Night Symbolism
By, Sammy, Kayla, Nnenna, Brendan
Connotations of Night
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Darkness
Fear
Hopeless
Faithless
Sinister
Uncertainty
Blindness
Night as a Symbol
• Darkness and
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Devastation
Absence of light is
darkness
Extended Night
Absorbed spirit
Faithlessness in
God
Other Ways Wiesel Uses Night:
Man’s Inhumanity to Man:
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Human race cruelness
Mood of foreboding
o ex: "night fell", before a big scene
'Inhumane’ scenes
(cont.)
Struggle to Maintain faith:
• Without God = world of hopelessness and
darkness
o Connotations of
night
• Night = waning
of faith
(cont.)
Father-Son Bonds:
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Protect each other
o From: night, death, or other people
Forces try to separate Elie and his father
Quote
“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
those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall
I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me...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...Never.” (pg 32)
Analysis
• Set the stage of
Terror
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Light of life and
God started to fade
World turned into darkness
Shaped the rest of his life.
Broke his spirit and joy in life
Quote
"The night was long and never
ending.”
(pg. 93)
Analysis
• Elie and his father were exhausted and
waiting to die on the train
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Night symbolized agony
and unhappiness
Quote
“On the third night of our journey I woke
up suddenly and felt two hands on my
throat, trying to strangle me.”
(pg. 96)
Analysis
• Elie woken up on trainalmost killed at night
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Imagery- terror and violence between people
Some men gone mad- hopelessness and
haunted
Quote
"No one prayed, so that the night would pass
quickly. The stars were only sparks of the fire
which devoured us. Should that fire die out
one day, there would be nothing left in the
sky but dead stars, dead eyes." (pg.18)
Analysis
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Creates an image of night symbolising death
Draws a connection between stars and the
Jews eyes
o
The light in their eyes were fading
 Meant that death was coming
Quote
"Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have
mercy on me!"
Some pressed against the bars to see. There
was nothing. Only the
darkness of night." (pg. 22)
Analysis
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Madame Schachter thinks
she sees a fire when there
is only darkness
She had a false fantasy of
a fire (light)
Needed and desired light
Quote
“The last night in Buna. Yet another last night.
The last night at home, the last night in the
ghetto, the last night in the train, and, now,
the last night in Buna. How much longer were
our lives to be dragged out from one ‘last
night’ to another?” (pg. 79)
Analysis
• Recalls the “last nights“
• Omen of something worse
• New chapter of terror, uncertainty, and
faithlessness
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How much longer?
Quote
“The gates of the camp opened. It seemed
that an even darker night was waiting for
us on the other side.” (pg. 80)
Analysis
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Greater purge of darkness
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Worse than the hell he left
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Experience only to get worse
Appropriate Use of Night?
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Yes!
The connotations bring the word to life
Ties to the story
Keeps consistent tone and mood
Causes suspense
Purpose Writing
Inform, Remember, Prevent
The End
Questions?