Night
by Elie Wiesel
“Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which
deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments which
murdered my God and my soul and turned my
dreams to dust.”
—Elie Wiesel in Night
Night
Intro
• What events can suddenly change the course of a
person’s life? What are the possible effects and
emotional reactions you or others might have to
such events?
• In your table groups, discuss events that
unexpectedly change people’s lives—a natural
disaster or death of aloved one, for example.
Discuss the possible effects and emotional
reactions you or others might have to each event.
• Read to find out how young Elie Wiesel’s life is
profoundly and forever changed.
Elie Wiesel’s Night…
The novel begins in Sighet,
Transylvania (around 1941).
During the early years of World War
II, Sighet remained relatively
unaffected by the war. The Jews in
Sighet believed that they would be
safe from the persecution that Jews
in Germany and Poland suffered.
Night continued…
In 1944, however, Elie
and all the other Jews
in town were deported
to concentration camps
in Poland.
He was 14.
Night continued…
They were
sent to
Auschwitz and
another
concentration
camp.
Roll call in Buchenwald, February 1941
Night continued…
After surviving the Nazi
concentration camps,
Wiesel vowed never to
write about his horrific
experiences.
He eventually changed his
mind and wrote Night in
1955. Wiesel won the
Nobel Prize in 1986.
“I swore never to be silent whenever
and wherever human beings endure
suffering and humiliation. We must
always take sides.”
— Elie Wiesel, Jewish-American
writer, political activist, Nobel
Laureate, and Holocaust survivor.
Night
Unit Overview
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Read Night by Elie Wiesel
Complete discussion questions for each reading section
Discuss Elie’s experience as shown in Night
Explore vocabulary from Night
Identification of:
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point of view
setting
characters
conflict
elements of plot (rising action, climax, falling action, etc.)
tone
symbols
allusion
themes
Motifs
• Write in various forms (journal responses, on-demand
prompts, formal responses)
How does Elie Wiesel convey the
inhumanity and humanity
associated with the Holocaust in
the novel Night?
Inhumanity –
Humanity –
With a partner, come
up with a definition
for each of these
terms. Be ready to
share. Write down
examples in your
journal as you read
the novel that reflect
these two terms.
Vocabulary Preview
• beadle – n. in Judaism refers to the caretaker of the
synagogue
• Hasidic – adjective form of Hasidism, describes a branch of
orthodox Judaism originating in Eastern Europe which
focuses on the Rabbi as the conduit of God
• Cabbala – n. a system of Jewish teaching about God and
the world based on mysticism and miracles
• Talmud – n. the authoritative body of Jewish tradition
• mysticism – n. the belief that knowledge of God, spiritual
truth, and ultimate reality can best be understood
through subjective experience such as insight or intuition
• Zionism – n. an international movement originally for the
establishment of a Jewish national or religious community
in Palestine and later for support of modern Israel.
Vocabulary Preview
• Fascism/Fascist – n/adj. a political movement that
puts the nation and often race above the
individual and that stands for an autocratic
government led by a dictator and characterized
by strict economic and social regulation.
• ghetto – n. comes from the Venetian word for
“slag” and was originally used to refer to a
foundry where slag was stored on the same
island where the Jewish community lived. During
the Holocaust, Jews in Nazi-occupied territory
were forced to live in segregated portions of
town known as ghettos. Today, it refers to
portions of a city where minorities live, especially
because of social or economic pressure.
Vocabulary Preview
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compatriots - n. fellow countrymen
edict - n. official statement; law
expound - v. to set forth in detail
firmament - n. the sky, or heavens
hermetically - adv. completely sealed; airtight
pestilential - adj. filled with disease; contagious
phylacteries - n. small boxes containing scripture;
worn by some Jewish men for daily prayer
• pillage - v. to rob with open violence
• premonition - n. anticipation of an event, usually
negative, even without actual warning
• truncheon - n. a police officer’s stick
Literary/Rhetorical Terms
• First Person Point of View or Narration – a story in which
the narrator speaks in the first person as he relates the
tale. The narrator may or may not be the protagonist.
