The following are discussion topics for my Pre-AP class. You will get a hard copy of the instructions for this assignment in class. The memoir and the assignment are to be completed outside of my class.
1. How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
2. Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
3. Discuss whether or not the memoir can be read as a narrative about the loss of faith.
4. Trace the theme of emotional death through the memoir.
5. Trace the theme of dignity in the face of human cruelty in the memoir.
6. Trace the them of self-preservation vs. family commitment in the memoir.
7. Animal imagery is used throughout the memoir. Trace the appearance of the imagery and what it comes to symbolize.
8. Explain Wiesel's purpose in including Madame Schachter in the memoir. What function does she serve?
9. The title of this memoir alludes to one of the themes present in the memoir. Trace scenes of darkness and light as they occur. Note the conflicts and emotions that are developed in each scene. Explain how the title relates to these scenes and how it functions as a theme.
10. Trace the theme of silence through the memoir.
56 comments:
Question 1.
How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
In the beginning Elie is very religious and even wishes to study kabbalah ,but after being sent to concentration camps and seeing what people were being put through he felt that God chose to be silent and not help the Jews.
"Someone began to recite Kaddish, the prayer for the dead[...]Why should i Sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for"(Wiesel pg.33).
Elie and his father are going through a very painful situation together and it builds their relationship alot closer and stronger. Therefore both seem to show care by having each other's backs.
"Come, Father. It's better there. You'll be able to lie down.[.....] I'll watch over you and you'll watch over me. We won't let each other fall asleep. We'll look afetr each other". (Wiesel pg. 89). BY: Linda Montemayor
Question 1 - Elie's relationship with God definitely changed throughout the story. In the beginning he was willing to do all he could to serve God. "I pray to the God within me for the strength to ask Him the real questions" (Wiesel 5). But as the story progressed he became bitter towards serving God. "'Blessed be God's name...' Thousands of lips repeated the benediction, bent over like trees in a storm. Blessed be God's name? Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. [...] How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master fo the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?"
Elie and his father had an extremely strong relationship. Elie's father would do anything he could to try and save Elie's life. 'What a a shame, a shame that you did not go with your mother ... I saw many children your age go with their mothers ..." His voice was terribly sad. I understood that he did not wish to see what they would do to me. He did not wish to see his only son go up in flames'" (Wiesel 33). Also, Elie would try to do what he could to stay with his father. "Franek, the foreman, assigned me to a corner: 'Don't kill yourself. There's no hurry. But watch out. Don't let an SS catch you.' 'Please, sir ... I'd like to be near my father.' 'All right. Your father will work here, next to you.' We were lucky." But as the story progressed and Elies father was beginning to die, Elie began to have thoughts of abandoning his dying father. "I knew he was running out of strength, close to death, and yet I had abandoned him. I went to look for him. Yet at the same time a thought crept into my mind: If only I didn't find him! If only I were relieved of this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care only of myself ... Instantly I felf ashamed, ashamed of myself forever" (Wiesel 106). Sadly, after his father died, Elie didn't shed a tear for the death of his father because he couldn't. "I woke up at dawn on January 29. On my father's cot there lay another sick person. They must have taken him away before daybreak and taken him to the crematorium. Perhaps he was still breathing ... [...] He had called out to me and I had not answered. I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last! ..." ( Wiesel 112).
Question 3 - This memoir can be read as a narrative about the loss of faith. In the very beginning of the book Elie had very strong ties with his faith. "'And why do you pray, Moishe?'" I asked him. 'I pray to the God within me for the strength to ask Him the real questions.'(Wiesel 5). But as the story progressed and times got tougher and more hopeless, Elie became mad at God and didn't understand the reasoning for why God does what he does. "Some of the men spoke of God: His mysterious ways, the sins of the Jewish people, and the redemtion to come. As for me, I had ceased to pray. I concurred with Job! I was not denying His existence, but I doubted His absoulute justice" (Wiesel 45).
Question #2. Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
Elie and his father are going through a very painful situation together and it builds their relationship alot closer and stronger. Therefore both seem to show care by having each other's backs.
"Come father. It's better there. You'll be able to lie down.[..] I'll watch over you and you'll watch over me. We won't let each other fall asleep. We'll look after each other".(Wiesel pg.89 ).
Question #5. Trace the theme of dignity in the face of human cruelty in the memoir.
Whenever Eliezer is staying with his father, begged for more water, while taking roll call. The guard seems interrupted and begins to yell at him but his father can't hear so the guard starts using violence!!
