Comprehension Questions
How does Eliezer describe Buna when they first arrive?
He initially thinks it looks less threatening than Auschwitz but soon realizes the conditions are still brutal.
Kapo : )
A prisoner assigned to supervise labor; often brutal.
Eliezer/Ellie
The protagonist; struggles with faith and survival.
The cruel Kapo, Idek, erupted into one of his frequent, violent fits.
(Adjectives: cruel, frequent, violent)
Dehumanization:
Examples from Night (Easy to Understand)
Numbers Instead of Names
The Nazis tattooed numbers on prisoners’ arms, taking away their names.
Why it’s bad: Your name is who you are. A number makes you feel like a thing.
Starving People
Prisoners got only tiny bits of bread and soup, so they were always weak and sick.
Why it’s bad: Food keeps us alive and healthy. Without it, people suffer like animals.
Forced Nakedness
Nazis made prisoners strip in front of everyone.
Why it’s bad: Clothes give us dignity. Being naked in public feels shameful.
Why does Franek target Eliezer’s father?
Franek wants Eliezer’s father’s gold crown. When he refuses, Franek torments him until Eliezer gives in.
Pipel: )
A young boy who served as an assistant to a Kapo (sometimes in exploitative ways).
Eliezer’s Father
Grows weaker; targeted by Franek.
A kind, French girl secretly handed Eliezer a piece of bread after his brutal beating.
(Adjectives: kind, French, brutal)
Loss of Faith:
he pipel’s hanging makes Eliezer question God.
What happens when Idek catches Eliezer watching him with a woman?
Idek whips Eliezer severely as punishment.
* extra credit: What happens to Ellie during the punishment?
Buna: )
A subcamp of Auschwitz where Eliezer works.
Idek
Violent Kapo who beats Eliezer.
The frail, old man struggled under the heavy weight of the iron bars.
(Adjectives: frail, old, heavy)
Cruelty & Power
Kapos like Idek and Franek abuse their authority.
Who is the French girl, and why is her interaction with Eliezer significant?
She is a Jewish prisoner posing as Aryan. She comforts Eliezer after Idek’s beating, showing rare kindness. Years later, Eliezer meets her again in Paris.
Foreman : )
A prisoner in charge of work details who abuses power.
* Extra credit: What is the Foreman's name in Buna
Franek
Sadistic foreman who extorts the gold crown
Franek, the greedy foreman, demanded the shiny gold crown with a menacing glare.
(Adjectives: greedy, shiny, gold, menacing)
How does the hanging of the young pipel affect Eliezer and the other prisoners?
The boy’s slow death is horrifying, and Eliezer feels that God is also "hanging" on the gallows, symbolizing his loss of faith.
Apathy: )
*Bonus: Liquidate: )
Emotional numbness, common among prisoners.
To eliminate prisoners (often through execution).
The French Girl
A kind prisoner who comforts Eliezer. Why does she comfort him?
Eliezer watched the innocent, angelic pipel suffer a slow, painful death on the gallows.
(Adjectives: innocent, angelic, slow, painful)