Night
Take Home Essay Questions
Write a five-paragraph essay response to one of the following prompts (your choice).
You are not limited to five paragraphs, however. You must provide specific examples
from the book to get full credit. The essay will be graded according to the PA State
Grading Rubric (FCOSC) and will be worth 50 points. Please type using Times New
Roman size 12 font and double space and submit by paper, NOT on Turnitin.com.
Due: Thursday, May 19, 2011 in class
1. Dehumanization is the process by which the Nazis gradually reduced the Jews to little
more than "things" which were a nuisance to them. Discuss at least three specific
examples of events that occur in Night that dehumanize Eliezer, his father, or his fellow
Jews.
2. After Eliezer’s father is beaten by Idek, a Kapo, Eliezer says, "I had watched the whole
scene without moving. I kept quiet. In fact I was thinking of how to get farther away so
that I would not be hit myself. What is more, any anger I felt at that moment was
directed, not against the Kapo, but against my father. I was angry with him, for not
knowing how to avoid Idek’s outbreak. That is what concentration camp life had made of
me." Discuss what the last line signifies. Discuss how his attitude had changed.
3. Discuss the last lines from the book, “From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed
back at me. The look is his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me.”
4. Why do you think Wiesel titled the book Night? What are the literal and symbolic
meanings of "night" in the book? Discuss the significance of "night" in the memoir. Cite
examples from the story to support your answer.
5. Compare and contrast the father-son relationship the reader sees at the end of this
memoir with the one the reader sees in the beginning.
6. In the film, Life is Beautiful, Uncle Leo states that “Silence is the best revenge.”
Explain how silence functions in the memoir and is a recurring theme in Night.