Night "In every area of human creativity, indifference is the ENEMY; indifference of evil is worse than evil, because it is also sterile." Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel--Biography At 15 yrs old A holocaust survivor! He was born in the town of Sighet, Romania in 1928. In 1944 the German Nazi’s deported Wiesel and his entire family to Auschwitz, a concentration camp.

Elie Wiesel--Biography In 1963 he became a citizen of the United States. He was appointed a professor of humanities at Boston University in 1976.

Elie Wiesel-Biography He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Wiesel has written and lectured widely about Jewish tradition and issues, as well as about human rights in general.

Night Study Guide Notes The original title Elie Wiesel gave the novel was And the World Has Remained Silent. He wrote this book after 10 years of silence.

Famous Passage from Night Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever…

Famous Passage from Night Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never. (Elie-Wiesel)

Themes of the Novel Genocide Apathy can be more detrimental to society than pure hatred. One’s spirit drives the soul to survive. The light of faith in humanity can overcome the darkness of hate. Even in despair, man searches for meaning.

Main Characters Eliezer Wiesel (identification number A-7713) *The narrator of the book, Elie is taken to concentration camps in Czechoslovakia and Germany at the age of fourteen. Eliezer's father (Chlomo Wiesel) *Eliezer's father is very respected within the Jewish community of his hometown, and he spends most of his time occupying himself with community affairs

Minor Characters Moché the Beadle: A poor, humble man who works at the Hasidic synagogue in Sighet Tzipora: Eliezer's seven-year-old sister Eliezer's mother: Eliezer is separated from his mother upon arriving at Birkenau.

Motif #1 There are five motifs to look for while reading Night: Night – pay attention to what happens at night and what that might symbolize. Remember what we learned when we talked about archetypes and what night might symbolize.

Motif #2 Bearing Witness – Pay attention to which characters are witnesses and to what they bear witness.

Motif #3 Father-son Relationships – Pay attention to how Elie and his father’s relationship develops; in addition, notice other father-son relationships in the book.

Motif #4 Loss of faith – Notice how Elie’s faith in God changes as the book progresses. Write on your study guides where these changes occur.

Motif #5 Voice vs. Silence – Who has a voice and who chooses to remain silent? Why might Elie Wiesel title his novel what he did originally, and why did he no longer remain silent?

Why are by-standers just as important as the persecutors? As you read, look for times that Wiesel mentions the people in surrounding towns. Why are by-standers just as important as the persecutors?