Night - Positive/Negative Characters
David Coulombe
English 30-1
Renata Solski
Essay Choice 2
December 30, 2010
Positive and Negative Characters.
The division of antagonist and protagonist is quite obviously acknowledged in Night by Elie Wiesel. There are however, subcategories that exist in these two groups. To explain this Elie uses physical, mental, emotional and transitional descriptive techniques paired with the character’s unique traits to exhibit the real reason for each character’s appearance. Nazi’s can presumable be placed in a negative category by assumption, as well as the Jewish being assumed positive. Nevertheless, there are always exceptions in life, and this novel contains many. These indifferences would not be distinguishable or explainable without Elie’s distinct descriptions of the individual characters. Elie even includes description that may not be completely accurate, but it enables him to show the reader the correct intentions of the characters.
Elie himself is the one character in Night that does not his personal morals and integrity during his ordeal. From beginning to end, Elie is a determined young character that is as tenacious as the Nazi’s goal of Jew extermination. At such an early age Elie is forced to live through what may be considered as the most heartless crime ever committed. His true colours are always evident as Elie is describing his true self in the novel. He never backs down from a challenge, or struggle. Because the story is written in first person narrative, his description of himself is the novel itself. It is less direct than other character descriptions but it is also very descriptive and easy to understand. As Elie is approaching the crematorium assuming that this is his death march, he is able to keep his composure to prove his courage to the reader as well as his father “I bit my lips so that my father would not hear my teeth chattering. Ten more steps.” (Wiesel 33) These conditions that one see’s Elie live through are themselves
English 30-1
Renata Solski
Essay Choice 2
December 30, 2010
Positive and Negative Characters.
The division of antagonist and protagonist is quite obviously acknowledged in Night by Elie Wiesel. There are however, subcategories that exist in these two groups. To explain this Elie uses physical, mental, emotional and transitional descriptive techniques paired with the character’s unique traits to exhibit the real reason for each character’s appearance. Nazi’s can presumable be placed in a negative category by assumption, as well as the Jewish being assumed positive. Nevertheless, there are always exceptions in life, and this novel contains many. These indifferences would not be distinguishable or explainable without Elie’s distinct descriptions of the individual characters. Elie even includes description that may not be completely accurate, but it enables him to show the reader the correct intentions of the characters.
Elie himself is the one character in Night that does not his personal morals and integrity during his ordeal. From beginning to end, Elie is a determined young character that is as tenacious as the Nazi’s goal of Jew extermination. At such an early age Elie is forced to live through what may be considered as the most heartless crime ever committed. His true colours are always evident as Elie is describing his true self in the novel. He never backs down from a challenge, or struggle. Because the story is written in first person narrative, his description of himself is the novel itself. It is less direct than other character descriptions but it is also very descriptive and easy to understand. As Elie is approaching the crematorium assuming that this is his death march, he is able to keep his composure to prove his courage to the reader as well as his father “I bit my lips so that my father would not hear my teeth chattering. Ten more steps.” (Wiesel 33) These conditions that one see’s Elie live through are themselves
Bibliography: Cockburn, Alexander. "Elie Wiesel 's 'Night ' A Fraud?" Jeff Rense Program. 6 Jan. 2006. Web. 29 Dec. 2010. <http://www.rense.com/general70/elie.htm>. SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Night.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam, 1982. Print.