"An officer passed between the bunks. My father was pleading: "My son, water [...] the officer came closer and shouted to him to be silent. [..] He continued to call me. The officer wielde his club and dealt him a violent blow to the head(Wiesel pg.111).
Question #7. Animal imagery is used throughout the memoir. Trace the appearance of the imagery and what it comes to symbolize.
Elie has now seen the guards that come into the train and describes them as strange looking creatures. By his opinion it symbolizes his worst enemy and animalbrutality.
"Strange looking creatures, dressed in striped jackets and black pants, jumped into the wagon. Holding flashlights and and sticks, they began to strike at us left and right, shouting [...](Wiesel pg.28).
Question #1. How does Elie's relationship with god changed throughout the memoir?
Whenever he is in the camp and pray for the dead, he is curious about it so he asked himself why should i sanctify his name. What was it to thank him for?
"For the first time I flt anger riing within me. Why should I sanctify his name? The almighty , thre eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?"(Wiesel pg.33).
Question #4. Trace the theme of emotional death through the memoir.
When Idek forced everyone to go to the depot, Eliezer heard sounds from a small room and glimpsed, Idek with a young half naked Polish girl.Now he realized that he refused to leave just to be with her, but Idek caught Elie and was going to punish him for what he tought was going to be right for him. At the end Elie had received 25 whips.
"I no longer felt anything except the lashes of the whip.[....] Two more I tought, half unconscious.It was over. I had not realized it, but I had fainted. [..] You shall receive five times more if you dare to tell anyone what you saw! [..] I nodded, once, ten times, endlessly. As if my head had decided to say yes for all eternity"(Wiesel pg.58).
Question 1:
How does Elie's relationship with god change throughout the memoir?
At the beginning of the story "Night", Elie is very religious and wants to study a jewish thing called Kabbalah. But after all the things he goes through and all the things he faces, he feels that god has given up on him.
"Why should I sanctify His name? The almighty, the eternal and terrible master of the universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank him for"(Wiesel pg. 33).
Question Uno
How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
At the beginning of the story, Elie is very interested in studying Kabbalah and wants to continue studying his religion. After going to the camps and being relocated several times, he loses faith in God.
"Blessed be God's name? Why, but why would I bless Him?[...]Because in His grea might, He kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days" (Wiesel, p.67).
At the begining of the story he praises god and deos his duty in his religious beliefand at the end he thinks god is a tratior towards him and people in the concetration camp.
" All the earth and universe are god's ...When Adam and Eve deceived you from paradise,When You were displaced bt Noah's generation ,You brought down the flood ...You betrayed ,allowing them to be tortured ,slaughter. gassed and burned, what did they do?They praised your name."
At the begining of the story he praises god and deos his duty in his religious beliefand at the end he thinks god is a tratior towards him and people in the concetration camp.
" All the earth and universe are god's ...When Adam and Eve deceived you from paradise,When You were displaced bt Noah's generation ,You brought down the flood ...You betrayed ,allowing them to be tortured ,slaughter. gassed and burned, what did they do?They praised your name."
Question #1
How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
At first Elie is extremely religous and trys to study Kabbalah.
But at the end he is not as religous and begins to question, and get very angry with God.
"For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should i sanctify His name? The Almighty,[...]What was there to thank Him for?" ( Weisel page 33)
Question 7
The title of this memoir alludes to one of the themes present in the memoir. Trace scenes of darkness and light as they occur. Note the conflicts and emotions that are developed in each scene. Explain how the title relates to these scenes and how it functions as a theme.
The title coexists with the settings in the book because "Night" represents, maybe, how Elie felt throughout his epic journey through the work camps. As the reader follows Elie and his father from camp to camp, the reader interprets the book and what goes on in Elie's life as to why the title is "Night."
Every time Elie or his father gets a chance to lie down and rest, they soon want to sleep. In their years at work camps, they always want to sleep even when its daytime. They're always fatigued and never get an adequate amount of sleep, which only adds to their problems with soreness, hunger, etc.
"he just kept repeating that it was all over for him that he could no longer fight, he had no more strength, no more faith. His eyes would suddenly go blank, leaving two gaping wounds, two wells of terror"(Wiesel, p.76)
Question #2
Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
Elie loves his father and stays with him throughout the story
He refuses to eat all his ration of bread and soup and give is to his father, and refuses to give up on him.
"I ran to get some soup and brought it tom y fahter but he did not want it. All he wanted was water. ' Don't drink water, eat the soup...'"
