Pick one of the following topics to discuss. Remember to limit your response to 10 sentences, max.
1. The SS at Auschwitz purposely stripped Jews of their identity, dignity, privacy, and hope. At the same time, some prisoners resisted these efforts. Where in Night do you see the theme of dehumanization? of resistance? (You may respond to one or both).
2. The word hunger takes on new meaning at Auschwitz. What does the word mean to Eliezer? What other words have taken on new meaning in this section of the book?
3. Respond to a significant image, idea, or event that leaves a strong impression on you.
4. Continue to explore the changing relationship between Eliezer and his father (see Savannah’s post in the “Questions and Comments” section.)
5. Respond directly to a classmates' comment.
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The theme of resistance is seen in Night in many subtle ways. First of all, Wiesel openly resists having his crown pulled by the first doctor, and creates an excuse that evades him from having it removed for a long time. Although this may seem like a subtle form of rebelling, Wiesel was still taking a stand and not following all of the rules. Another form of resistance would be when Wiesel refused to give the man his shoes. To Wiesel, the shoes were a little piece of him, the only reminder of his former life, and he could not part without them. He therefore resists the man, turns down extra rations, and does not back down. Another more significant but subtle form of resistance is seen in the Kommandos, where Wiesel was sent to work. The people around him encourage him to work slowly, as there is no rush. This resistance allows less work to be accomplished, and is therefore a very effective form of resistance.
Eliezer and his father's relationship changes in Auschwitz, but in an unusual way. The new closeness between Eliezer and his father is forced, dependent, defensive. A normal father-son relationship would include support, guidance, and advice. This relationship, because of the conditions of Auschwitz, is solely focused on the ultimate goal of survival, because, for Eliezer and his father, each other is the only thing each one has. Though the relationship is identified as close, it is a close that most people never experience, because it is based on the dependency on one another for survival. The connection between the two is particularly delicate, because firstly, inability to stop the other from experiencing pain could be completely deteriorating, leaving the bystander weak. Secondly, pure dependency on luck will rarely succeed. If luck fails, and one is killed, what is the other left to do? Thank God for their life, but silently wish that it had been theirs taken instead? This kind of connection is rarely experienced, and never should be, because the pain and suffering that one side can endure when the alliance is harmed is brutally traumatizing, possibly leaving that side to wish that the close relationship had never existed.
After finishing the chapter, the image of God and whether he is alive to the Jewish people left a strong impression on me. Throughout all of his experiences, Elie has doubted whether he thinks God is still alive to him. Some people have encouraged him to continue to believe, while others are convinced that God couls not be watching down on them. Because Elie is so devoted to God, he does not want to believe that God is dead, but it has become increasingly apparent that God must not watching over the Jews. By the end of this chapter, Elie realizes that the poor 'angel' symbolizes God. The young boy with the beautiful face was tortured so harshly in order to find out who was responsible for the power outage at the electric plant, yet remained silent. Elie believes that this young boy, is God himself. After he is hanged, he is on the verge of life and death, and it is at this point that Elie realizes that if a young, beautiful boy can be murdered this way, then God is certainly dead, or that he is hanging between life and death. "'...Where is God?' And from within me i heard a voice answer: 'Where is he? This is where- hanging here from this gallows...'"(65).
The amount of resistance that takes place in Night greatly surprised me. Although each act of opposition that was preformed by an inmate was weak and discrete; it was still visible for the Nazi’s to see. Given the terrible way the soldiers treat the inmates; it is a shock that anyone of them would even look at the soldiers. By demonstrating resistance throughout the book, Wiesel shows his bravery to the reader. In today’s society, these acts of defiance that Wiesel did would barely be thought of as resistance. For example, when Wiesel refuses to give up his shoes, he made me nervous for a moment because I assumed he would be killed for not listening to instructions. However, if someone were to ask for my shoes today, I wouldn’t think twice about saying no. Clearly, during the Holocaust actions, that would cause death, are now overlooked and can be said or freely all the time. We are fortunate to have these opportunities to voice our opinions and often take it for granted.
Since arriving at the concentration camps, Elie Wiesel's has been forced to leave behind his once protective and attentive relationship with his father and make room for the change that the camp's regulations are enforcing. Before being transported from their original home, Elie and his father had a relatively conservative but still secure relationship. As Elie retells it, they were supportive of each other while still looking out for each others' best interests. However, in spite of being forced into concentration camps, the two's relationship has morphed into something quite different than it was before. Now more than ever, Elie and his father are stuck in a life or death situation; as much as they love each other, all either of them can do is look out for himself. Although both Elie and his father have lost their close connection due to fear, there are still signs of sacrifice and compassion for one another; these thoughts are not spoken but rather understood. Like when Elie was getting whipped in front of the entire camp, all he wanted was to spare his father from seeing his own son get whipped. Though there are still shreds of hope in Elie and his father's relationship, the harsh conditions of the concentration camp could be enough to destroy it for good.
