Themes in "Night" by Elie Wiesel
THemes 1.) Man’s inhumanity to man
Removal of human looks that defined who they are * Same uniform * Cut hair to remove individuality. * “In a few seconds we had ceased to be men” 37 * “I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name”42
The harshness of the camp quickly transformed them into selfish indifferent people * “I had not even blinked, only yesterday I would have dug my nails into the criminals flesh” 39 * “you’re killing your father”101 * “The old man mumbled something, groaned and died. Nobody cared” 101 * “I shall never forgive myself. Nor shall I forgive the world for having pushed me against the wall, for having turned me into a stranger, for having awakened in me the basest, most primitive instincts.” Xii * “In this place, it is every man for himself, and you can not think of others. Not even your father. In this place there is no such thing as a father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.” * “All of a sudden, this pleasant and intelligent young man had changed. His eyes were shining with greed”
The inhumane treatment of Jews * “He looked at us like a pack of leprous dogs clinging to life” 38 * “If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog” 85 * “Two cauldrons of hot, steaming soup had been left untended… supreme temptation “59 * “Hunger was tormenting us; we had not eaten for nearly six days” 114 * “We had been 100 or so in this wagon. Twelve of us left it” 103 * The removal of the Jew’s rights were the first sign of discrimination
2.) Faith and Loss
Loss of human life and integrity * “Those whose numbers had been noted were standing apart, abandoned by the whole world.” 72
Faith in God and themselves made them stronger * “if only he could of kept his faith in God and considered this suffering as a divine test, he would not have been swept away by selection” * Have faith in life… by driving out despair
Removal of human looks that defined who they are * Same uniform * Cut hair to remove individuality. * “In a few seconds we had ceased to be men” 37 * “I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name”42
The harshness of the camp quickly transformed them into selfish indifferent people * “I had not even blinked, only yesterday I would have dug my nails into the criminals flesh” 39 * “you’re killing your father”101 * “The old man mumbled something, groaned and died. Nobody cared” 101 * “I shall never forgive myself. Nor shall I forgive the world for having pushed me against the wall, for having turned me into a stranger, for having awakened in me the basest, most primitive instincts.” Xii * “In this place, it is every man for himself, and you can not think of others. Not even your father. In this place there is no such thing as a father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.” * “All of a sudden, this pleasant and intelligent young man had changed. His eyes were shining with greed”
The inhumane treatment of Jews * “He looked at us like a pack of leprous dogs clinging to life” 38 * “If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog” 85 * “Two cauldrons of hot, steaming soup had been left untended… supreme temptation “59 * “Hunger was tormenting us; we had not eaten for nearly six days” 114 * “We had been 100 or so in this wagon. Twelve of us left it” 103 * The removal of the Jew’s rights were the first sign of discrimination
2.) Faith and Loss
Loss of human life and integrity * “Those whose numbers had been noted were standing apart, abandoned by the whole world.” 72
Faith in God and themselves made them stronger * “if only he could of kept his faith in God and considered this suffering as a divine test, he would not have been swept away by selection” * Have faith in life… by driving out despair