Night by Elie Wiesel
Say Matter Mean Chart









Born in 1928, in Sighet—small
town in Romania
He and his family were forced to
live in the ghetto and then
eventually deported in 1944 to
the concentration camp
Auschwitz
He is a writer, professor, political
activist, and a Holocaust
survivor
Took a ten year vow of silence
after the Holocaust
Best known for Night—his first
book
This book has been translated in
at least 30 languages
Won the Nobel Peace Prize in
1986
He’s written more than 57 books
Currently lives in Boston and
teaches at Boston University
Elie Wiesel
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
synagogue- Jewish church
waif- homeless person
divinity- state of being Godly
perilous- dangerous
deportation- removal from a country
because presence is unlawful
lorries- horse-drawn wagon without
sides or a truck bed without sides
betrothal- engagement
stride- long steps
exterminate- completely kill off
Night Vocabulary
10. decree-
order from a king or dictator for
lower classes to follow
11. anecdotes- short story of an interesting,
amusing, or biographical incident
12. expound- defend an argument
13. premonition- previous warning
14. haggard- wild in appearance
15. edict- official public proclamation having
the force of a law
16. truncheon- club/baton
17. compatriot- fellow countrymen
18. convoy- a protecting escort
19. melancholy- sad
Night Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cruelty: Man’s inhumanity to man
Effects art and music have on our
humanity
Kindness and Unselfishness: Exploration
of humanity
Selfishness: Explorations on survival
Exploration on war and violence
Exploration of bigotry and prejudice
Themes in Night
What does Anti-Semitism mean?
2. Do you believe people are still racist
today?
3. Give TWO specific examples of racism
1.
Journal #1

How does the yellow star the Jews have to
wear mean:
◦ Bigotry and prejudice (to the Naz’s)
◦ Naivety and denial (to Elie)
Journal #2 (Ch. 1)
Read page 14-22
 Draw a Venn
diagram: Describe
life in both ghettos
and the differences.
 Describe the
conditions/purpose of
synagogue on the
last page.
 How many people
were loaded in the
cattle car?

Homework
Large
ghetto
Small
ghetto

What is the
difference between:
◦ Deportation in Elie’s
life
◦ Deportation in
America

Create a
Comparing/Contrast
ing Chart:
Journal #3

Recap: Reread page 20
 Why was chaos even greater in small ghetto?
 What did they settle into? With?
 Why morale not so bad?
 Why was the ghetto not guarded?



Read “Life in Ghetto” articles
Show Auschwitz Photos
Read p. 23-28 (finish for HW)
◦ What did Madame Schaecter scream about and how
did is come true?
◦ Where do they arrive at the end of the chapter?
Today we will…







Describe the Holocaust:
What is it?
When was it?
Who was involved: __ vs. __
Where did it take place?
Why were they killed?
How did it get so far out of hand?
Journal #4

Recap:

Read page 29-39

Go back to page 34-reread “never shall I forget” quote

Read poem: “50 Years Later” and answer questions

HW: Read page 40-46
◦ What did Madame Scahacter scream about and how did is come
true?
◦ Where do they arrive at end of Section 2?
◦ Focus: Leave Tzipora (page 29)
◦ Dr. Mengele page 31 (show photo of Mengele)
◦ Objective: repetition is important because effect it carries
◦ Think of favorite/worst moment in their life and start each life with
“never shall I forget”
◦ Who, what, when, where, why, how of event
◦ Focus: repetition
◦ Why/how does Elie’s “new name” officially take away all his
dignity?
Today we will…
Never
2. Never
3. Never
4. Never
5. Never
6. Never
7. Never
8. Never
9. Never
10. Never
11. Never
12. Never
1.
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
shall
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
forget…briefly describe event
forget…who involved
forget…what happened
forget…when (date or time of day)
forget…where
forget…why
forget…smell
forget…sight
forget…taste
forget…touch
forget…sound
forget…repeat first line
“Never Shall I Forget” Poem
What is going
on in this
picture?