There are many times in the book night that the themes of dehumanization and resistance are shown. Wiesel resists many different things that for the reader may not seem like a big form of rebellion, but for Wiesel and the other inmates when someone's life is on the line everyday rebellion comes in smaller forms. Wiesel rebells by not giving his shoes to that man while getting something in return although later on in the book his shoes get taken for nothing in return. Wiesel also rebels by not giving his gold crown to neither the dentist nor Idek. Putting off the extraction of his gold crown at the dentist by using the excuse of a fever, Weisel later thinks he fully puts it off when the dentists office is shut down and the dentist is put in prison. When Idek notices that Wiesel still has his gold crown he demands to take it away but Weisel refuses and pays the price everyday. Dehumanization and Resistance did not only happen to Wiesel but to all of the other inmates as well.
In this section of Night, a prevalent theme was religion. In addition to the young Christ-like boy being hanged at the gallows, there were also many references to keeping faith through continuous prayer, even during a time of such severe turmoil the Jews at Buna. Wiesel and the other (prisoners?) at the new camp hold on to their religion as their final, and perhaps strongest, link to their previous lives. Wiesel and a group of other Jews who are not willing to give up their belief in God—their identity, the reason they were sent there—and they know it is not a material possession that can be seized from them, like shoes and gold teeth. And yet it seems as if it would be very difficult for them to keep believing in God at a time when their faith would otherwise be undermined daily by executions, torture, and terror. For example, Akiba Drumer held onto a belief that they would be free soon- "Still lost in his Kabbalistic dreams, Akiba Drumer has discovered a verse from the Bible which, translated into numbers, made it possible for him to predict Redemption in the weeks to come" (51). Religion is the only speck of hope that the captured Jews possess, and they are not willing to give up the one thing that keeps them bound together and hopeful when in any other way they would fall apart.
A significant image that struck me was the killing of the "pipel" in front of the prisoners. This image was one of significance to me because it seemed to leave a lasting impression on everything who participated. The prisoners having to watch this begged for their god and even questioned him and where he was. The killing of this thirteen year old boy makes them call out and implore for their savior to be there to be the savior for this "sad eyed angel". Elie notices that after the first young boy (the strong, solemn one) is killed, the soup taste better than ever. As if the youth's death didn't influence or perturb him in any way. It was almost as if his death was beneficial to Elie because the soup was delicious. Yet, when the younger boy dies Elie sees how devastating and destructive the hanging is and he is unable to get the image out of his mind, which makes the soup taste "of corpses." It is as if the killing of a twenty-year strong man has no comparison in terms of cruelty compared to the killing of a thirteen year "sad eyed angel", simply because of age and innocence.
Throughout chapter four there were many instances of dehumanization but the one that was the most poignant to me was: "The bread, the soup- those were my entire life. I was nothing but a body" (52). The camps have reduced the inmates to nothing more than bodies. They no longer have any real purpose; therefore no livelihood. The inmates have not only been stripped of their homes, family members, and possesions but also their lives. No one has any meaning whatsoever in the camps. They have become insignificant. Every one is exactly the same, as if they have been turned into robots uncontrolling of their own future.
"These words all have intrinsic meaning, but in those times, they meant something else," (ix) Wiesel says in the preface. Words that Wiesel used to use every day in his youth have now taken on a new meaning. Wiesel now knows what true hunger and thirst are; he knows what it really is like to be terrified. He has survived through scarce amounts of water and poor nutrition. He has lived through horrors that make the starvation we lucky Americans claim we have seem like nothing but exaggerations. Eliezer knows about brutality and fear, and I doubt he can ever hear the word chimney again without having chills run down his spine and his images of human ovens appear in his mind. The word selection brings back memories of the Germans playing God, deciding who lives and who dies.
As the Jews of Sighet continue on through their brutal inprisonment, their minds, bodies, and souls undergo the process of dehumanization, which progresses as time goes on. In the reading before chapter four, they lost all traits that formed their identity–their names became random numbers, they all became hairless, and they all wore matching clothes each day. As time went on, identity did not matter to these people; all they could focus on was survival. Neither the Natzis nor the other Jews cared who was who, or about others' feelings. "At that moment in time, all that mattered to me was my daily bowl of soup, my crust of stale bread...those were my entire life. I was nothing but a body. Perhaps even less; a famished stomach" (52). At this point, Elie's only care in the world is to have the two things that will keep him alive. It is as if he is a robot, obedient to orders, yet missing a soul inside of him. He is now a completely different person than he was before the transportation–he has lost his faith, his dignity, and his previous identity. Now all he has to depend on is the food that will allow him to survive, and his weak, yet determined father who has faced dehumanization as well.
Towards the end of chapter 4, Elie talks about the young pipel who was supposed to be hanged, but did not die immediately. "But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was still breathing..." (65). This passage leaves a great impression on me b/c it was as if the boy was not meant to die. A man in the crowd of inmates asks a question that is left hanging. "Where is merciful God? where is he?" (64). How could God let such a small and beautiful child be hanged? How could God not stop this tragedy? Where is God when innocent Jews are being killed? These are the questions asked about the Holocaust, questions that are left unanswered. But eventually some of the Jews escaped, or freed from this true tragedy.
