Vocabulary
“Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.”
What does the word nocturnal mean as used in the sentence above?
A) deadly
B) harsh
C) nightly
D) frequent
C) nightly
In train car, Mrs. Schächter keeps crying, "Fire! I see a fire! I see a fire!"
Her shouts are an example of what literary device?
Foreshadowing
In Chapter 1, despite the warnings from Moshe the Beadle and the increasing restrictions placed on them, the Jews of Sighet remain optimistic, even stating that the barbed-wire ghettos were "not too bad."
What can you infer about the psychological state of the community at this time?
A) They were actually safe and the warnings were exaggerated by Moshe.
B) They were in a state of profound denial as a defense mechanism against an unthinkable reality.
C) They had received secret information that the war would end within days.
D) They believed that by following the rules, they were earning the respect of the German soldiers.
B) They were in a state of profound denial as a defense mechanism against an unthinkable reality.
In Chapter 3, Eliezer notes: "I became A-7713. After that I had no other name."
Replacing names with numbers was how the Nazis stripped prisoners of their individuality and dignity. They were treated like tools rather than people.
“One more hour. Then we would know the verdict: death or reprieve. And my father? I first thought of him now. How would he pass selection? He had aged so much…”
What does the word reprieve mean as used in the passage above?
A) a temporary break
B) to be set free
C) persecution
D) loneliness
A) a temporary break
TRUE or FALSE
The inscription above the gate to Auschwitz, "Work makes you free" is an example of situational irony.
TRUE
On the train to Auschwitz, Madame Schächter repeatedly screams about a fire that no one else can see. Eventually, several young men tie her up, gag her, and eventually strike her on the head to silence her while others encourage them.
A) They were trying to protect her from being noticed and punished by the SS guards.
B) They believed that by hitting her, they could physically knock the 'visions' out of her mind.
C) They knew she was a 'prophet' and were angry that she was telling them the truth.
D) The extreme stress and inhumane conditions of the cattle car have begun to erode their communal empathy and social norms.
D) The extreme stress and inhumane conditions of the cattle car have begun to erode their communal empathy and social norms.
Throughout Chapters 1-4, the theme of silence is prevalent. Which of the following best describes the "silence of God" as explored by the author?
A) God is silent because the prisoners have forgotten how to pray correctly.
B) Silence represents a peaceful state where God and man are in harmony.
C) The silence of God is a source of agony for Eliezer, as it suggests divine indifference to human suffering.
D) Silence is a tool used by the Nazis to keep the prisoners from communicating with God.
C) The silence of God is a source of agony for Eliezer, as it suggests divine indifference to human suffering.
“Here came the Chief Rabbi, hunched over, his face strange looking without a beard, a bundle on his back. His very presence in the procession was enough to make the scene seem surreal. It was like a page torn from a book…”
What does the word surreal mean as used in the passage above?
A) comical
B) significant
C) hopeful
D) bizarre
D) bizarre
After Moshe failed to warn the community of the coming danger, "tears, like drops of wax, flowed from his eyes."
Which best describes the function of this simile?
A) It suggests that the narrator believes Moshe is physically turning into a statue.
B) It compares the physical heat of a candle to the warmth of the synagogue.
C) It emphasizes the heavy, enduring nature of Moshe's grief and the 'burning' pain of being ignored.
D) It shows that Moshe's eyes were physically damaged during his escape.
C) It emphasizes the heavy, enduring nature of Moshe's grief and the 'burning' pain of being ignored.
When Elie meets his relative, Stein of Antwerp, in Auschwitz, he tells Stein that his family is safe, even though Elie has no such information.
A) Elie wanted to trick Stein into giving him extra food rations.
B) Elie was confused and actually believed his own mother and sisters were safe.
C) Elie inferred that hope was the only thing keeping Stein alive and wanted to protect him from despair.
D) Elie was trying to test the SS officers' reaction to positive news.
C) Elie inferred that hope was the only thing keeping Stein alive and wanted to protect him from despair.
In Chapter 3, the narrative voice shifts as Wiesel writes: "Never shall I forget that night... Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes."
A) It shows that Eliezer is an unreliable narrator who cannot remember the details clearly.
B) It indicates a retrospective perspective where the older survivor reflects on how his identity was permanently altered.
C) It suggests the author is trying to forgive the Nazis for their actions.
D) It reveals that the author wrote the book immediately after his liberation in 1945.
B) It indicates a retrospective perspective where the older survivor reflects on how his identity was permanently altered.
“In one terrifying moment of lucidity, I thought of us as damned souls wandering through the void...”
What does the word lucidity mean as used in the sentence above?
Clarity or clearness of thought
"The chaos was even greater here than in the large ghetto. Its inhabitants evidently had been caught by surprise. I visited the rooms that had been occupied by my Uncle Mendel's family. On the table, a half-finished bowl of soup. A platter of dough waiting to be baked. Everywhere on the floor there were books. Had my uncle meant to take them along?"
What is the effect of the imagery in the paragraph above?
A) It highlights the cultural importance of education and tradition to the family.
B) It emphasizes the abrupt and jarring nature of the inhabitants' forced removal.
C) It suggests that the family was optimistic and expected to return home shortly.
D) It illustrates the abundance of resources available to the people in the ghetto.
B) It emphasizes the abrupt and jarring nature of the inhabitants' forced removal.
In Chapter 4, after Idek beats Elie's father with an iron bar, Elie notes: "I was angry, not at Idek, but at my father for not knowing how to avoid Idek's wrath."
Based on this reaction, what can you infer about the effect the camp has had on Elie's character?
It has dehumanized him. His focus is on self-preservation rather than love for his family.
In Chapter 1, Eliezer's father is in the middle of telling a story when the news of deportation arrives. Wiesel notes: "The good story he had been in the middle of telling us was to remain unfinished"
What does this "unfinished story" best represent?
A) The systematic destruction and loss of the European Jewish tradition and culture.
B)The lack of literary talent among the Jewish community in Sighet.
C) The narrator's frustration with his father's inability to focus on safety.
D) The literal fact that the father was too tired to finish speaking.
A) The systematic destruction and loss of the European Jewish tradition and culture.
“I was putting one foot in front of the other, like a machine. I was dragging this emaciated body that was still such a weight. If only I could have shed it.”
What does the word emaciated mean in the passage above?
Weak because of starvation
"Not far from us, prisoners were at work. Some were digging holes, others were carrying sand. None as much as glanced at us. We were withered trees in the heart of the desert."
What does this metaphor tell you about the prisoners in the concentration camp?
Possible correct answers:
Dehumanized
Physically and spiritually drained
Lost hope
Immediately upon arriving at Birkenau, an veteran inmate advises Elie and his father to lie and say they are 18 and 40 years old, rather than 15 and 50.
What can you infer about the camp's system based on this advice?
The camp's selection process is based on the prisoner's capability to work. Those too young or too old were not "useful" to the Nazis and so were killed.
In Chapter 4, after witnessing the slow death of the young "pipel" on the gallows, a prisoner asks, "Where is God now?" and Eliezer thinks, "He is hanging here on this gallows..."
Elie's loss of faith and the death of his belief in a benevolent God