Finish 50 Year Poem article
Recap: Reread page 42 – what is Eli’s new
name?
Read page 47-56



What’s in a Name PowerPoint
Assignment
HW: Read p. 56-65


◦ STOP page 48: what does altruistic mean?
◦ STOP page 51: Predict what will happen.
◦ How did Elie describe Pipel’s eyes?
◦ What happened to Pipel?
◦ What does the soup taste like that night?
Today we will…
1.
What is the name of
Elie’s new camp?
2.
In what labor unit does
Elie work?
3.
What warning does Elie
receive about Idek, the
Kapo?
4.
Why is Elie summoned
to the dentist?
5.
Describe Elie’s
interaction with the
young French woman in
the factory after Idek
beats him.
Section 4
6.
Through what means
does Franek, the
foreman, finally get
Elie’s crowned tooth?
7.
Why are the pipel and
two other prisoners
hanged at the end of
the chapter?
8.
Describe Elie’s reaction
to this hanging. Explain
the significance of the

“I had watched it all happening without
moving. I kept silent. In fact, I thought
of stealing away in order not to suffer the
blows. What’s more, if I felt anger at that
moment, it was not directed at the Kapo
but at my father. Why couldn’t he have
avoided Idek’s wrath? That was what life
in a concentration camp had made of
me…”(Wiesel 54).
Discuss the significance

“Hundreds of eyes were watching his
every move. Hundreds of men were
crawling with him, scraping their bodies
with his on the stones. All hearts
trembled, but mostly with envy. He was
the one who had dared” (Wiesel 59).
Discuss the significance

“That night, the soup tasted of corpses”
(Wiesel 65).
Discuss the significance
What’s in a name?
Share your name histories




Define: Allusion
Journal: Why did the soup taste of corpses?
Recap/reread page 64-65
Read kids from Holocaust poems: “Terezin” and
“Butterfly”
◦ What are they the metaphor for?


Read p. 66-74
HW: Read p. 75-84
◦ What is Elie’s inheritance?
◦ What brought Elie out of bed two days after his surgery?
◦ What happened to the people who stayed in the
infirmary?
◦ What was the plan mentioned on page 84?
1.
Examine Elie’s feelings
toward God at this point in
the novel.
2.
What is ‘selection’?
3.
Explain the irony in the
statement made by one
veteran prisoner: “This
camp is paradise today…”
4.
5.
Explain what Elie means
when he states: “I was
afraid of finding myself
alone that evening. How
good it would be to die
here!”(Wiesel 76).
6.
Why is Elie in the camp
hospital?
7.
Why is it important,
according to the Hungarian
Jew, to get out of the
hospital before the next
selection?
8.
Why do the inmates begin
to evacuate Buna?
9.
What was the fate of those
who had stayed behind in
the hospital?
What advice does the head
of Elie’s block give to the
prisoners concerning the
selection process?
Section 5

Title slide

Who

Why

How


Define Genocide
I need a hero…
◦
◦
◦
◦
Your name
Name of Genocide
When: Years of occurrence
Where: location of genocide
◦ Who was targeted
◦ Who was the “bully”
◦ Why did the “bully” find it necessary to destroy the victims?
◦ Why didn’t anyone stop them?
◦ Details about the genocide
◦ List 5 details you found most interesting details
◦ Find one person who was a hero in this tragic event
Genocide Project
Quiz on questions from last night
 Journal: what would you like to inherit
from your parents/guardian?
 Recap:

◦ page 75 Inheritence
◦ Read page 82, 83: “last night” excerpt
◦ Recap questions from last night

Victims, Perps and Rescuers PowerPoint
and worksheet
Today we will…
1.
What happens to a prisoner if he stops
during the march?
2.
What is the only thing stopping Elie from
giving up and sinking to the ground?
3.
What does the son of Rabbi Eliahou do
during the march?
4.
What is the significance of Juliek playing his
violin? Why do you think this violin had
such a strong impression on Elie? What
happens to Juliek?
Recap Section 6

What are the two ‘gravediggers’ getting
ready to do when Elie screams at them and
shakes his father?

Why did Elie ask the Parisian woman to stop
throwing money to poor children? (pp.100101) Of what does this scene remind him?