Resistence is a recurring theme in Night. At concentration camps resistence takes on many forms. Firstly, Eli rebells against the German tent leader who asks him for his shoes in exchange for being allowed to work with his father. Eli refuses to give the man his shoes. This is a very silent rebellion, but he IS saying no. Later, Eli pretends to be sick as not to hand over his crown. He is resisting German rule by not freely giving up his teeth. When Idek beats Eli, the French girl demonstrates resistence by offering him a piece of bread and then speaking kindly to Eli in German, even though it was dangerous for her. Then, when Idek beats his father, Eli stays silent. he says nothing. Eli recognizes he is not resisting, nor rebelling. However, he also knows that before his experience in the camps, he would have spoken up before.
In Night, we see the theme of dehumanization represented through the SS purposely stripping the Jews of their "identity, dignity, privacy and hope." At the same time, many Jews resisted these efforts. The SS at Auschwitz dehumanize the Jews by cutting their hair, "branding" them, taking their possessions and their pride, and making them do intense work with little food. They are treated like animals. "...like cattle in the slaughterhouse" (p. 31) Yet some prisoners resisted against these efforts. For example, Elie would not give up his gold crown from his tooth. It was one of the last things that was his and would not let that be taken away from him. (pg. 52) Although his effort was not effective since he eventually had his crown taken out, he fought against the dehumanization of him and his people by not giving up something that was rightfully his.
Hunger, always of the same context, but the intensity of hunger changes in Eliezers eyes. When he first arrived at the camp he refused to eat the bland soup, but now when he sees two steaming cauldrons of that soup, it is a "royal feast going to waste" (59). Also hunger use to be easily accessible, but now "fear is greater than hunger" (59); in other words they would have a better chance staying alive by starving then disobeying the Nazi.
In this section death holds a less tragic meaning in Elliezers eyes. Witnessing "death" has become a routine in his life, not a shocking disturbance. He could witness the death of a strong young man without second thought because of the acceptance, that comes with dehumansization, of hoplessness.
The SS at Auschwitz purposely strips the Jews of their identity, pride, freedom, and dreams to dehumanize them from their culture. The SS tried to do many things to dehumanize them, by changing their names to random numbers the SS made the Jews feel small and worthless. Since the SS has so much power they take all the Jews valuable items. Then the SS shaved their heads and made them wear matching attire this made the Jews feel like "animals" and could barley tell the difference in them. But as the time went by their identity did not matter to them or the SS. At this point living was the only thing on their mind. This need to survive has morphed each individual into a completely different person than they were before the transportation. Elie is a strong soul and on the inside is trying to preserve his "obsolete" self.
The SS at Auschwitz succeed in dehumanizing many prisoners to the primal and basic level of humanity - that of an animal in search of food. The transformation of the prisoners from sensitive humans to numbed beasts is both rapid and seemingly complete. "'Do you think this ceremony [of hanging] will be over soon? I'm hungry...' whispered Juliek.'" (p. 59) Yet, hunger also serves as a means of escape for the prisoners. Despite their apparent callousness, Juliek's words could also be interpreted as a silent cry for escape - a subtle plea to Wiesel for reassurance that they would not have to bear witness to yet another atrocity. Furthermore, hunger is one of the few constants in the unpredictable nature of existence in the concentration camps. For many, the sensation is also the last vestige of normality preserved from the inmates pre-war lives. Hunger also reminds prisoners that they are still alive, and serves as the sole incentive to keep living - if for nothing else but to satisfy one's stomach. Finally, hunger is the incentive that leads inmates to commit brutal betrayals against each other as their acts of compliance are "paid" in extra food rations. At Auschwitz, hunger is no longer a sensation, but a tangible reality that divides the morally strong from the weak, the human from the animal, and the living from the dead.
Throughout this experience in the various camps, Elie Wiesel and his father grow very close. In the beginning of the book Wiesel states his father wasn't a very sentimental person and would rather help the community than his own family. This view changes drastically when he and his father enter the concentration camps. The bond between father and son turns into how to stay together and alive. This bond strengthens as their experiences grow; for example Wiesel describes how he is affected when his father is punished and vice-versa. "I had watched it all happenings without moving. I kept silent. In fact, I thought of stealing away in order not to suffer the blows. What's more, if I felt anger at that moment, it was not directed at the Kapo but at my father. Why couldn't he have avoided Idek's wrath?" (pg.54). The father-son bond is boldly shown here, whatever the son feels, his father feels worse. Like the two brothers Yossi and Tibi, Elie Wiesel and his father "lived for each other, body and soul" (pg.50).
In "Night" Weisel's experiences really changed his perceptions of life and its everyday word, such as hunger. As a child, Weisel saw hunger as just a word for when you needed to eat lunch or dinner; when he was captured by the Germans and taken to Auschwitz, hunger took on a whole new meaning. Weisel experienced true hunger and thirst. Not only did hunger mean food deprivation, but also came to be known as fear, terror, and suffering. His encounters with torture and death helped him gain true perspective of the word hunger and what it entails. The hunger Weisel had to face was not the hunger we take for granted, but true starvation. These everyday words such as chimney, hunger, now have completely different meanings, and changed his life forever.
