QUOTES from the book Night
Quote 1 (P.34)
"NEVER SHALL I FORGET that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke.
Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
Never."
This is a very sad moment for our author, Elie, for many reasons. Before Elie sees these concentration camps, he is a very religious boy yearning for new knowledge and believes that his God and the world is good. However, after this, his identity is completely changed. The act of burning innocent babies alive and letting them turn into smoke changed his view on God because he believed a God wouldn't let these bad things happen to his people. So, he said that he would basically never forget or let anyone else forget this terror and cruelty.
Never shall I forget that smoke.
Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
Never."
This is a very sad moment for our author, Elie, for many reasons. Before Elie sees these concentration camps, he is a very religious boy yearning for new knowledge and believes that his God and the world is good. However, after this, his identity is completely changed. The act of burning innocent babies alive and letting them turn into smoke changed his view on God because he believed a God wouldn't let these bad things happen to his people. So, he said that he would basically never forget or let anyone else forget this terror and cruelty.
Quote 2 (P. 65)
"But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was still breathing...
And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes. And we were forced to look at him at close range. He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished.
Behind me, I heard the same man asking:
'For God's sake, where is God?'
And from within me, I heard a voice answer:
'Where He is? This is where-hanging here from this gallows...'"
The young pipel is a symbol in this story. Pipels were young boys, but this particular person “had a delicate and beautiful face.” This meant that he resembled God, with the heavenly features but also weak as well. He was hanged, and this shows how the Jew’s faith in God was dying, fading away. The delicate part of the face resembled how many Jews' connection to their God was not very strong. Elie says God is “hanging from this gallows”, which means that their God is dying, separating from them and not really listening to them.
And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes. And we were forced to look at him at close range. He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished.
Behind me, I heard the same man asking:
'For God's sake, where is God?'
And from within me, I heard a voice answer:
'Where He is? This is where-hanging here from this gallows...'"
The young pipel is a symbol in this story. Pipels were young boys, but this particular person “had a delicate and beautiful face.” This meant that he resembled God, with the heavenly features but also weak as well. He was hanged, and this shows how the Jew’s faith in God was dying, fading away. The delicate part of the face resembled how many Jews' connection to their God was not very strong. Elie says God is “hanging from this gallows”, which means that their God is dying, separating from them and not really listening to them.
Quote 3 (P.81)
“I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.”
This is really sad, but it is a painful truth. The Jews constantly pray and want their God to help them, many believe that their God has done nothing but cause death and pure torture to his chosen people. The Jews are hopeful for the good things to come, but in reality, sad things happen. Hitler has done many cruel things and made horrifying plans to annihilate the Jews, but he has kept true to his word. If he said certain Jewish people will die, they will die. If he says that the Jewish people are being transported on a specific day, it is almost 100% certain that it will happen.
This is really sad, but it is a painful truth. The Jews constantly pray and want their God to help them, many believe that their God has done nothing but cause death and pure torture to his chosen people. The Jews are hopeful for the good things to come, but in reality, sad things happen. Hitler has done many cruel things and made horrifying plans to annihilate the Jews, but he has kept true to his word. If he said certain Jewish people will die, they will die. If he says that the Jewish people are being transported on a specific day, it is almost 100% certain that it will happen.
Quote 4 (P.86)
"I soon forgot him. I began to think of myself again. My foot was aching, I shivered with every step. Just a few more meters and it will be over. I'll fall. A small red flame... A shot... Death enveloped me, it suffocated me. It stuck to me like glue. I felt I could touch it. The idea of dying, of ceasing to be, began to fascinate me. To no longer exist. To no longer feel the excruciating pain of my foot. To no longer feel anything, neither fatigue nor cold, nothing. To break rank, to let myself slide to the side of the road..."
