Describe the character of Elie Wiesel in 1941, when Night opens

He is thoughtful and a bright kid who is very close with his family and God.

Based on his characterization, what is Elie’s father like?

He is very cultured and successful and cares a lot for his family especially Elie his son.

Why do you think Sighet’s Jews fail to heed the warnings of Moshe the Beadle?

Moshe the Beadle is poor and different than others so people don’t take him seriously.

Why do you think Elie’s father doesn’t leave for Palestine or accept Martha’s offer?

Because he is a respected person of the community and he doesn't want to have to start over. He doesn’t think that the Nazis are the ones causing danger.

What early actions on the part of the Germans suggest greater danger to come?

Shipping foreigners away, closing the synagogues, herding the Jews into two ghetto areas, and forcing them to wear yellow Stars of David.

What does the opening of the chapter show about the Jews’ understanding of their future destination?

Most have no idea of the horrors that await them.

Identify two examples of foreshadowing in the chapter. At what future developments do you think they hint?

Madam Schachter’s dream visions hint at the fiery devastation that the Jews on the train will face. The line “Our eyes were opened, but too late” hints at the dangers.

What does Madame Schachter have in common with Moshe the Beadle in the first chapter?

They both recognize the dangers facing the Jews, but they are viewed as crazy and are not believed.

Why do the other passengers hit Madame Schachter and tie her up?

Her hysterical screams add to the terror and tension of the situation. Her loud rantings might bring the guards, who will punish everyone.

What is the “abominable odor in the air” at Auschwitz?

The smell of the dead being burned in the crematories.

Why are the words “Men to the left! Women to the right!” significant to Wiesel? Why is it advisable for him to pretend he is older and for his father to pretend he is younger?

He doesn’t know it but this will be the last time he ever sees his mother and his younger sister. If Elie seems too young or his father too old to work, they will be killed immediately.

What examples of figurative language describe what happens to Wiesel’s life and faith on his first night at the camps? List several phrases as examples.

Some examples are “turned my life into one long night,” “those flames…consumed my faith forever,” “murdered my God,” and “turned my dreams to dust.”

Why is Elie angry with himself for failing to act when the gypsy strikes his father? Do you think his self-criticism is valid? Explain.

He views himself as inhuman and cowardly after only a short time in the camp, it is understandable that Elie was too frightened to act.

Why do you think the camp policy was to tattoo numbers on prisoners instead of using their names?

It is another way of treating the prisoners as if they are not human beings.

What news do you think Stein gets from the transport that comes from Antwerp?

His family is no longer alive.

Explain the irony behind the incident involving Elie’s shoes. What is ironic about the behavior of the Jewish dentist?

He refuses to give them up for a favor and finally gives them up for nothing.

Why do you think the Nazis allow music in the concentration camps?

It may puzzle or upset prisoners and add to their psychological torment. Some of the music can control the work such as marching music.

How does Elie seem to feel about the Jewish French woman who pretends to be Aryan?

She is brave and compassionate to risk discovery by being kind to Elie.

What is ironic about the prisoners’ attitude towards the Allied bombing of Buma?

Some may expect them to be scared because they could be killed, but instead they are happy because it punishes the Germans.

Why do you think Elie was more disturbed by the hanging of the pipel than by the other hangings he witnessed?

Because the youth’s dying is long and sad and Elie may relate to some of their ages.

As the Jews celebrate Jewish New Year, what happens to Elie Wiesel’s faith? Why?

He has lost all faith and is filled with anger at God for allowing the stuff he has had to go through.

Identify three biblical allusions on page 50. How does Elie contrast God’s acts in these biblical references with the events taking place in the concentration camp?

Allusions are for Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood, and Sodom. The allusions cause Elie’s relationship with God to drift.

What happens in the “selections”?

Dr. Mengele and the SS officers select the prisoners that will be put to death.

Why does Chlomo give Elie his knife and spoon? Why does Elie call them “the inheritance”? How do you think Elie feels when he gives them back to his father?

He thinks he is selected to die and wants his son to have them. They are the only valued thing that his father can give him.

What does the other hospital patient mean when he says that he has more faith in Hitler than in anyone else?

Hitler has kept his promises to destroy the Jews. It seems that neither God or anyone else has kept any promises to save them.

What details help bring to life the setting through which the prisoners travel?

Details about the snow and cold and the dead and dying.

How do Elie and his father keep each other alive on the forced march across the snow?

When Elie is tempted to give into death he realizes that his father needs him.

How does Elie’s behavior toward his father contrast with that of Rabbi Eliahou’s son?

Rabbi’s son seems to leave his father because he fears that it will destroy him.

How would you describe the atmosphere of the setting in which Juliek plays his violin? Why do you think Juliek takes care to hold on to his violin all the way to Gleiwitz?

Dark and suffocating. He loves music which helped him survive.

What effect does the Allied approach seem to have on the Nazis’ efficiency? Cite details to support your answer.

The chaos of the forced march and Elie creating a distraction for his father to escape.

Why do you think the German workman throws the crust of bread to the prisoners?

He may wish to create a spectacle for other workers.

What does the death of meir and his father reveal about human nature?

When humans are treated so poorly it may cause people to lose their humanity in the struggle to survive.

What internal conflict deeply troubles elie after his father grows ill? Why do you think Elie fails to go to his father when Chlomo Wiesel calls his son at the end?

He is upset because of the will to survive and the love he has for his father. He feels very guilty for leaving his father.

What is the resolution, or outcome, of the external conflict with Nazi society that Elie and his father face?

Elie survives but his father does not.

Why do you think Elie will always remember the face he sees in the mirror?

It reflects the horror of what he has gone through and it will always affect him.

In one or two paragraphs, describe the feelings of the passengers as they take the train to Auschwitz.

The terror and tension of the trip, the physical discomforts and dangers, and the ignorance of the destination and danger to come.

Write a one-paragraph summary of life in the concentration camps based on what you’ve read thus far.

Dehumanization and the prisoners were put to work everyday. They could only eat a certain amount of food each day. People were constantly getting killed.

Discuss the effect that being in the camp has had on Elie. How has he changed so far?

Elie has lost faith but remains a loyal son.

Based on the details in Chapters 5 and 6, evaluate the decision that Elie and his father make to leave the hospital.

It was not a good decision because those who stayed did not become victims of the Nazi slaughter.

Evaluate the Nazis’ behavior as the Allied victory draws near. Why do you think they behave as they do?

They continued the running of the camps is a waste of manpower. The manpower was needed at the front.