Elie Weisel has a recurring theme of dehumanization through his writing. "The three 'veteran' prisoners, needles in hand, tattooed numbers on our left arms. I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name." The writer explains here that the SS officers did not care whether or not each person had an identity, a life, someone they were in their hearts. That did not matter at all to them. All that mattered was that each person had a tattoo that ensured all they were a part of the concentration camp. Each person is marked for eternity, reminding them they lost their individuality by becoming an object, and/or something no one cared about. They were dehumanized, with nothing left of them.
The SS at Auschwitz show the theme of dehumanization throughout Night. First, the SS take away the Jews identity by having them leave all their belongings on the train. Without their past and memories, it is like they aren't even there. The SS has taken away their past and with that a sense of their humanity. The SS has also taken away their dignity and privacy by forcing all prisoners to wear the same, dinghy uniforms. When their clothes go, so do their individuality, because with everyone dressed the same, everyone is essentially the same. Their hope is the last and probably most important thing taken from the Jews. The SS treat the prisoners so horribly that most begin to lose hope that they will ever escape. If the prisoners lose hope, they will not try to fight for their freedom which is exactly what the SS wants. The SS at Auschwitz dehumanizes the Jews by taking away their identity, dignity, privacy and hope.
"I anxiously thought of my father, who was at work. But I was glad nevertheless." (60) This quote left a certain lasting impression on me. Wiesel is constantly faced with the decisions of life or family and values. Each day Wiesel grows farther away from the child he was a few monthes ago to the strong independent man he is today. Wiesel constantly has to make desicions that will jeopardize his future or his family. For a boy of 14 years old, these are impossible. When I read the quotes about Wiesel choosing his survival and then regretting and missing his father, I think that I would always choose my family over living. As I think more about it, it would be the hardest decision for me to ever possibly make. I truley admire Elie Wiesel's perserverence.
The conditions at Auschwitz were terrible. People were dying every day of hunger, thirst, and much more. To many people the word 'hunger' means our stomaches are grumbling a little bit, or we haven't eaten since snack; but to Eliezer hunger takes on a whole new meaning. Eliezer saw first hand the effects and cases of hunger at concentration camps. Many of us cannot even begin to imagine the degree of this feeling. Another word that must have taken on new meaning in his experience was pain. The most pain an average person would ever endure is a broken bone; but the pain Eliezer went through is pain that most people will never feel. Eliezer was beaten; punched, kicked, thrown, whipped. This is the type of pain that he went through, this is the type of pain that most of us will not ever feel.
Many prisoners at Auschwitz resisted the dehumanization that the SS was putting upon them. They were trying to strip the Jews of their identity, dignity, privacy, and hope. One part in Night where dehumanization and resistance is seen is when Wiesel is supposed to get his gold crown pulled out by the dentist. The gold crown is on his tooth to cover up the decay, and so he can eat, but the dentist wants the tooth for the money it's worth. Cleverly, Wiesel resists by claiming he is sick, and he can't get the crown pulled that day. He wisely resisted again, casually, learning that he had done the right thing, because he saved himself a tooth for a few more weeks. Auschwitz also dehumanized their prisoners by making them watch hangings. The Jews were forced to see their own kind die, but couldn't resist in any way possible. Doing this would only get them killed as well. Unfortunately at this camp, like many others, there was only so much a prisoner could do to resist their dehumanization, for they could easily be killed.
1. After each step the SS took to strip the Jews of their identify, Elie Wiesel became less and less humane. When Wiesel and his father first reach Auschwitz, his father is beaten. But though Wiesel watches every blow, he “[does] not even [blink],” (54). In just a day, Wiesel’s humanity was already beginning to vanish; “…yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminal’s flesh…I shall never forgive them for this,” (39). Though Wiesel is extremely upset with the Gypsy, he did nothing to prevent his father’s suffering. The next time his father is beaten, “he doubled over under the blows…then he seemed to break in two like an old tree struck by lightning,” (54). Even though his father’s beating could be lethal, all Wiesel thinks of is “stealing away in order not to suffer the blows,” (54). In just a few days, he has changed so much that he is not even angry at the beater. “I felt anger at that moment…directed…at my father. Why couldn’t he have avoided Idek’s wrath?” (54). Evidently, the SS did not only strip the Jews of the identity, dignity, privacy, and hope, but also of their humanity.
A particular image that truly struck me was Wiesel’s stomach “aware of the passage of time”.(52) Wiesel illustrates the way his body was on a timer. With each day in the concentration camp, his body had been worn down by this timer. With lack of food and water, his hallow stomach served as a reminder of the hell he has previously endured; but more importantly a reminder that his body is running out of time.
In Night, the theme of resistance is shown in different ways. Elie Wiesel says, "I refused to give him my shoes, they were all I had left” Page 48. I think that Wiesel wants to keep his shoes because, as he says, they were all he had left. He wants a piece of something to help him remember his home life, where he was free and not being beaten. The man offered to give him extra rations for his shoes, but even then he refused. This shows that his shoes were very important to him, and he did not want to completely erase his memory of his home life. Also, Wiesel resists having his gold crown taken off, for a completely different reason. He says, "It could be useful to me one day, to buy something, some bread or even time to live” Page 52. He resists giving his shoes, because they connect him to something. He resists giving his gold crown because eh thinks it will be worth something. I think that Elie Wiesel showed resistance in ways that would make the readers think why would they resist.
