Night Essay Final Draft

Dana Bonner
January 17
th
, 2014
Section: E
Night Essay Final Draft
Night Essay Final Draft
In life there are struggles that e fight through to !eco"e strong an# not ea$%
Night !y Elie &iesel ta$es 'lace in Euro'e #uring &orl# &ar II% During this 'erio# (itler
resol)e to $ill "illions of Euro'ean Jes% *hroughout the (olocaust Jeish 'risoners ha)e to
care an# "aintain for each other !ecause they nee# each other in or#er to sur)i)e% *he Jeish
'eo'le+s )oice is ta$en aay !ecause of the torture an# dehumanization they e,'erience% *hree
the"es of the (olocaust that a''ly to Night are fa"ily, silence, an# #ehu"ani-ation%
Fa"ily is the first i"'ortant i#ea for Elie &iesel to e,'lain in Night !ecause it 'ro)es
that fa"ily can hel' hol# onto life in the (olocaust an# so"eti"es it shos that it can !rea$ you%
During the (olocaust fa"ily hel's 'risoners sur)i)e #uring this 'erio# of ti"e of !eing torture
an# !eco"ing ea$% *he father an# sons in the (olocaust are the 'risoners that sur)i)e together,
!ut also turn on each other to hel' their self to sur)i)e in the (olocaust% First, a "an na"e#
.a!!i Eliahu an# his son is a father an# son relationshi' that is un!rea$a!le% But going through
the all the torture an# #ehu"ani-ation co"es to a 'art hen .a!!i Eliahu+s son !eco"es selfish%
During the (olocaust no one has to care an# "aintain for each other, so .a!!i Eliahu+s son too$
his father to !eco"e insignificant to hi" !ecause he $ne ithout hi" he oul# sur)i)e% /But
then I re"e"!ere# so"ething else: his son had seen hi" losing groun#, sli#ing !ac$ to the rear
of the colu"n% (e ha# seen hi"% 0n# he ha# continue to run in front, letting the #istance
!eteen the" !eco"e greater1 2&iesel 314% 0##itionally, there is another e,a"'le of a !ro$en
father an# son relationshi' in the cattle car hen Elie an# his father are !eing trans'ort to
another concentration% *his father an# son relationshi' in the cattle car !ro$e the" to !ecause
foo# !eca"e i"'ortant to the" instea# of each other% *hey ha)e a!an#on each other !ecause
they coul# not thin$ of anything, !ut hat they !een anting for a long ti"e% /+5eir, "y little
5eir6 Don+t you recogni-e "e%%%7ou+re $illing your father%%%I ha)e !rea#8for you too81
Night Essay Final Draft
2&iesel 1014% Elie an# his father is the last father an# son relationshi' to continue to !e
concerne# an# sustain for each other% Elie coul# of !eca"e selfish !ecause 'eo'le in (olocaust
start to !eco"e that !ecause it har# to hol# for one another% But Elie an# his father coul# ha)e
a!an#one#, !ut they ha# an obligation to each other that they oul# !oth sur)i)e an# ithout
each other it oul# !ring !oth to !eco"e ea$% /Su##enly, the e)i#ence o)erhel"e# "e:
there as no longer any reason to li)e, any reason to fight1 2&iesel 334% 9)erall, fa"ily can hel'
Jeish 'risoner sur)i)e or $ill you in the (olocaust !ecause of the strength an# ea$ness a
'risoner has%
Silence is another the"e that occurs "assi)ely in the (olocaust% In &orl# &ar II the
(olocaust trans'ire for the Jes to !eco"e :uiet !ecause of conse:uences for 'rotecting
the"sel)es an# other Jeish 'risoners% If Jes ha# a )oice to say so"ething there oul# !e
"ore #eath of Jeish 'eo'le #uring the (olocaust than it is no !ecause of life threatens that
Na-is tol# the" it "a$es the" not ant to sa)e a Jeish 'risoner or their self !ecause they ere
frighten% First of all, Jeish 'risoners ha)e "any "o"ents in the no)el Night to sa)e their self
fro" !eing torture any longer than they alrea#y ha)e% *he Jeish 'risoners also ha)e "o"ents
hen they can sa)e other 'risoners life, !ut they #o not% It !ecause they are so ea$ e)en if they
