A NONFICTION JOURNEY OF EVIL AND UNSPEAKABLE HORROR THAT SHOULD NEVER OCCUR AGAIN. Night by Elie Wiesel

Nonfiction: types An autobiography is a sketch of the author’s entire life, often from birth up until the time of the writing. A memoir focuses on one aspect of the writer’s life. Memoirs usually cover a relatively short span of time, and their main purpose is to draw the reader’s attention to a specific theme or circumstance. A biography is the story of a life from another person’s perspective. An essay is a short nonfiction work that addresses a specific subject. A speech is a talk or an address presented to an audience.

Night by Elie Weilsel Autobiographical, memoir Focus on observation - describes an event that the writer witnessed firsthand. Elie Wiesel - Bearing Witness - invites us to listen, and to remember.  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Author Background Born September 30, 1928 in Sighet Romanian-born French- Jewish novelist, political activist, and Holocaust survivor. Author of over 40 books, the best known of which is Night, a memoir that describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps.

Family Background Wiesel was born to Shlomo and Sarah Wiesel with three sisters: Hilda and Bea, who were older than he, and Tzipora, who was the youngest. Shlomo (father) was an Orthodox Jew of Hungarian descent, and a shopkeeper who ran his own grocery store.  active and trusted within the community  had spent a few months in jail for having helped Polish Jews who escaped to Hungary in the early years of the war.  encouraged Elie to learn Modern Hebrew and to read literature, whereas his mother encouraged him to study Torah and Kabbalah. Wiesel has said his father represented reason, and his mother, faith.

Inside the camp. Inside the camp, Eliezer will witness horrible acts of cruelty and suffer in terrible ways.  How will he survive?  Can his religious faith endure the atrocities he witnesses?  What message does he bring to the world from such horror?

Historical Background In Night, Elie Wiesel shares his story of the Holocaust, the name given to the persecution and murder of millions of Jews and others during World War II. Holocaust comes from a Greek word that means “a burnt offering.”

Historical Background Germany began World War II when it invaded Poland in German forces conquered most of Europe in the next two years. World War II ended in Europe in 1945 with the surrender of German forces to the Allied forces. More than six million Jews had been killed in the Holocaust.

Historical Background Wiesel’s story begins in Romania (now Hungary) in 1941 and ends in When Germans took over this area, local Jews were persecuted. They were forced to wear yellow stars and to live in ghettos, and were then sent to concentration camps.

Historical Background Auschwitz, where Wiesel was sent, was the largest camp. Jews from all over Europe arrived almost daily at Auschwitz. Nazis also targeted other groups:  Romany (Gypsies), Russians, non Jewish Polish intellectual and religious leaders, and Jehovah’s Witnesses

Historical Background Between 1945 and 1946, the Allies tried twenty- two major war criminals for their crimes against humanity. In later years, Israeli agents worked to capture and bring to justice Nazis who had escaped the war trials.

Just the facts … about the novel. genre · World War II / Holocaust autobiography time written · Mid-1950’s setting (time) · 1941–1945, during World War II settings (place) · Eliezer’s story begins in Sighet, Transylvania. The book then follows his journey through several concentration camps in Europe: date of first publication · English translation was published in narrator · Eliezer (a slightly fictionalized version of Elie Wiesel) point of view · Eliezer speaks in the first person and always relates the autobiographical events from his perspective. tense · Past tone · Eliezer’s perspective is limited to his own experience, and the tone of Night is therefore intensely personal, one-sided, and intimate.

Disclaimer: Do not write down! Night is not meant to be an all-encompassing discussion on the experience of the Holocaust; instead, it depicts the extraordinarily personal and painful experiences of a single victim. You will be exposed to many disturbing ideas, thoughts, and graphics. If you are uncomfortable (or become uncomfortable) with anything we cover – please come see me!