From Sighet to a concentration camp completely changes Elie Wiesel's living style and the meanings of certain words. Hunger is one word that dramatically changes to Wiesel from slightly famished to complete starvation. All prisoners get in Auschwitz is a few pieces of bread and small rations of soup. It is not enough to keep them going through their full days of work, but after eating the same rations repeatedly, it becomes their way of life. During an "alert," when American planes bombed the camp, one man even risked his life to help ease his hunger: "Poor hero committing suicide for a ration or two or more of soup...In our minds, he was already dead" (59). Not only are they killed from severe hunger themselves, they are killed from trying to sustain their hunger needs. Wiesel tries to show the readers that there was no way out; either way, you would die. Another word that takes on a new meaning for Wiesel is death. "But we no longer feared death...Every bomb that hit filled us with joy, gave us renewed confidence" (60). Wiesel and the other prisoners are not afraid of dying anymore. The bombs from the American planes gave them confidence that they would be liberated soon. But if a bomb hit them, it didn't matter; because words like death and hunger had taken on a whole new meaning. As Elie Wiesel put it, "That was what life in a concentration camp had made of me..." (54).
For inmates of the concentration camps scattered throughout Europe the process of dehumanization is rapid and inflicting. The prisoners are stripped of their garments and shaved of all hair, leaving them naked and alike in their demoralizing appearances. The inmates are then tattooed with a number to take the place of their name, thus the Nazis succeed in not only stripping them of their freedom but now of their identity and pride. Elie Wiesel is one of the few Jews who faces the fear that lingers above their heads and resists the efforts to become one with the inmates and surrender his soul to the Nazis. Elie's first attempt at individuality is small but rebellious nonetheless when he refuses to hand over his shoes to authority although he is offered another pair, extra food, and even though, secretly he had known they would be stripped of his possession eventually. Elie does not give a reason for this defiance but the reader is aware of his endeavors, for his shoes are a reminder of normal life, of the home he was forced to leave, and the life he must now lead. Elie also resists the extraction of his gold crown and although he has no use for it he is determined to stand up and fight in any possible way consequently waging a war for freedom, and for distinction. The Germans are perniciously destroying him and millions of others, piece by piece, taking their freedom, religion, family, identity, dignity, hope, and possessions. The Elie Wieser of youth and of an open future has long since evaporated, however the Germans can take away their dignity and identity and annihilate their people but they will never succeed in turning their faith away from God. If anything, The Jewish peoples’ experiences in the concentration camps have strengthened their bonds with Him.
Throughout the book and Elie's experience he realizes that so many people just take the word hunger the wrong way and use it to their advantage. They don't understand what it is truly like to hungry. Just because a person goes without a meal and they might want food at the time does not mean they are starving or even hungry. He also says that the people would be luckier to die of starvation then to be murdered by Hitler's people. He knows that death is something all people go through, and now, he is used to the fact that many people just like him are dying every day.
One event in this chapter struck me much stronger than any other; the hanging of the young pipel. It was clear in the book that it was harder for everyone (even for the officers and the SS) to see this poor young boy be killed than it was for them to see anyone else. “The SS seemed more preoccupied, more worried, than usual” (64). It was interesting to me how the reaction to the killing of this one boy, could impact not only myself, but many characters in the book so much stronger than the mass murdering of thousands at Auschwitz. I believe it was partially because of his young and innocent age of only 13, which made the killing so much more monstrous, but also because of the close attention that was draw to this one death. Compared to the killings at Auschwitz, in which hundreds of people were killed everyday without recognizing any, this one hanging was more impact able because the boy was identified. The people around the camp knew who he was; a kind and well liked innocent young boy. Even if they did not know him the fact that he was so young and murdered so ruthlessly was bad enough, but by being forced to watch this small boy die, without being able to help him, is just so disgustingly inhumane. I also thought the fact that he did not die right away was significant, as if he was not meant to die, or God did not want him to. This poor young “sad eyed angel” should not have been killed, he should have had the chance to live, and it seemed like he and all the prisoners along with him struggled for that chance till the very end.
The theme of dehumanization reoccurs throughout Night and is very significant. The SS feels the need to take everything away from the Jews in order to feel superior. First, the SS makes every Jew shave their hair so they are not as unique. All the Jews have one name, which is a number. Elie’s is A-7713. The SS want to make it clear that the Jews are going to suffer at the concentration camp in Auschwitz. The next time is when the SS takes away the last thing Elie had left: his shoes. The only way Elie could be with his father in Kommando was if he gave the SS his shoes. “I refused to give him my shoes. They were all I had left. He liked my shoes; I would not let him have them. Later, they were taken away from me anyway. In exchange for nothing, that time.” (48) Even though Elie did not want to make the deal with him, his shoes were still taken away from him. This theme of dehumanization shows that the SS needs to take every single personal thing close to a Jew and it makes Elie less hopeful. In a sense, it almost makes them less religious and faithful because they have nothing left, and there is nothing else to live for. Elies shoes were the absolute last thing he had left, and that was taken away from him.
