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Elie Wiesel's Night: Character Insights

This document contains chapter summaries and discussion questions for the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel. It outlines important events and themes in each chapter, such as Elie and his father surviving their first selection in Auschwitz, Elie losing his religious faith at Birkenau, and his father dying at Buchenwald. The discussion questions explore broader topics like Wiesel's perspective changing over ten years, sources of conflict in the story, examples of irony, and Wiesel's contribution to promoting peace.

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Murlin Saint-Jean
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1K views3 pages

Elie Wiesel's Night: Character Insights

This document contains chapter summaries and discussion questions for the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel. It outlines important events and themes in each chapter, such as Elie and his father surviving their first selection in Auschwitz, Elie losing his religious faith at Birkenau, and his father dying at Buchenwald. The discussion questions explore broader topics like Wiesel's perspective changing over ten years, sources of conflict in the story, examples of irony, and Wiesel's contribution to promoting peace.

Uploaded by

Murlin Saint-Jean
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Chapter 4: Discusses subjects related to Buna and Eliezer's transformation.
  • Chapter 1: Contains discussion questions focusing on Moshe the Beadle and the deportation experience of Eliezer.
  • Chapter 2: Includes questions about the Sighet ghetto and the journey to Auschwitz.
  • Chapter 3: Addresses questions exploring Eliezer's experience at Birkenau.
  • Additional Questions: Offers broader thematic questions regarding Wiesel’s writing and its impact.
  • Chapter 5: Contain inquiries about Eliezer's views during Jewish New Year.
  • Chapter 7: Questions focus on an incident between a father and son on the train.
  • Chapter 6: Examines occurrences during brutal marches and moments of despair.
  • Chapter 8: Challenges related to Eliezer’s response to his father’s death.
  • Chapter 9: Investigates Eliezer's reflections on being freed.

Night

Elie Wiesel

Chapter 1
1. Describe Moshe the Beadle. Explain his relationship with the Jews of
Sighet, particularly Eliezer.
2. How does deportation change Moshe? How do others’ feelings toward
him change?
3. Why are spirits among the Jews of Sighet relatively high at the
beginning of Night?
4. Describe life in the Sighet ghettos.
5. Explain the opportunities for escape that the Wiesels miss before
evacuation.

Chapter 2
1. Describe the ghetto evacuation and journey to Auschwitz.
2. Identify the first signs of the ability of humans to act inhuman under
tremendous stress.
3. Interpret the significance of Madame Schachter’s insane warnings.

Chapter 3
1. Describe the first selection.
2. How does Eliezer and his father survive the first selection?
3. Explain the purpose of Birkenau.
4. What ultimately causes the dramatic change in Eliezer’s religious faith
at Birkenau?
5. Describe Eliezer’s plan if he is selected for death at Birkenau.
6. Describe the prisoners’ indoctrination into concentration camp life.
7. How does the prisoners’ indoctrination benefit the Nazis?
8. For the most part, humanity was lost in the camps. Note acts of
kindness and signs of hope in the midst of the bestiality.

Chapter 4
1. What is Buna? What does Eliezer do there?
2. What does the hanging of the child who looks like a sad angel
symbolize for Eliezer?
3. Describe the Kapos.
4. What is ironic about the prisoners’ feelings about air raids?
5. Explain the prisoners’ attitude toward death.

Chapter 5
1. Describe Elizer’s feelings as the prisoners observe the Jewish New
Year.
2. How do the prisoners in Eliezer’s block survive the New Year’s
selection?
3. Describe the exchange of possessions between father and son when it
appears that the elder Wiesel ahs been selected for death.
4. Why is Eliezer admitted to the camp hospital? What dangers face him
there?
5. Discuss and evaluate Eliezer’s decision to leave the hospital early.

Chapter 6
1. What keeps Eliezer going during the brutal march?
2. How does the realization that the Rabbi Eliahou’s son purposely
abandoned the Rabbi affect Eliezer?
3. How does Eliezer save his father from selection at Gleiwitz? Interpret
what this reveals about Eliezer’s continued commitment to his father.

Chapter 7
1. Describe the tragic incident between a father and son on the train.
What might this event reveal about the fragile nature of humanity?

Chapter 8
1. Explain why Eliezer’s father is denied medical care at Buchenwald.
2. Discuss Elie’s feelings of guilt as his father dies. Do you think his
feelings are rational?

Chapter 9
1. Describe the events that lead up to the liberation of Buchenwald.
2. What do the liberated prisoners do first?
3. Explain the irony of Elie’s nearly fatal illness after liberation.
4. Discuss Elie’s closing image of himself.

Additional Questions
1. Elie remained silent about his experiences for ten years after the
Holocaust; he broke his silence with Night. Do you think the narrator’s
point of view in Night might have been different had he written the
book in 1945? Explain.
2. Explore sources of conflict in the novel.
3. Identify examples of irony in Night.
4. Night has been described as taut, lean, and understated. In other
words, Wiesel does not go into graphic detail about the horrors of the
camp. Describe how Wiesel’s understated style creates powerful
images.
5. How does the book’s title function as imagery?
6. Elie received the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize for Night. In your opinion,
what contribution has Wiesel made to world peace?
7. How would you respond to someone who denies that the Holocaust
occurred?

Night Elie Wiesel Chapter 1 1. Describe Moshe the Beadle. Explain his relationship with the Jews of Sighet, particularly El
4. What is ironic about the prisoners’ feelings about air raids? 5. Explain the prisoners’ attitude toward death. Chapter 5 1
4. Night has been described as taut, lean, and understated. In other words, Wiesel does not go into graphic detail about the

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