• allusion – a reference to a text, historical figure, event, or
place that the writer expects the reader to understand
• metaphor – a comparison between two dissimilar things
without using like or as
• simile – a comparison between dissimilar things using like
or as
• mood – the feeling created by the setting, characters, or
action of a work
• tone – the attitude of the author toward the topic or
subject
Wednesday, 5/28/14
• Bell Work:
– Get journal
• Night:
– Continue reading part I - take notes
– Complete Part I work in your journal. Make sure it
is labeled appropriately “Night Part I Reading”
• HW: none 
Night
Reading 1
Pg. 1-20 (small book)
Pg. 3-22 (large book)
By Elie Wiesel
Night Reading 1
(pg. 1-20 small book; 3-22 large book))
1. As you read, write down any words, ideas, etc. that you
do not understand. List questions, comments, &
personal connections that come to mind as you read.
2. Identify at least one allusion – a reference to a text,
historical figure, event, or place that the writer expects
the reader to understand )
3. Describe the setting for this novel.
4. Tell what you know about the narrator.
5. Choose one quote, copy it down (provide a page
number) and explain its significance to you. Why did
you choose this quote?
6. Just from your reading of this first section, why do you
think the author chose the title of Night?
Friday, May 30, 2014
Learning Goal (s): read Night by Elie Wiesel and determine
plot, themes, & use of figurative language.
• Bell-work:
– Write homework in planner
– Get journal & copy of Night
– Sit in chairs as they are – 9th graders are in the middle of Socratic
Seminar!
• Night
– Reading Part II
– Part II Reading Response: choose a question to respond to in
your journal – follow directions.
• HW:
– Part II Reading Response: choose a question to respond to in
your journal – follow directions.
– Final due date for ALL outstanding work is Friday, June 4th NO
exceptions!
Night
Reading 2
Pg.21-43 (small book)
Pg 23 - 46(large book)
By Elie Wiesel
Characters from Night
• Moshe the Beadle - Jewish man in Sighet who worked in
the Jewish synagogue (church)
• Elie (Eliezer Wiesel) - Jewish boy, main character, only son
• Chlomo Wiesel - Elie’s father, a respected man in the
community
• Hilde, Bea, Tzipora - Elie’s sisters, two older, one younger
• Elie’s mother
• Batia Reich - a relative who lives with them in the ghetto
• Martha - old servant who helps some leave the ghetto
• Madame Schecter - woman on the cattle car with her ten
year old son - loses her mind after losing her family; sees a
powerful image and frightens other people in the car
• Madame Schecter’s son - attempts to comfort his mother
in her fear; a loyal son
Characters of Night
• Dr. Mengele - SS officer and medical doctor
who conducts the prisoners to the left or right
• Yechiel - brother of the Rabbi in Sighet
• Young Pole (polish man) at Auschwitz - in
charge of block 17
• Stein - Reizel’s husband, relative of Elie,
curious about his family
• Hersch Genud - spoke of ending of the World
and Coming of the Messiah (savior)
• Juliek - Polish violinist
Characters from Night
• Franek - Polish foreman, former student, is nice until he
wants Elie’s crown
• Yossi and Tibi - two brother living for each other after
parents were killed
• Dentist - Czechoslovakian Jew who extracts gold crowns
• Idek - man in charge of the work unit
• French girl - another person working in the electrical
warehouse, kind to Elie
• Rabbi Eliahou - Rabbi at Buna, looks for son while on
march to Buchenwald
• Meir Katz - gardener at Buna, helps Elie
• Gustav - head of the children’s block (prison) at
Buchenwald
Night Reading 2
Pg.21-43 (small book)
Pg 23 - 46(large book)
Choose one of the following to respond to in depth. Above
standard writing includes references to text via citations.
1. How is Madame Schächter like Moshe the Beadle?
Does she, too, know or sense something that others
refuse to believe?
2. How does Eliezer respond when his father is beaten
for the first time? How does that response affect the
way he sees himself?
3. Wiesel, in recounting the first night in the
concentration camp says, “Never shall I forget that
night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life
into one long night…”. What does it mean for a life to
be turned into “one long night”?
Monday, June 2, 2014
Learning Goal (s): read Night by Elie Wiesel and
determine plot, themes, & use of figurative language.
• Bell-work:
– Write homework in planner
– Get journal & copy of Night
• Night
– Period 4 and 5: Reading Part II Response Question Partner
activity (read/evaluate your partner’s work)
– 6th: finish Reading Part II, response question, share with a
partner and evaluate
– Begin reading Part III – if time
• HW:
– Final due date for ALL outstanding work is Friday, June 4th
NO exceptions!
