Characters
This poor jack-of-all-trades at the Hasidic house of worship becomes Eliezer's teacher of the Kabbalah
The train from Sighet arrives around midnight in which concentration camp?
Auschwitz-Birkenau
The book's title and central theme: this image represents death, the loss of faith, and a world without God
Night
"Jews, listen to me...I see a fire! I see flames, huge flames"
Madame Schächter
Prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed at Jewish people
Antisemitism
As Eliezer loses his faith in God, his bond grows stronger with this character
His father
What Madame Schachter sees and warns the other train passengers about
Fire/flames
Flames/fire
"I wanted to return to Sighet to describe to you my death so that you might ready yourselves while there is still time...I wanted to come back and warn you. Only on one is listening to me."
Moishe the Beadle
The fenced-off section of town where the Jews of Sighet were forced to live before deportation
Ghetto
This Kapo at the electrical parts warehouse is prone to sudden fits of rage -- especially when Eliezer discovers his secret
Idek
On the advice of a veteran inmate, Eliezer lies to Dr. Mengele about these two things (I'll accept either one or both)
His age (eighteen, not fifteen) and his occupation (farmer, not student)
Moishe the Beadle warns the town, but no one listens. The Jews of Sighet keep telling themselves everything will be fine.
Denial (not believing the warnings)?
"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...Wait. Clench your teeth and wait..."
The French girl
The Jewish prayer for the dead. Prisoners recite it for themselves on the first night in camp.
Kaddish
This relative from Antwerp visits Eliezer and his father weekly. He vanishes after a transport arrives with bad news of his wife and sons.
Stein
Franek the foreman torments Eliezer's father about his inability to do this one thing
March in step
In Chapter 1, Eliezer prays and studies constantly. By Chapter 5, he refuses to bless God and won’t fast on Yom Kippur. This theme tracks what Eliezer is losing.
Loss of faith
"Where He is? This is where-hanging here from this gallows"
Eliezer
A prisoner put in charge of other prisoners and work crews — Idek and Franek both held this job.
Kapo
The block's deep-voiced singer of Hasidic melodies who gets taken for selection. He asks his friends to say Kaddish for him, but they forget
Akiba Drumer
The Russians liberated them two days after he left
Eliezer’s biggest fear in every selection and march is being separated from this person
Father
From the next infirmary cot, this person said he had more faith in Hitler than in anyone else, because Hitler alone had kept all his promises to the Jewish people. (pp. 80–81)
Who is Eliezer’s faceless neighbor (the Hungarian Jew)
The process where SS doctors examined the prisoners and wrote down the numbers of anyone too weak to work
Selection