The first comment was from Question 1 and the Quote was from page 68
Question 2
Even though Elie's father is giving up on hes life they still have a good relation ship and Elie is telling his dad that he can live
"Here take this knife,"he said."I won't need it anymore.You may find it useful.Also take this spoon...Go ahead and take my inheritance...
"Don't talk like that,Farther."I was on the verge of breaking into sobs....We'll see each other tonight ,after work."He looked at me with his tired eyes .veilded in dispair.(Wiesel pg 75
Elie's relationship with his father is strong because in chapter 3 it states "My hand tightened its grip on my father. All I could think of was not to lose him" (Wiesel pg.30)
Question 10
The theme of silence in the story is explaining how people in the concetration are helpless and is stuck in the concetration camp.
"I could not answer him.Someone had lain down on top of me. smothering me. I couldn't breathe through my mouth or my nose.Sweat was running downmy forehead....the end of the road.A silent death ,suffication.No way to scream ,to call for help.(Wiesel pg 94)
Question 6
Trace the them of self-preservation vs. family commitment in the memoir.
Elie starts out very dedicated to his family and his religion. After he and his family are separated, Elie starts to not only lose faith in his religion, but he also forgets about his mother and sister. After too much work and not enough encouragement or food, he eventually starts to lose faith in everything else, even his father who has always been by his side. Elie realizes he should be living for himself and nobody else(being in his position)and then loses interest in wanting to help his father by give him his own food rations, and trying to keep him from being killed as long as possible. He eventually gives up.
"Yet at the same time a thought crept into my mind: If only I didn't find him! If only I were relieved of this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care only of myself..."(Wiesel, p.106).
Question 2.
Analyze the relationship between elie and his father?
elie and his father have a strong relationship,like when they were seperated he decided to go with his father instead of his mother and siblings.
"and i walked on with my father with the men"(weisel pg.29).
Question 1-How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memior?
In th beginning Elie is very close with God,but after being sent to concentration camps and seeing the way that the Germans are treating them he starts to think that God does not want to help them.
"[...]'May his name be celebrated and sanctified'[...]For the first time,I felt anger rising within me.Why should I Sanctify His name?The Almighty,the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe,chose to be silent.What was there to thank Him for?"(Wiesel pg.33)
question 4.
trace the theme of emotional death through the memoir.
when elie father finally died.
"no prayers were said over his tomb[....]i had not answered".(weisel pg.112).
Question 1.
How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
towards the begininng elie is really into his religion. but towards the end he starts to loose his faith. he does not understand why god would let something like this happen, there for he does not want to praise him."'Blessed be God's name...' Thousands of lips repeated the benediction, bent over like trees in a storm. Blessed be God's name? Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. [...] How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master fo the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?"
Question 6.
when Elie kept giving his father food when he knew his time had ended.
"i gave him what was left of my soup.But my heart was heavy.I was aware that i was doing it grudgingly.(weisel pg.107)
question 1.
How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
At first Elie is a strong believer and is very religious, bu after being taken to the concentration camp he felt that God was no longer with him.
“Where is God? Where is He?” someone behind me asked. ..
For more than half an hour (the child in the nose) stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes were not yet glazed. Behind me, I heard the same man asking, “Where is God now?” And I heard a voice within me answer him, “Where is He? Here He is—He is hanging here on this gallows[...]”
Question 2.
Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
Elizer is really caringe for his dad and he loves him to death. He doesn't want him to die!
"suffering from dysentry, my father was prostrate on his cot, with another five sick inmates nearby. i sat next to him , watching him; i no longer dared to believe that he could still elude death. I did all i could to give him hope"(Wiesel pg.208).
QUESTION 10.
At the end when Elie had looked into his reflection and noticed nothing but bones.
"from the depths of the mirror,a corpse was contemplating me.the look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me"(weisel pg.115)
elie is very in touch with his dad. he loves his dad and does not want to loose him."suffering from dysentry, my father was prostrate on his cot, with another five sick inmates nearby. i sat next to him , watching him; i no longer dared to believe that he could still elude death. I did all i could to give him hope"(Wiesel pg.208).
Question 4
The trace of emotionI death in the story is when Elie's father felt like he wasn't worth living and he didn't felt like a person anymore so he wanted to die."Leave me",he said,"he said."i cant go on anymore...Have pity on me ...Father!' I howed.Father!Get up! Right Now! You will killyourself..."(Wiesel pg 105).