In this chapter hunger is shown as something that can not be taken away from anyone at Auschwitz. Elie shows the imporance of food and how it is mainly one of the only reasons to life for becides his family. "At that moment in time, all that mattered to me was my daily bowl of soup, my crust of stale bread. The bread, the soup-those were my entire life." (p.52). The prisnors and people at Auschwiz value the importance of food in a way that most people today can not understand. With such great hunger they felt empty, the same way that their lives felt because of all of their loses. They were missing so much of their live that was once there before, just like how food had been there before too, but now gone aswell.
"Two more, I thought, half unconscious. The Kapo was waiting. Twenty-four...twenty-five!"(58) This part of Night had a lasting impression on me. After being beaten with a whip twenty-five times, Wiesel was asked to immediately stand up. After being beat twenty-five times, one would surely be unconscious, and Wiesel was. None of the people that worked at the camp had feelings. They did not care about how the prisoners were treated or if it was wrong. They just wanted their meal at the end of the day. Even though this is a tiny example of how the prisoners were treated, it just shows how terrible the concentration camps were.
Many words, such as hunger, take on a new meaning during the time of the Holocaust. Because during Elie Wiesel's long journey Wiesel and his father were much deprived of food, they experienced the feeling of literally having no food in their stomachs to give them any energy that was needed to make it through their long day. On top of the discomfort of knowing they weren't going to be receiving a large portion of food at their next meal, they were also discomforted by many other things. Some of these discomforts include lack of sleep, thirst, pain, and suffering. Many of these words- hunger, rest, thirst, and pain- are such common words that are often used in the wrong sense. During Elie Wiesel's time in Auschwitz and Buna he was able to experience life in the harshest form. He experienced pain in a form that was so excruciatingly painful that the pain was no longer felt. I feel that people should try and think about the words they choose to use to describe their 'discomforts' or emotions and think if they are exaggerating the truth or not.
There are many instances in which the dehumanization and resistance of the prisoners was exhibited. The SS officers succeeded in stripping prisoners of their identity by shaving their heads, ordering them to take off their clothes, and by numbering them. The prisoners no longer had their own identity, they were the exact same as every body else. However, there were some times were the resistances of prisoners was exhibited. For example, when Franek wanted Elie's gold crown, Elie refused to give it up. Although Elie eventually gave his gold crown to Franek, the mere fact that he tried to resist being controlled is intriguing and admirable.
The image of Elie Wiesel's shoes, although briefly mentioned, I think played a key role in this chapter. On page 48, the book states "I refused to give him my shoes. They were all I had left." This quote shows how Wiesel was cherishing every single thing he had that reminded him of his home; of his life before being taken over by the Germans. Because the SS and Germans had stripped the Jews of all of their belongings, of all of their memories, Wiesel realizes how important keeping his shoes, his only thing, is.
This is not the first time the image of the shoes is shown. On page 38, the book says, "If...somebody had a new pair of shoes...we had to hand them over... I had new shoes myself...I thanked God...for having created mud in His infinite and wondrous universe." This quote shoes how Wiesel feels so strongly about keeping his shoes because they are the only thing he has from home. For, all of his clothes and belongings were taken away when he first arrived at Birkenau. Wiesel thanked God for creating mud becuase, if not for the mud, he would have had to hand over his only belonging that conjured up memories of peace, of home, and of happiness.
One of the significant events in this chapter was the surprising help the French woman gave Wiesel after he was beaten. Wiesel got in Idek's way so he was beaten in front of everyone. Idek wanted to make an example out of this innocent boy, who just happened to get in his way, when he was in a bad mood. Wiesel was beaten so badly that he could not even stand up by himself. Once he returned to his corner though, the French woman was there to help him and, we later find out, that she risked her life by offering Wiesel a few comforting words in German. Later, Wiesel met this woman, whom he recognized from her "dreamy eyes" (53), on a train in France. At first the woman did not remember Wiesel, but as they talked about their shared experiences it became clear to the woman who Wiesel was, "the young Jewish boy" (54). That experience was one of the horrible things Wiesel remembers from his time in the electrical parts warehouse, but also is memory of kindness shown in the concentration camp by a complete stranger. Although there are few survivors of the Holocaust still alive today, two met in France, shared a horrific memory, and were yet again, there for each other.
