After Reading Night
Motifs, Themes
Oprah + Elie Wiesel
• Oprah goes with Wiesel to visit the
concentration camps:
• http://www.oprah.com/world/InsideAuschwitz/1
Major Motifs and Themes
• 2 major motifs:
• 4 major themes:
• Find quotes to support each and discuss
their significance.
Motifs
A recurring subject, object or idea, that can help to
develop and inform the text’s major themes.
The Motifs for this novel are:
Night- This time of day means different things to
the author throughout the story.
Eyes- Used to characterize and show
how circumstances change people.
Themes revolve around the
following topics:
• Death- emotional and physical
• Faith- struggle to believe in God, in
humanity and in ones self.
• Human Dignity in the face of inhumane
cruelty
• Self-preservation vs. family
Socratic Seminar
• Before you come to a Socratic Seminar
you should always have the reading
assignment completed and write at least
one question in each of the following
categories:
– World Connections
– Close-Ended Question
– Open-Ended Question
– Universal Theme/Core Question
– Literary Analysis Question
World Connection
– Write a question connecting the text to the
real world.
– Example: If you were given only 24 hours to
pack your most precious belongings in a back
pack and to get ready to leave your home
town, what might you pack?
•
Close-Ended Question
– Write a question about the text that will help
everyone in the class come to an agreement
about events or characters in the text. This
question usually has a "correct" answer.
– Example: How did Hitler use the political
climate after World War I and his prejudice
toward the Jews to implement his rise to
power and his "final solution"?
Open-Ended Question
• Write an insightful question about the text that
will require proof and group discussion and
"construction of logic" to discover or explore the
answer to the question.
• Example: Why did Elie Wiesel have such
different reactions to the two hangings? (pp. 6971)
• Second Example: If you had to choose one
quotation from the book that you feel is the most
important, which would it be and why? (p. 74
God vs. Man)
Universal Theme/Core Question
– Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of
the text that will encourage group discussion
about the universality of the text.
– Example: Is there a purpose to faith even
without the existence or justice of God? What
do you believe?
– Second Example: How is it possible to
believe in God when you are staring evil in the
face?
Literary Analysis Question
– Write a question dealing with HOW an author
chose to compose a literary piece. How did
the author manipulate point of view,
characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero
patterns, for example?
– Example: How does Elie Wiesel’s very direct,
reporting style of writing add or detract from
his purpose for writing Night?