"Him" is not only the person that Elie was talking to, but it was also God. When he was only thinking about himself, he was almost in like a trance, on the border of life and death. Death closed around Elie and suffocated him, giving Elie more pain and desperation. He also says that he could touch death, which means that he is more dead than alive, like most of the Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust. There is also simile used in this passage: It stuck to me like glue. Glue is a way to solve problems such as putting things together with its sticky substance. So, maybe Elie believed that like glue, death could also be a solution, a very simple one. All Elie had to do was stop and not persevere.
"Him" is not only the person that Elie was talking to, but it was also God. When he was only thinking about himself, he was almost in like a trance, on the border of life and death. Death closed around Elie and suffocated him, giving Elie more pain and desperation. He also says that he could touch death, which means that he is more dead than alive, like most of the Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust. There is also simile used in this passage: It stuck to me like glue. Glue is a way to solve problems such as putting things together with its sticky substance. So, maybe Elie believed that like glue, death could also be a solution, a very simple one. All Elie had to do was stop and not persevere.
THEMES
Be brave for the right reasons
Don’t be a bystander and stand up for what is right. STOP TRYING TO FIT IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT.
There are many bystanders, or people who just stand and watch bad things such as bullying unfold. This cannot happen. Even though there are people that are good, most do not act because they are afraid. They are scared of the consequences because they think that they will be brought down with the victim or they just believe it's not their business. However, life is always filled with many obstacles. So, it is best to take risks and shine.
There are many bystanders, or people who just stand and watch bad things such as bullying unfold. This cannot happen. Even though there are people that are good, most do not act because they are afraid. They are scared of the consequences because they think that they will be brought down with the victim or they just believe it's not their business. However, life is always filled with many obstacles. So, it is best to take risks and shine.
Family
The family loyalty and love is much more important than self-preservation.
This theme is especially true in Night by Elie Wiesel. The Jews' religion involved honoring parents, but the Jews are not following their own religion even though they were supposed to. Family is so important, and many other religions such as Christianity have the concept of obeying and respecting their parents. In addition, it is no excuse not to be loyal to the family, no matter what religion anyone has. Parents and other family members have influenced our lives greatly, so we owe them greatly. Being loving to family members should be an automatic yes because at the very least, they were the people that gave birth to us. We should be loyal as well to family because many and most parents gave up their hopes and own dreams to benefit their children, along with other people such as grandparents.
This theme is especially true in Night by Elie Wiesel. The Jews' religion involved honoring parents, but the Jews are not following their own religion even though they were supposed to. Family is so important, and many other religions such as Christianity have the concept of obeying and respecting their parents. In addition, it is no excuse not to be loyal to the family, no matter what religion anyone has. Parents and other family members have influenced our lives greatly, so we owe them greatly. Being loving to family members should be an automatic yes because at the very least, they were the people that gave birth to us. We should be loyal as well to family because many and most parents gave up their hopes and own dreams to benefit their children, along with other people such as grandparents.
Identity
Finding one's identity during time of chaos.
Finding identity during a time of chaos means that you find out what your purpose in life is. In your normal life you don't really know what your are as a person or how important you are to others. However during a time of chaos you finally understand; oh this is who i am. For example in Night by Elie Wiesel, the author, Elie though of himself as a pampered young boy who is devout to religion and has never stepped outside of his comfort zone and never been in real danger. However when he is brought to the concentration camp and now experiences suffering and pain he understands that his purpose is to live on to support those who rely on him. To live to tell the tale. That is what finding one's identity in a time of chaos means. It's finding ones true meaning and value.
Finding identity during a time of chaos means that you find out what your purpose in life is. In your normal life you don't really know what your are as a person or how important you are to others. However during a time of chaos you finally understand; oh this is who i am. For example in Night by Elie Wiesel, the author, Elie though of himself as a pampered young boy who is devout to religion and has never stepped outside of his comfort zone and never been in real danger. However when he is brought to the concentration camp and now experiences suffering and pain he understands that his purpose is to live on to support those who rely on him. To live to tell the tale. That is what finding one's identity in a time of chaos means. It's finding ones true meaning and value.