Explain the powerful impact of the line “I was
sixteen” (Wiesel 102).
Section 7

What’s happening to Elie’s father in this chapter?

Explain the significance of Elie’s statement: “I gave him
what was left of my soup. But my heart was heavy. I was
aware that I was doing it grudgingly” (Wiesel 107).

Explain the significance of Elie’s statement: “One more
stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less
reason to live” (Wiesel 109).

Why do some of the prisoners keep hitting Elie’s father?

Explain the significance of Elie’s statement: “I did not
weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was
out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched
the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found
something like: Free at last!...”(Wiesel 112).
Section 8

What was the only thought that dominated
the minds of the liberated men?

Why don’t the Jews think of revenge directly
after being liberated? What is the
significance of Elie discussing this?

When Elie looks at his reflection in the mirror
at the end of the novel, describe what he
sees. Why is this image so dreadful? What
does this represent regarding his experiences
in the Holocaust?
Section 9







Describe the genocide in Rwanda:
What is it?
When was it?
Who was involved: __ vs. __
Where did it take place?
Why were they killed?
How did it get so far out of hand?
Journal #5







Before 1960: Belgians ran Rwanda and decided
Tutsis were higher class and Hutu were lower
class.
1960: Tutsis and Hutu defeat Belgians and they
are removed from Rwanda
April 1994: Hutu President signs peace treaty in
another country to end fighting between Tutsis
and Hutus
April 1994: His plane shot down on way back
from treaty signing
Hutu militia start killing Tutsis
100 days of fighting and 800,000 people killed
Paul Rusesabagina is hotel manager
Hotel Rwanda
List 15 adjectives/nouns/verbs for:
 HOLOCAUST
 RWANDA GENOCIDE

Journal #6
HOLOCAUST

















Hitler
Jews
WW2
Allied vs. Axis
Sacrifice
Depressing
Gruesome
Sinister
Abominable
Furious
Immoral
Twisted
Freezing Hell
Emaciated
Endless
Unbearable
Deportation
Journal #6
RWANDA GENOCIDE



















Hutu
Tutsi
Paul Rusesabagina
100 days
United Nations
1994
Abolish
Distress
Malicious
Fear
Savage
Heart breaking
Dark
Regrettable
Ignored
Slaughter
Horrible
Fleeing country
Violence



Compare and
Contrast:
NIGHT
HOLOCAUST
Journal #5

S: Who is the
speaker?
(survivor or Nazi?)




O: What is
going on in the
photo?
A: Who is the
piece directed
to?
P: Why did the
author paint
this picture?
Tone: list 5
words to
describe
painting
What is going on in
this picture?
This picture
was painted
by a
Holocaust
survivor.
Describe
what is going
on in this
picture.




What does the
smoke towers
in the distance
spell out?
What does the
arm with the
gun represent?
What is
symbolic about
who is still
alive?
Role reversal?

S: Who is the
speaker?
(survivor or Nazi?)
O: What is going
on in the photo?
 A: Who is the
piece directed
to?
 P: Why did the
author paint this
picture?
 Tone: list 5
words to
describe painting