The abhorrently creative ways that Nazi's dehumanize the Jews in concentration camps is evident throughout this chapter and the last. It is as if every move, step, order, and even meal is calculated specifically to take away any aspect of their pride or human intelligence. Obvious examples are when the Nazi's shaved Elie and the rest of the prisoner's, treating them no better than live-stalk. They shaved them callously as you would shear sheep to abasing nakedness. The callousness of the acts are almost as disturbing as the acts themselves, and too make the prisoner's feel like animals; the fact that the men have no compassion, no feeling at all, anger, hatred, enmity, makes the implications even more evident. They are nothing, nobody. One of the more subtle ways the Nazi's are able to take away the humanity of these prisoners is their dependancy on food. They use their starvation against them by bribing them with extra rations to perform acts that no man should ever be asked to preform, such as helping to hang another soul. But their hunger turns these men against each other as well. At one point Wiesel says "All that mattered to me was my daily bowl of soup, my crust of bread. The bread, the soup- those were my entire life. I was nothing but a body...a famished stomache." (52) The prisoners are transformed from people, with minds and hearts, to shells who "dreamed more of an extra portion of food than of liberty." (51)
In chapter three Elie Wiesel's religion fades as he encounters numerous accounts that make him doubt the power of God. "'For God's sake, where is god?'... 'Where he is? This is where-hanging here from this gallows'" (page 65) This image to me shows the transformation that some jewish people including Elie go through after going to a Concentration Camp. When Elie was growing up he based his life and morals around his religion. he woke up every good or bad day and prayed to God. When he entered the camp he only relied on his religion in times of need and no longer thanked God in the few times of joy he had. But now as he stands in-front of a boy struggling for his life God is lost to him. By saying that God is hanging in the Gallows he is insinuating that God is dead to him, therefore loosing all faith.
Throughout this chapter, the prevalent theme of religion left a strong impression. In previous chapters, Elie Wiesel notes his continued belief in God,but his doubting of God's justice. We find the theme of religion demonstrated in this chapter many times, but more importantly at the end of the chapter when the beautiful boy being hung reminded Elie of God himself. The SS hung a child, a beautiful boy who had been tortured for weeks to find the names related to the numerous weapons found. When hanged, the boy didn't immediately die and remained for over half an hour, suffering through his death slowly and painfully. Prisoners questioned how God could torment and bring about suffering as great as this, on such an innocent boy. But Elie found himself thinking that the boy was God himself, demonstrating Elie's belief that God was indeed actually dead, hanging from the gallows; Elie believes God left them to suffer and God could not help them for he was dead now.
As I read, I was struck profoundly by the following passage in Night about those in the camp: “who dreamed more of an extra portion of food than of liberty.” (51) At first glance, I was confused by this idea. I’d always thought, according to the common, moral, and heroic steps of values, that freedom came before tangible objects such as food. And so, how could someone care more about food over liberty? But suddenly, I realized I was thinking extremely unfairly and in the wrong direction. I was being too literal. Perhaps, this is an example of how the camp changes the priorities of the prisoners. Everything is immediate. It’s about living another day—just one more day, one more night, and one more portion of food. Of course they care about freedom, for it is their ultimate goal, but it is not necessarily their first thought or priority, is it? Survival is. And this makes sense to me because survival is connected to liberty—it is a step to liberty. I mean, realistically, what does liberty mean if you are dead? Nothing, right?
The theme of resistance was seen a couple of time in chapter four. An example of resistance was seen when Wiesel was asked to give up his shoes to some one in exchange for making sure he was put into a good Kommando. The man who offered would have also given Wiesel another pair of shoes. Wiesel refuses to give up his shoes, because he feels that those are the only things he has left. This turned out to be the wrong thing to do. He was forced to give his shoes up anyway in exchange for nothing, when he would have gotten another pair of shoes and been in a good Kommondo.
As Wiesel notices and absorbs the atrocious cruelties in the concentration camps, the reader observes a gradual degradation of Elie’s innocence. “The thousands of people who died daily in Auschwitz and Birkenau, in the crematoria, no longer troubled me.” (62) The deaths of defenseless Jews had become a part in his daily life – his acceptance of reality. He suggested in his simplistic writing that he was neither upset nor filled with bitter emotions. A young adolescent could have never tolerated the pain of even one death let alone thousands. The way Elie discovers and accepts the harsh reality had a quite moving impact on me. Today, I’ve never encountered as many deaths as Elie. However, every funeral I have attended has filled me with extreme sorrow. Elie’s acceptance of these frightening deaths clearly depicts how many hardships he has already gone through: and his acceptance of hopelessness and despair is also quite poignant.
The relationship between Eliezer and his father has continued to change throughout Night. While Elie is still somewhat dependent on his father, they have grown apart in a sense. Now, family relationships are not as important to Eliezer as survival is. Whenever his father is beaten or picked on, he becomes just another prisoner. Elizezer does nothing to stand up for him or protect him. The only effort he makes in preserving his father's pride and well-being is when he tries to teach him how to march on beat. He doesn't even succeed in that. I think that as Night progresses, the relationship between Eliezer and his father will continue to deteriorate.
The most noteworthy image of this night’s reading, I felt, was the image of dying angel-faced pipel. For “the sad-eyed angel,”(64) is much lighter than his two partners and is left to suffer a slow death, rather than the quicker. “[The] third rope was still moving: the child…was still breathing…he remained [so] for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death…”(65) Not only are the men forced to watch three victims be hung, but they must walk past the lone boy “at close range,” while at the brink of death. A physical example of the morale of the men in the camp, letting extra servings of soup and bread become the leading needs in the time left over of their lives. Understandably, the prisoners are beat down physically to never dream of proper liberty, yet the conditions have even mentally beaten them down to a point where soup at the end of the day completes whatever desire they had. Crushed both mentally and physically, when a man has the energy to question the location of God, when his people are suffering so, is answered inwardly by Wiesel: “Where He is? This is where- hanging here from this gallows…”(65) Undergoing such unfathomable trials and cruelty has affected all of the men, as seen from Wiesel’s eyes; so much so that “His absolute justice” (45) is left very, very much in doubt.
