Characters
Who is the Narrator?
Elie Wiesel
Where does Elie and his family go before being sent to concentration camps?
The ghetto
At what time in History does this book take place?
1940s WWII
What does fire symbolize?
Death and Destruction
Give me an example of loss of faith in Elie
Not participating in fasting during the Jewish Holidays, Elie constantly questioning God, the brutality in the camps causing Elie to stop praying to God, etc
Who tries to warn the Jews early in the novel?
Moshe the Beadle
Where is the first camp Eli goes to and who gets separated?
Birkenau; his mother and sisters
True or False:Non-Jewish People were also sent to Concentration Camps
True
What does Night symbolize
darnkess and fear
How does Elie and his father's relationship evolve in the novel?
At the start, they are very close and Elie refuses to leave his father because he knew his father was strong.
As the story continues, Elie becomes more and more ashamed of his father, especially when he witnesses him getting slapped.
By the end of the novel, he feels like he's the one taking care of his father and resents him for it.
When his father dies, he feels guilty for being relieved.
Who is Idek and what happens to him at the end of the novel?
Where does Eli work while in Buna (concentration camp)
The Electrical Yard
How were people able to buy food and supplies during the war?
Ration Cards: by standing in line
What motif does this quote represent? "As I swallowed my ration of soup, I turned that act (fasting) into a symbol of rebellion, of protest against him."
Loss of Faith
Give me at least two examples of dehumanization in the novel.
Tattooes of numbers, being compared to animals, living in terrible conditions, being killed if they were not useful to the Nazis, etc
Who is Juliek and how does he die?
He is a fellow prisoner who gets stampeded
What does Eli witness during the public executions that shakes him up?
One of the prisoners was still alive as they walked past because he was too skinny for the noose to fit around his head
Name 3 concentration camps in the novel
Buna, Birkenau, Auschwitz, Gleiwitz, Buchenwald
What motif does this quote represent?
"Whenever he could, he would 'organize' a cauldron of soup for the young, for the weak, for all those who dreamed more of an extra portion of food than of liberty."
Survival
Name at least 3 harsh realities Elie had to come to terms with while in the camps
Too many answers to count but here are a few:
1. Humans are not all good.
2. You can't save everyone.
3. Most people take the easy way out... and staying silent is the easy way out.
4. Bad things can happen to good people
5. You need more than just food and water to survive: you also need hope.
6. Life is short.
7. If someone warns you of something, listen.
What is the name of the woman who screamed fire in the cattle car?
Madame Schächter
What happens when a pot of food is left out in the open for the prisoners to see?
A man sneaks to it to get food but ends up shot by one of the guards.
Name 3 countries occupied by the Nazis during WWII
France, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, The Netherlands
What does Idek symbolize in Night?
Idek can symbolize many things, but primarily he is used to symbolize and show people the cruelty that was born in prisoners because of the harsh environment. Idek was another prisoner, yet because of his role as the Kapo, he is cruel to the other prisoners- whipping them, ordering them around, slapping them, etc.
Explain the theme of Silence in the novel: why is silence important? What does it mean to you? Give an example from the novel.
Silence as a theme is not to be taken literally- like Eli not speaking. It's talking about silence more symbolically- the world stayed silent as this happened to the Jews. No one stood up to the Nazis or protected the Jews. God stayed silent- led to Eli's loss of faith.