Literary Devices
When Madame Schachter's hallucinations come true, this is an example of
What is foreshadowing?
In the beginning of the memoir, Moishe asks Elie a question. What is it?
Why do you cry when you pray?
"Men to the left! Women to the right!"
Who is Elie separated from here?
Who are his mother and sister?
In describing the hanging of a child, Elie says, "That night, the soup tasted of___________________" (Wiesel 65).
What are corpses?
What type of comparison is “Everywhere rooms lay open…An open tomb”?
What is a metaphor?
In the concentration camp hospital, Eliezer’s neighbor remarks he has lost faith in everything except who?
Who is Hitler?
"The only thing that keeps me alive," he [Stein] kept saying, "is to know that Reizel and the little ones are still alive. Were it not for them, I would give up."
One evening he came to see us, his face radiant.
"A transport just arrived from Antwerp. I shall go to see them tomorrow. Surely they will have news …"
He left.
We never saw him again. He had been given the news. The real news." (3.169-173)
Why does Elie lie to Stein?
What is to save him the pain of knowing his family has been killed?
The news spread through Sighet like wildfire. Soon that was all people talked about. But not for long. Optimism soon revived: The Germans will not come this far. They will stay in Budapest. For strategic reasons, for political reasons . . .
In less than three days, German Army vehicles made their appearance on our streets."
What thematic topic does this describe?
What is denial?
What kind of figurative language is shown in these words?
"Ten thousand caps were back on our heads, at lightning speed" (Weisel 61).
What is hyperbole?
How does Wiesel's father change from the start of Night to the time they are in the camp?
What is he believes that evil can exist; he is no longer in denial?
I tightened my grip on my father's hand. The old, familiar fear: not to lose him.
[…]
I could have screamed in anger. To have lived and endured so much; was I going to let my father die now? Now that we would be able to take a good hot shower and lie down?
[…]
This discussion continued for some time. I knew that I was no longer arguing with him but with Death itself, with Death that he had already chosen. (8.3-23)
What has been keeping Elie motivated to survive?
What is his father?
Elie's father told him that one doesn't die from wearing a yellow star. Elie commented, "Of what then did you die?" (11) What is the yellow star?
What is the Star of David - a sacred symbol for the Jews?
The Germans tell the prisoners to clean the barracks just before the liberation because they don't want it to look like pigs lived there, yet the prisoners were treated like animals. What is an example of?
What is irony?
In addition to the Jews being murdered, who does Elie believe must have also died?
Who is God?
As the Jews continue to starve, they begin to turn on each other. What is one example of family members acting to survive instead of being loyal to each other?
What is:
- Rabbi Eliahu's son leaving him behind?
- a son killing his father for bread in the cattle car?
- Elie fighting the urge to leave his father behind?
"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night..."
What does "night" symbolize
What is:
- death,
- darkness,
- loss of faith?
When Elie Wiesel describes the Yom Kippur inspection as a “gift,” this is an example of what literary device?
What is irony?
What are two things the Nazis do to the Jews to dehumanize them?
What is:
- make them wear yellow stars?
- shave their heads?
- tattooed with numbers instead of names?
- given minimum food, shelter, sleep?
"And in spite of myself, a prayer formed inside me, a prayer to this God in whom I no longer believed.
"Oh God, Master of the Universe, give me the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son has done." (6.65-66)
What is Elie praying for?
What is for strength to keep himself from abandoning his father, the most important person in his life.
"Some of the men spoke of God: His mysterious ways, the sins of the Jewish people, and the redemption to come. As for me, I had ceased to pray." (3.175)
What has Elie realized at this moment?
What is:
-God is not who Elie thought he was,
-God must not care about what is happening,
-God did not deserve his prayers.