Question 7.
animal imagery is used throuhout the memoir.trace the apperance of the imagery and what it comes to symbolizing.
when Elie had described the guards as strange look like creatures."Strange looking creatures, dressed in striped jackets and black pants, jumped into the wagon. Holding flashlights and and sticks, they began to strike at us left and right, shouting [...](Wiesel pg.28).
Question 8.
Explain Wiesel's purpose in including Madame Schachter in the memoir. What function does she serve?
She serves the purpose of showing how the whole experience made people act and feel.
"There was a moment of panic. who had screamed? it was mrs. Schachter. standing in the middle or the car, in the faint light filtering through the windows, she looked like a withered tree in a field of wheat. she was howling, pointing threough the window:"look! look at this fire? this terrible fire! have mercy on me"(Wiesel pg.25).
question 2.
even though they're both going through a terrible time the events that take place make them have a stronger relationship.
i don't have any evidence but i spelt everything correctly(:
i posted one :)
Question 8
The reason why Wiesel put Mrs.Scjachter in the story to forshadow what was going to happen when they was going when the was going to the camp.
"...Standing, a percing cry broke the silence "Fire!I see fire"...Through the windows,we saw barbed wire;we understood that this camp."Jews,look at the fire!Look at the flames!(Wiesel p 28)
Question 2.
Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
In the beginning Elie's relationship with his father is unstable,because his father doesn't want him to study Kabbalah. "There are no Kabbalists in Sighet,' my father would often tell me. He wanted to drive the idea of studying Kabbalah from my mind"(Wiesel pg.4).
As the story progressed their relationship becomes stronger and they are more dependent on each other, when entering the concentration camp and being separated from the rest of the family. "My hand tightened its grip on my father. All I could think of was not to lose him"(Wiesel pg.30).
Question 3.
Discuss whether or not the memoir can be read as a narrative about the loss of faith.
Yes, the memoir can be read as a narrative about the loss of faith, because in the beginning Elie is strong in his wishes to study Kabbalah regardless of everyone's opinion. "He wanted to drive the idea of studying Kabbalah from my mind. In vain. I succeeded on my own in finding a master for myself[...]"(Wiesel pg.4).
Once faced with his and others fate at the concentration camp he became angry, not understanding why God was letting his people suffer through this. "For the first time,I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for"(Wiesel pg.33).
Question 4.
Trace the theme of emotional death through the memoir.
When they first entered the concentration camp Elie saw an old man shot because he could no longer carry his own weight. Seeing this made him cling to his father not wanting to be alone in death like the old man. "Behind me,an old man fell to the ground. Nearby, an SS man replaced his revolver in its holster. My hand tightened its grip on my father. All I could think was not to lose him. Not to remain alone"(Wiesel pg.30).
Later in the story, after his father dies you can see how his outlook changed from not wanting to being alone,to his own ultimate survival. Instead of focusing and clinging to what was lost he focused on the fact that his dying father was no longer a burden to his survival. "On my father's cot there lay another sick person[...]I did not weep, and it pained me that i could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble consciience, I might have found something like: Free at Last"(Wiesel pg.112).
I messed up a sentence in my comment. Its supposed to say:Later in the story, after his father dies you can see how his outlook changed from not wanting to be alone,to his own ultimate survival.
That makes wayyy more sense (:
Question 5.
Trace the theme of dignity in the face of human cruelty in the memoir.
At the concentration camps, everyone was beaten without a specific reason so they could complete simple tasks. Instead of treating the Jews like intelligent humans they beat them as if they were wild mindless animals that couldn't understand what they were being asked to do. "Dozens of inmates were there to receive us, sticks in hand, striking anywhere, anyone, without reason The orders came:'Strip! Hurry up[...]"(Wiesel pg.35). The Jews were beaten before even being asked to complete a task. Dignity means the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect. They felt Jew weren't worthy of anything and deserved nothing either.
Question 1 , How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
In the beginning of the story , Elie gets angry with God , and thinks that he isn't helping
the people at the Concentration camps at all. But later on , he has lost complete hope in
Him , thinking that He doesn't care about people being murdered every day.
"Why , but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands
of children to burn in His mass graves? Because He kept six crematoria working day and night ,
including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might , He had created Auschwitz ,
Birkenau , Buna , and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be
Thou , Almighty , Master of the Universe , who chose us among all nations to be tortured
day and night , to watch as our fathers , our mothers , our brothers end up in the furnaces?
Praised be Thy Holy Name , for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?"(Wiesel ,
PG 67.)
