to his son. His son killed his father so he could have all the bread for himself.

What I think: I think that the Holocaust robbed people of their conscience and respect. For a son to kill his own father for merely a piece of bread is both upsetting and a bit pitiful.

I would’ve done: I never would've killed my father for bread. At the very worst in my mind, I would at least steal some of his but never kill him. And that's the absolute worse I could think of.

6. Page 112

Relationship shown: Elie's dad is in the process of dying and Elie is sacrificing his rations for his father.

What I think: I think that when the end is approaching you, sacrificing your rations means a great deal to a single person. Yet because Elie stuck with his father to the very end shows the true heart of a human being.

I would’ve done: I would've given my father anything I could. But when you're skin and bones in a concentration close to liberation, it's a tough decision. Especially when the Frenchmen were beating Elie's father for his food, it is harder to make up one ration for two people.

__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)

In the case of the sign stating work is liberty, it is ironic because they are being enslaved and because liberty is generally free, you shouldn’t have to work for it.
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)

The irony in saying that the yellow star won’t kill you is that the yellow star gets you taken to concentration camps and ghettos; it’s like a ticket to death.
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 irony of the sign stating a warning of death is that in concentration camps such as Auschwitz, death lurks at every corner.
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)

The irony of being loyal to Hitler because he kept his promises to the Jews is that his promises were to exterminate them and he has carried that out.
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 from night talks about how the whole world is allowing the Nazis to carry out with all these extermination camps and how nothing was happening to stop them.
2. “Work makes you free.” (page 40) ===The inhumanity of having to work for freedom is that your freedom shouldn’t have to be worked for because freedom is something free and working for it is preventing humans from reaching it because in the Holocaust, this statement was purely 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) ===The inhumanity of accepting bombs is fairly disappointing. The fact these prisoners were so inhumanely treated and bombs were falling on their camps, and they also wanted them to fall on the blocks shows to prove that if they died in the destruction of a camp, that they would still be satisfied.=== 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)