Night Reading 2 Partner Evaluation
• Exchange journals with a partner – attempt to exchange with
someone who has answered a different question than you.
• Read your partners answer to their chosen question.
• Grade your partner’s work:
– AS = complete, uses part of question in answer; proper
grammar/conventions; thoughtful response with
opinion/explanation/commentary with textual evidence/citation
from book
– MS = all of the above but maybe not as specific, uses an example
but no citation, a few more errors in conventions, spelling, etc.
but does not distract from the reader’s understanding
– APS = eludes to an answer but does not use part of the question
in the answer; not written in complete sentences; many errors
that distract the reader’s attention; lacks organization and focus
– BS = a few sentences that answer the question at a surface level.
Little to no effort to really answer the question. No elaboration of
ideas.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
8th LA: Periods 4, 5, and 6
• Bell Work:
– Get journal and copy of Night
– Turn in any late work – all work up until this point is
due no later than Friday, June 6th!
• Night:
– 5th and 6th: finish evaluating Part II reading response
– Reading Part III, while you read instructions, & reading
response
• HW:
– All work up until this point, late or otherwise, due
Friday, June 6th – NO EXCEPTIONS!
Night
Reading 3
Pg 45-62 (small book)
Pg 47-65(large book)
By Elie Wiesel
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
8th LA: Periods 4, 5, and 6
• Bell Work:
– Get journal and copy of Night
– Turn in any late work – all work up until this point is
due no later than Friday, June 6th!
• Night:
– 4th: Part II Reading Response/Discuss
– 5th and 6th: Finish Reading Part III/complete “while
reading” questions & discuss
• HW:
– All work up until this point, late or otherwise, due
Friday, June 6th – NO EXCEPTIONS!
Night Reading 3
While you read…
• Find one example of an allusion. Define what
you think it means.
• Wiesel uses frequent sentence fragments as
part of his writing style. How do these
sentence fragments contribute to the tone
and mood of his story?
• Write down an example of humanity and
inhumanity within this section.
Night Reading 3
Pg 45-62 (small book)
Pg 47-65(large book)
Choose one of the following to respond to in depth. Above
standard writing includes references to text via citations.
1. How do the changes in Eliezer’s relationship with his
father affect the way he sees himself as an individual?
The way he views his father?
2. When the young boy is hanged, a prisoner asks, “Where
is God now?” Eliezer thinks to himself, “He is hanging
here on this gallows…”. What does this statement
mean? Is it a statement of despair? Anger? Or hope?
3. After the hanging, Elie says “That night the soup tasted
of corpses” (62). What do you think he meant by this?
Explain.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
8th LA: Periods 4, 5, and 6
• Bell Work:
– Get journal and copy of Night
– Turn in any late work – all work up until this point is due no later than
Friday, June 6th!
– Check updated grades
• Night:
– 5th & 6th: Reading Part 3 Response/discuss
– Themes, motifs and symbols worksheet (due upon completion of our
reading! Fill it out as we finish reading) (if time)
– Reading Part 4 (if time)
• HW:
– All work up until this point, late or otherwise, due Friday, June 6th!
Come see me if you need assistance!
– Night Themes, motifs, and symbols worksheet (due upon completion
of our reading – you may fill it out as we finish reading)
Friday, June 6, 2014
8th LA: Periods 4, 5, and 6
• Bell Work:
– Get journal and copy of Night
– Turn in any other late work – due today by the end of the day –
anything submitted to me online may be turned in up until
11:59 pm but you MUST email me so I know to look for it!
• Night:
– 5th : discuss Reading Part III reading response questions
– Themes, motifs and symbols worksheet (due upon completion
of our reading! Fill it out as we finish reading) (if time)
– Reading Part 4
• HW:
– ANight Themes, motifs, and symbols worksheet (due upon
completion of our reading – you may fill it out as we finish
reading)
Themes, Motifs and Symbols
• Theme: the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a
literary work; underlying issues or ideas of a work; the way in
which a work of literature raises a question or explores an issue
in addition to telling a story.