Question 2 , Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
Elie and his father(Shlomo?) go through tough situations to try to survive. Elie helps
his father during all of the Concentration camps , because his father is getting old ,
and is unable to do the things he used to do years ago in the first couple of camps.
'' 'Come , father. It's better there. You'll be able to lie down. We'll take turns. I'll
watch over you and you'll watch over me. We won't let each other fall asleep. We'll look
after each other.' ''(Wiesel , PG 89.)
The angelus was my comment. My mistake.
4. Trace the theme of emotional death through the memoir.
During the Night book, Multiple deaths occur. But when the men/woman are hung, people feel the same emotions as the people being hung.
''The two men were no longer alive. Their tongues were hanging out, swollen and bluish. But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was still breathing. . . And so remained for more than half and hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes. [...]'' (Wiesel Pg. 65)
5. Trace the theme of dignity in the face of human cruelty in the memoir.
In the concentration camps, the guards treated the prisoners with no respect, and hit them constantly.
'' 'Lie down on it! On your belly!
I obeyed. I no longer felt anything except the lashes of the whip. One!. . . Two!. . . he was counting. He took his time between lashes. Only the first time really hurt. I heard him count: Ten. . . eleven!. . . His voice as calm and reached me as through a thick wall. Twenty-three. . . Two more, I thought, half unconscious.''(Wiesel Pg.58)
10. Trace the theme of silence through the memoir.
The silence represents that no one can speak, or no one can say anything in the position they are in. In this case, Elie had nothing to say, or do when his father had passed.
''On my father's cot there lay another sick person. They must have taken him away before daybreak and taken him to the crematorium. Perhaps he was still breathing. . . No prayers were said over his tomb. No candle lit in his memory. His last word had been my name. He had called out to me and I had no answered. I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears." [...](Wiesel, Pg 112.)
Question 2-Analyze the relationship betweem Elie and his father.
At first Elie and his father's realtionship is not very strong because his father does not want him to study Kabbalah "There are no Kabbalah in sighet[...] He wanted to drive the idea of studying Kabbalah from my mind.(Wiesel pg.4)
As the story continues their relationship becomes stronger because they have to depend on each other when they are separated from the rest of the family "My hand tightened its grip on my father.All i could think of was not to lose him.Not to remain alone.(Wiesel pg.30)
Question 7-Animal imagery is used throughout the memior.Trace the appearance of the imgery and what it comes to symbolize.
When Elie describes the guards as strange looking creatures "Strange -looking creatures,dressed in striped jackets and black pants,jumped into the wagon.[...](wiesel pg.28)
Question 4-Trace the theme of emotional death through th memoir.
When Elie's father dies."No prayers were said over his tomb.No candle lit in his memory.His last word had been my name.He had called out to me and i had not answered."(wiesel pg.112)
Question 1
How does Elie's relationship with God change throughout the memoir?
In the beginning of "Night", Elie is very religious, and wants to study Kabbalah, but as the story moves on Elie thinks that God is not on his side, and he is mad at God for not helping him. "Why should I sanctify His name? The almighty, the eternal and terrible master of the universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank him for"(Wiesel pg. 33).
Question 2.
Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father.
Elie and his father have a very close relationship, but as they go through the hard time in the concentration camps, their relationship gets even bigger. They watch over each other and care about each other so much. "Come, Father. It's better there. You'll be able to lie down.[...] I'll watch over you and you'll watch over me. We won't let each other fall asleep. We'll look after each other." (Wiesel 89)
Question 5.
Trace the theme of dignity in the face of human cruelty in the memoir.
In the memoir "Night" Elie and his acquaintances are being treated like trash. The guards throw them around like if they had no feelings, or if they weren't human. "There are eighty of you in the car." German officer added. "If anyone goes missing, you will all be shot, like dogs." (Wiesel 24)
Question 3
Discuss whether or not the memoir can be read as a narrative about the loss of faith.
This memoir can be read as a narrative about the loss of faith. "I pray to the God within me for the strength to ask Him the real questions." (Wiesel 5)As, the story goes on Elie starts to lose belief in God, for putting him through that time, and not helping him. "As for me, I had ceased to pray. I concurred with Job! I was not denying His existence, but I doubted His absolute justice" (Wiesel 45).
Question 10-Trace the theme of silence through the memoir.
In the end when he is finally going to look at himself in the mirror for the first time in a really long time."One day when i was able to get up,I decided to look at myself in the mirror on the opposite wasl.I had not seen myself since the ghetto.From the depths of the mirror,a corpse was contemplating me.The look in his eyes as he gazed at me never left me.
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