"What can we expect?
It's war..."
Chapter 1
"I wanted to come back to Sighet to tell you the
story of my death. So that you could prepare
yourselves while there was still time. To live? I
don't attach any importance to my life any more.
I'm alone. No, I wanted to come back, and to
warn you. And see how it is, no one will listen to
me."
Chapter 1
"The yellow star? Oh well,
what of it? You don't die of
it."
Chapter 1
"A prolonged whistle split
the air. The wheels began to
grind. We were on our way."
Chapter 1
"The doors were nailed up;
the way back was finally cut
off. The world was a cattle
wagon hermetically sealed."
Chapter 2
"Men to the left! Women
to the right!
Chapter 3
"Eight words spoken quietly,
indifferently, without emotion. Eight
short, simple words. Yet that was the
moment when I parted from my
mother."
Chapter 3
"Do you see that chimney over
there? See it? Do you see those
flames? (Yes, we did see the
flames.) Over there-that's where
you're going to be taken. That's
your grave, over there."
Chapter 3
"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."
Chapter 3
"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,
even if I am condemned to live as
long as God Himself. Never."
Chapter 3
"The night was gone. The morning star was
shining in the sky. I too had become a completely
different person. The student of the Talmud, the
child that I was, had been consumed in the
flames. There remained only a shape that looked
like me. A dark flame had entered into my soul
and devoured it."
Chapter 3
"I did not deny God's
existence, but I doubted His
absolute justice."
Chapter 3
"I was a body. Perhaps less
than that even: a starved
stomach. The stomach alone
was aware of the passage of
time."
Chapter 4
"Keep your anger and hatred
for another day, for later on.
The day will come, but not
now."
Chapter 4
"I was thinking of my father.
He must have suffered more
than I did."
Chapter 4
"If it could only have lasted
ten times ten hours!"
Chapter 4
"Where is He? Here He is-He is hanging here on this
gallows."
Chapter 4
"Whose was that tear?
Mine? His?"
Chapter 5
"Whenever I dreamed of a
better world, I could only
imagine a universe with no
bells."
Chapter 5
"I've got more faith in Hitler
than in anyone else. He's the
only one who's kept his
promises, all his promises,
to the Jewish people."
Chapter 5
"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?"
Chapter 5
"We were masters of nature, masters of the
world. We had forgotten everything--death,
fatigue, our natural needs. Stronger than cold or
hunger, stronger than the shots and the desire to
die, condemned and wandering, mere numbers,
we were the only men on earth."
Chapter 6
"I shall always remember
that smile. From which world
did it come?"
Chapter 6
"How could I forget that
concert, given to an
audience of dying and dead
men!"
Chapter 6
"When they withdrew, next
to me were two corpses,
side by side, the father and
the son. I was fifteen years
old."
Chapter 7
"We were all going to die
here. All limits had been
passed. No one had any
strength left. And again the
night would be long."
Chapter 7
"I probably brought him
more satisfaction than I had
done during my whole
childhood."
Chapter 8
"But I had no more tears. And, in the
depths of my being, in the recesses
of my weakened conscience, could I
have searched it, I might perhaps
have found something like-free at
last!"
Chapter 8
"After my father's death,
nothing could touch me any
more."
Chapter 9
"From the depths of the
mirror, a corpse gazed back
at me. The look in his eyes,
as they stared into mine, has
never left me."
Chapter 9



1st person
Holocaust survivor telling his story
Elie Wiesel:
◦ Born in 1928, in Sighet—small town in Romania
◦ He and his family were forced to live in the ghetto
and then eventually deported in 1944 to the
concentration camp Auschwitz
◦ He is a writer, professor, political activist, and a
Holocaust survivor
◦ Took a ten year vow of silence after the Holocaust
◦ He’s written more than 57 books
◦ Currently lives in Boston and teaches at Boston
University
Speaker
Describes the Holocaust during WW2
 Germany and Austria
 From Jewish boy’s point of view

Occasion

Anyone who wants to know details about
the Holocaust under Hitler’s rule
Audience






To create a memoir about Elie Weisel’s
experiences in the Holocaust from the point
of view of a Jewish boy.
To recognize the atrocities that the Jewish
people endured under Hitler’s rule.
To inform people of the inhumane treatment
of Jews during WW2 in concentration camps
To examine…
To tell…
To evoke…
Purpose






Eyes (motif)
Night (motif)
Flames
Rumors
Deportation
Terror
Subject





Hunger
Indignity
Fate
God
List as many as you
can (minimum of
10)







Brave
Optimistic
Pessimistic
Proud of religion
Bitter
Disappointed
Factual
Tone





Emotional
Hurt
Shameful
Family oriented
confused

Motif:
◦ Eyes
◦ Night


Historical Context:
WW2
Novella
Literary Devices

Theme:
◦
◦
◦
◦
Kindness
Cruelty
Selfishness
Unselfishness
In the YEAR (1940s)
 Talk about what was going on during this
time frame (discuss Holocaust)
 Author published… (Elie Wiesel)
 In the book…author uses SPEAKER to
PURPOSE and/with/through LITERARY
DEVICES

How to Write Intro…