The idea of hoping for better days and a chance at revenge is repeated continusously throughout "Night." One time where it is mentioned is on page 53 when the dark-haired French woman tells Elie to, "Bite your lips, little brother...Don't cry. Keep your anger, your hate, for another day, for later. The day will come but not now." She can understand Elie's anger, but is also aware of the consequences if he were to rebel. The woman is wise in telling him to hold onto his anger for later when he has a better opportunity to fight back without being harmed. She is optimistic that the future will be less challenging and the Nazis will eventually get what they deserve.
the way that the Nazis were able to condone their treatment of the Jews was to dehumanize them to a point where they were like animals in their cold hard eyes. One can hardly burn an equal man to death, but can he burn an animal? The first step the Nazis take is to take anyway anything that makes the Jews feel like individuals. They take their houses, jobs, money, belongings, clothing, their hair (So they all look uniform), and finally even their name. By referring to Wiesel as A-7713, the Nazis are taking away his rights as a man. A number cannot have feelings, or thoughts, or fears. But a person can, and it is that fact that the Nazis are trying to destroy through their dehumanization of the Jews.
While Elie Wiesel was in Auchwitz, normal words changes their meaning for him and his other inmates. He founds that words like hunger had changed forever. After experienceing real hunger in the concentration camps, the hunger that he used to feal back at home has would feal like fullness to him. Other words have new meaning fot him too, like horror and chimney. After experienceing what he experieces in Auchwitz,those simple words will never have the same meaning for him.
"The bread, the soup--those were my entire life. I was nothing but a body. Perhaps even less: a famished stomach" (52). This image shows the actual pain and starvation that they have had to endure. We already have learned that they had to endure a massive amount of physical and mental pain, but in this chapter we see the realization of their health. Elie puts a vivid image inside your head of how they look--nothing but skin and bones. I think this image also shows how much the Jews rely on the Germans. Without the little bit of food that the receive everyday, their life, they probably wouldn't be able to carry on. Every one person that had to endure this type of torture and demoralization is a hero.
Although it is hard, and often dangerous, some of the prisoners in the concentration camps did show resistance of the Germans. For example, Elie refuses to give up his shoes and gold crown even for an extra ration of food. His shoes are a part of Elie's old life that he does not want to lose or forget. It took a lot of courage to stand up to the Germans even when threatened and bribed. A significant image that really stood out to me was the image of God hanging in the gallows with the pipel. I think this is Elie, losing his faith and belief in God for not helping this child.
Although it is hard, and often dangerous, some of the prisoners in the concentration camps did show resistance of the Germans. For example, Elie refuses to give up his shoes and gold crown even for an extra ration of food. His shoes are a part of Elie's old life that he does not want to lose or forget. It took a lot of courage to stand up to the Germans even when threatened and bribed. A significant image that really stood out to me was the image of God hanging in the gallows with the pipel. I think this is Elie, losing his faith and belief in God for not helping this child.
The relationship between Eliezer and his father has grown very tense over the autobiography Night. Eliezer, upon seeing his father being beaten, simply gets mad that he has put himself in a vulnerable situation, while at the beginning of the book he was ashamed of himself when his father was hit and he did not stand up for him. When people go through such strain as Eliezer and his father did at all of these different concentration camps, relationships change. All they can think about is themselves, because if they aren't thinking about themselves then they will die. Because of the circumstances they are in, this father and son pair change their relationship from a trusting, ordinary relationship into a stressed, angry relationship. They have to change their relationship, however, to accommodate their surroundings. If they don't, they will feel too much, and in this case they simply cannot feel because it causes too much pain. In order to deflect the full understanding of the pain they would go through, Eliezer and his father change their relationship.
The theme of hunger is clearly shown on page 59 when the prisoner is trying to steal the soup during the Alert. Weisel wrote "fear was greater than hunger". This short quote explains exactly why the hundreds of prisoners decided to restrain their hunger in order to remain out of trouble. The prisoners would rather remain starving than take a risk. The Germans have ripped away all of their confidence and replaced it with fear and hunger. The mental pain that they went through, dealing with their fear, was so much greater than the physical pain of starving, so they remain in place and watch the man who dared to take a risk die in the soup.
The image of hunger makes a huge impact on me. It makes an impact on me because of how serious it really is. To us hunger is not really an issue and most of us have at least 3 meals a . It wasn't like that for Elie and the people around him. In the concentration camp people will do anything for some more food. When I say anything its true as an example young boys about our age and younger would do anything for food. These young boys also known as "pipels" would in a way "belong" to an older man and would do everything that older man wanted him to do. Most of the time the stuff the pipels had to do was not work it was more sexual. In return the older men would give the young boys some extra food. As shown with this example many people were desperate and would do absolutely anything just to get some extra food to eat.
This is great info to know.
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