• Eliezer’s faith in God/struggle to maintain his faith: “Why did I
pray? . . . Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (7) At the
beginning, Eliezer’s faith is strong, and unconditional, and he
cannot imagine life without it, but his faith is shaken by the
Holocaust and the atrocities he witnesses. As Eliezer witnesses
the agonizingly slow death of the Dutch Oberkapo’s pipel, a
young boy hanged for collaborating against the Nazis, he hits a
low point of questioning his faith, “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. . . .” (This symbolizes the
death of the child, but also the death of Eliezer’s God, his faith,
and his youth and innocence.
Themes, Motifs and Symbols
• Motif: a recurring, structures, contrasts or literary
devices that can help to develop and inform the
text’s major themes; a recurring pattern of
images, words, or symbols that reveals a theme
in a work of literature.
– Tradition: The Jewish faith is over 6,000 year old.
Tradition plays a significant role in Jewish life. The
Nazi’s wanted to destroy the Jews and anything
related to their customs, traditions, and way of life.
Examples? Eliezer clings to tradition as a link to the
outside world. Text Examples?
Themes, Motifs and Symbols
• Symbol: objects, characters, figures, or colors
used to represent abstract ideas or concepts;
places, events, characters that carry more than
literal meanings, and provide meaning of the
work as a whole.
– Fire: represents the Nazi’s cruel power, as opposed to
what fire means in the Jewish tradition - fire in the
Bible portrays God and his divine wrath, and is also a
sign of divine retribution. In the Bible, those who are
wicked are punished with fire, but in the Holocaust,
those who are wicked (Nazi’s) yielded the power of
fire . Text Examples?
Monday, June 9th – Wednesday June 11th
8th ELA: Period 4, 5, and 6
Mrs. Christensen here – be on your BEST behavior!
• Bell Work:
– Get your journal and a copy of Night
– Please check your backpacks for copies of Night – several are missing. Also, be
KIND to these books! They are worse now than before YOU started reading them!
– If you’ve checked out any books from me return them to Mrs. C! I need these to
get rid of your fines!
• Night:
– Continue reading, discussing, and completing writing prompts as assigned
– Themes, Motifs, and Symbols worksheet (some time in class/rest HW – focus on
finding quotes for each so you can finish this at home) – due Friday!
– Oprah & Elie Wiesel at Aushwitz video & notes (after finishing the book
– “I learned” written response (assigned after video and due Friday)
• Mrs. Jensen thank you cards (due Friday ) – (time in class TBD)
• HW:
– Night: “Themes, Motifs, Symbols” worksheet with explanations due Friday, June
13th/”I learned” typed response due Friday, June 13th
– Mrs. Jensen thank you card – due Friday, June 13th
Night
Reading 4
Pg. 63-80 (small book)
Pg. 66-84 (large book)
By Elie Wiesel
Night Reading 4
Pg. 63-80 (small book)
Pg. 66-84 (large book)
Discuss with your table group/report out:
• On Rosh Hashanah, Eliezer says, “I was alone – terribly
alone in a world without God and without man.
Without love or mercy. I had ceased to be anything
but ashes…” (Wiesel 65). Eliezer is describing himself
at a religious service attended by ten thousand men,
including his own father. What do you think he means
when he says that he is alone? In what sense is he
alone?
• Choose one other quote from this section with your
group and present the significance to the class, by
connecting it to a theme in the book.
Night
Reading 5
Pg. 81-109 (small book)
Pg. 85-115 ( large book)
By Elie Wiesel
Night Reading 5 Written Response
Pg. 81-109 (small book)
Pg. 85-115( large book)
• Class discussion:
1. What does Eliezer mean when he writes that he feels
free after his father’s death? Is he free of responsibility?
Or is he free to go under, to drift off into death?
1. Eliezer later states, “After my father’s death, nothing
could touch me any more.” What does he mean by these
words? What do they suggest about his struggle to
maintain his identity?
Oprah & Elie Wiesel in Aushwitz
Directions: As you watch the video please take
notes in your journal. Make a new entry. Write
down at least 15 facts or examples of things that
shocked you, moved you, etc. from the
interview!
Night
I Learned Response
By Elie Wiesel
Night I Learned Response
• Write about what you learned as you read this
text. Be specific. What do you know now that
you didn’t know before? It can be about
yourself, other human beings, the Holocaust,
etc.
• Use textual evidence to make your response
stronger.
• Your response must be at least a well organized
one page thoughtful, specific (details, points,
commentary, and textual evidence explained!)
response, and must be typed (double spaced)
using complete sentences, with proper
grammar and conventions.