try, they oul# #ie an# the 'risoner they are trying to sa)e ill #ie as ell% Jeish ha)e no
choice to !e silence !ecause they ha)e their life in sac$ of that they ill #ie an# another life as
ell% /*he SS see"e# "ore 'reoccu'ie#, "ore orrie#, than usual% *o hang a chil# in front of
thousan#s of onloo$ers as not a s"all "atter1 2&iesel ;44% Secon#ly, <o# is a source of
strength an# ho'e for the Jes to ant to continue in the concentration ca"' so they can !e
li!erate#% But <o# #oes not $ee' his 'ro"ise to try to sa)e the Jes fro" #ying an# for the" to
ha)e strength so they can sur)i)e% *he Jes feel as though they cannot ha)e ho'e or faith in <o#
Night Essay Final Draft
no "ore !ecause he ha# ga)e u' on the"% /+For <o#+s sa$e, here is <o#=+ 0n# fro" ithin
"e, I hear# a )oice anser: >&here is <o#= *his here ???hanging here fro" this gallos8+1
2&iesel ;@4% *hir#, Elie is a !ystan#er in the no)el Night !ecause he is silent% (e is afrai# of
hat coul# ha''en to hi" if he e)er tries to hel' so"eone that is !eing torture or his self too *he
Na-is !rea$ Elie #on an# "a$e hi" !eco"e so ea$ that he coul# not try to hel' another soul,
e)en his father% /I as nothing !ut ashes no, !ut I felt "yself to !e stronger then this 0l"ighty
to ho" "y life ha# !een !oun# for so long% In the "i#st of these "en asse"!le# for 'rayer, I
felt li$e an o!ser)er, a stranger1 2&iesel ;A4% Blearly, silence lea# Jeish 'risoners to #eath in
the #ar$ness of the concentration ca"' an# lea# the" to !e ea$%
Dehu"ani-ation is the last the"e in Night that changes Elie an# Jeish 'eo'le to not $no
hat !eing a hu"an !eing is% In the (olocaust, Dehu"ani-ation greatly i"'acts the Jeish
'risoners% *he Na-is #ehu"ani-e the" !ecause they !eca"e less hu"an an# gain "ore 'oer
o)er the Jes !ecause they oul# ha)e no i#entity or strength to hel' the"% *o !egin ith,
Jeish 'risoner+s i#entities are ta$en aay fro" the" as they !eco"e 'risoners in the (olocaust%
*hey are sha)e# so that e)eryone loo$s the sa"eC this ta$es aay their in#i)i#uality, as ell as
their i#entical% /*heir cli''ers tore out our hair, sha)e# e)ery hair on our !o#ies1 2&iesel D@4%
Disinfection occurs hen the Jes enter Bir$enau% *he Na-is #o this to "a$e the" feel li$e a
ani"al an# !ecause they cannot stan# the s"ell of the Jeish 'risoners% /0 !arrel of foul?
s"elling li:ui# stoo# !y the #oor% Disinfection e)ery!o#y soa$e# in it% *hen ca"e a hot shoer%
0ll )ery fast1 2&iesel D;4% *hir#ly, the first ca"' Elie enters is Bir$enau an# this is hen he
loses his na"e% *he other Jeish 'risoners an# Elie get an i#entification tattoo on the" that ta$e
aay their na"e% *his is significant !ecause the last thing the Jes ha# of their self is their na"e
an# the Na-is ha)e too$ that aay fro" the"% /I !eca"e 0?
771D%
Fro" then on, I no other na"e1
Night Essay Final Draft
2&iesel 424% Blearly, #ehu"ani-ation ta$es aay e)ery 'art of the strength an# hu"anity that the
Jeish 'risoner ha)e%
In conclusion, Elie &iesel #irects i"'ortant life lessons throughout the (olocaust% *he
(olocaust turns Jes into not $noing hat !eing a soul is, to not !e heroic, an# to !rea$ the
strongest relationshi's of 'eo'le% Elie e,'erience inhu"an torture fro" !estial <er"ans, he care
"ore for his father than e)ery !ecause that is the only li)ing soul he has to care for hi", an#
!eco"e a 'erson ithout a )oice% *he lo)e an# su''ort is hat hel# on to hi" so he can sur)i)e,
the torture an# silence "a$es hi" !eco"e not a 'erson any"ore% Elie &iesel e,'lains three "ain
o)erall "essages a!out (olocaust hich is fa"ily, silence, an# #ehu"ani-ation%
5essages ta$e a !ig 'art of life or learning an# ta$ing on to !e stronger an# in Night it e,'lains
so"e life lessons of ho the (olcaust can !rea$ you%