Digital Photomontage Assignment
Personal Response to Elie Weisel’s Memoir, Night
Notes
Symbols - objects, events, or characters representing an idea or set of ideas.
Night - The title of the novel symbolizes death, the death of innocence, childhood, faith, and millions of
people. The narrative contains many last nights, the last night in Sighet, the last night in Buna, the last night
with his father, the last night of innocence, etc. Night also symbolizes a world without God. The worst
suffering occurs at night. Wiesel contends that God does not live in the concentration camps and God's
people have no recourse.
Fire - Fire represents hell. Eliezer's hellish experience is foreshadowed by Madame Shachter's insane
screaming on the train to Auschwitz. The pit of burning babies scars Wiesel for life. The spectre of the
furnace haunts Wiesel and his fellow prisoners throughout. The symbol of fire in Night, however, is ironic.
No longer is fire a tool of the righteous to punish the wicked. It has become a tool of the wicked to punish
the righteous. It emphasizes Wiesel's belief that God has abandoned his people.
Silence - Silence symbolizes fear, apathy, and inability. Wiesel cannot comprehend that the world can
remain silent as the Nazis commit atrocities. It also represents the silence of the oppressed. Eliezer, for
example, remains silent when his father is beaten, unable to help him. The entire town of Sighet remains
silent to the pleas of Moshe the Beadle, who warns the town of what is coming. Silence also represents the
absence of God. Note the camp's reaction to the young boy's hanging--silence. A common theme in the
narrative is God's silence as his people suffer.
Corpses - Corpses symbolize the living dead. Prisoners are often referred to as corpses, corpses whose
spirits have been crushed by suffering. Eliezer looks in the mirror as the narrative ends and sees a corpse,
symbolizing the death of innocence and childhood.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/48700-symbolism-in-night-by-elie-wiesel/
Motifs – a word, character, object, image, metaphor, or idea that recurs and usually bears an important relationship
to the theme of the work.
Eyes – the eyes of Mosche the Beadle, Madame Schachter, the French girl, Franek, the old man on the
transport to Buchenwald, and Eliezer communicate the loss of faith, vitality and humanity. The images
emphasize the effect of dehumanization on the human soul.
Father-Son Relationships – the repetition of this type of relationship provides contrast and insight into the
struggle to remain loyal to loved ones in extreme circumstances. This motif emphasizes the strength of
Elie’s bond with his father, and shows how inhumanity can rob an individual of their concern for others.
Tradition and Custom – Even though Elie struggles to maintain his Jewish beliefs, he recalls his religious
tradition and ritual often in the memoir. This repetition keeps him connected to the world outside of the
camp, the world where he remebers human compassion and justice prevailed.
Loss of Faith – Elie’s periodic and repeated questioning, accusation and reflection proves that he still
struggles to find meaning in his beliefs and has not let go of his connection to God. In fact, his questioning
eventually brings him closer than ever to realizing the true meaning of his faith. This is proven when he
witnesses the end of other prisoners who become resigned and do not question God’s silence.
Digital Photomontage Assignment
Personal Response to Elie Weisel’s Memoir, Night
Step 1 – Evaluating the Meaning of Symbol and Motif in Written Text
1. Review the examples provided symbols and motifs discussed during our class reading of Night. From
this list and/or your reading notes, choose THREE evocative motifs and/or symbols and explain why each
is especially effective. (10 marks)
Step 2 – Searching, Comparing Written and Visual Texts, Documenting Sources
2. Imagine how motifs, symbols, and themes from Night could be represented visually in a photomontage
combining image and quotations from the memoir. Your composition should reflect an idea or message
Elie expresses. With this in mind, begin searching for images that could become part of the composition.
Bookmark at least FIVE possible images, add a citation for each in NoodleBib MLA Starter Account and
annotate each entry with an explanation of how the image represents the meaning of a motif or symbol in
the memoir. (25 marks)
Step 3 - Reviewing Elements and Principles of Design
1. After reviewing the powerpoint, “The Elements and Principles of Art”, examine the images you have
bookmarked taking note of color, value, shape, texture, form and space in the images. Choose ONE of
your images and print it out with an attached description of artistic elements noted in point form. (5 marks)
2. Choose ONE bookmarked image and copy it into a paint.net file. Experiment with the special effect
options and save THREE versions of this image. (3) Choose ONE, print it out and describe how you have
changed the effect or the meaning of the text. (3)
3. View the powerpoint of the photomontage artist, Salvador Dali, and choose your favorite image.
Analyze this text noting the effects of balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, pattern, repetition, unity,
variety, and proportion. Decide the message communicated in the image and describe how THREE of the
elements of design contribute to this message. (Identify the slide number of the chosen image.) (5 marks)
2. Considering the effects of balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, pattern, repetition, unity, variety and
proportion illustrated in the powerpoint, “The Elements and Principles of Art” and create a rough design on
scrap paper for a photomontage where that layers images and control the degree of transparency of each
layer. (5 marks)
Step 4 – Plan, Experiment, and Create an Original Text
1. Experiment with combining your images in layers in a paint.net file.

Change the canvas size to 11 X 17 (portrait or landscape).

Do not put an image on the background layer.

Only put one image on each layer so you if you must delete a layer, you only lose 1 image.

Experiment with special effects and degrees of transparency.

When adding text to the image, once you have clicked in another part of the composition, you
cannot go back and edit the text (delete the layer and start over).

If you cannot type text, press escape to deselect everything, and check your text color.

The magic wand can be used to edit out chunks of image (if there is sufficient contrast);
experiment with this tool.
2. Review your sketch or rough plan make revisions or redo this plan as needed before you begin your
final product. You will be explaining the meaning of your composition, the allusion to symbols/motifs in
Night, and elements and principles of art, so do take time to consider the effect of your choices. Of course
you can deviate from your plan as you evaluate the effects, and at any time you can start over.
As you work consider the following questions:
What is the meaning behind the image choices (and your combination)?
What kind of story does the digital photomontage tell?
Do others perceive the new image as intended, and if not, what can be changed?
You must include at least ONE quotation from Night in the composition to aptly reinforce the
theme/idea communicated.
Remember to set your canvas size to 11 X 17.
(30 marks)
Step 5 – Self-Evaluation and Reflection
1. Describe or explain each of the following:

the overall meaning/effect of your photomontage. (3 marks)

the symbols/motifs from Night suggested in your image choice. (5 marks)

a list of design elements and principles considering in your work and their effect on meaning.
(5 marks)

a list of the features of paint.net you used to alter and combine images and how these choices
contributed to a desired effect. (3 marks)