Book Report of Night by Elie Wiesel

Tania Ardiani and Ayu Ida Savitri, S.S, M.Hum.

English Department, Faculty of Humanity, Diponegoro University, Semarang 50275

Abstrak

Penulisan tugas akhir “Bedah Buku Night karya Elie Wiesel” bertujuan
untuk mengungkap simbol yang banyak digunakan oleh pengarang yang
bertujuan untuk mewakili perasaan yang ingin disampaikan oleh pengarang
yang tidak dijabarkan. Selain itu, tugas akhir ini juga menilai kelebihan dan
kekurangan dari novel Night. Penulis memutuskan untuk membedah novel
Night karena sebagai karya sastra novel ini merupakan sebuah karya sastra
yang mengandung unsur sejarah sehingga bisa berperan ganda sebagai
penyegar kalbu dan sumber wawasan. Penulis menggunakan metode
membaca cermat untuk menemukan simbol, kelebihan dan kekurangan dari
novel ini. Setelah dianalisis ditemukan bahwa ada beberapa simbol, yang
sebagian merupakan simbol di agama Yahudi, yang digunakan untuk lebih
menekankan penderitaan dari para korban Holocaust yang segala hak
mereka telah dirampas oleh Nazi. Novel ini mempunyai kelebihan dalam
temanya yaitu mempunyai tema tentang kejadian yang besar dan terkenal
sehingga bisa dijadikan sebagai salah satu referensi kesejarahan yang
didukung dengan penggunaan bahasa denotatif yang tidak ambigu.
Kedekatan batin antara Eliezer dan ayahnya yang berkembang di kamp
konsentrasi juga merupakan nilai lebih dari novel ini. Namun, hal yang
menyulitkan dalam mendalami novel ini adalah beberapa istilah agama
Yahudi dan bahasa Jerman sehingga diperlukan referensi lain untuk
memahaminya. Dari segi penokohan, penulis menganggap bahwa tokoh
Eliezer mempunyai karakter yang jauh lebih dewasa dan tidak sesuai
dengan umurnya yang sebenarnya yaitu 15 tahun.

Kata kunci: Holocaust, Kamp Konsentrasi, Nazi, Yahudi

1. Introduction caused by war itself. War takes not

War is one effective way to only the soldiers’ souls but also the
“reduce” the population of people in souls of innocence or civilian.
the world. The number of people World War II that happened in
decreases because of the suffering 1939-1945 was also caused a lot of
people lost their soul and life. The most In composing this project, the
popular event was Holocaust or the writer determines to discuss two
genocide of European Jews by Nazi problems related to the topic and to be
German, led by Adolf Hitler. The revealed in later discussion, among
victims were Jews and non Jews. Nazi them are:
grouped them as German and non- 2.1 To reveal the symbols
German, in Eastern and Center Europe. and allusions used in Night, in order to
The chosen people were sent to the ease the reader to grab deeper
concentration camps to be killed understanding of the messages that are
directly or they had to be slaves until conveyed by the author.
dying before they really died. 2.2 To give the review of
One of the survived victims in Night, those are the strength, weakness,
this catastrophe that succeeded to live and personal opinion of the writer.
until the war ended is Elie Wiesel. He
cures his trauma and endurs his fear to 3. Biography of The
tell what happened when he was Author
imprisoned in concentration camps, Elie Wiesel was born in the town
Auschwitz and Birkenau, and wrote it of Sighet in Transylvania. He was still a
in a memorial novel Night. teenager when he was taken from his
Night is a story of a virtuous home to the Auschwitz concentration
Jews teenager that has a problem with camp and take to Buchenwald. His
his relation with God because of the memoirs of that experience the
torture after he is sent to concentration unforgettably recorded in Night, which
camps for being a Jew. This book became a worldwide bestseller.
shows to the world that Holocaust After the war, Wiesel learned
seizes everything; family, friends, that his mother and younger sister had
right, live, and faith. Beside all died in the gas chambers, but that his
controversy of Holocaust that lasted two older sisters had survived. Elie lived
until this era, this book also reveals the in a French orphanage for a few years
evidence that the story of “sacred” and in 1948 began to study literature,
Holocaust is not only a myth. The story philosophy, and psychology at the
from the point of view of a fifteen year Sorbonne in Paris. He is the author of
old teenager is told honestly and twenty one books. Wiesel's other novels
unexaggeratedly. The writing include The Gates of the Forest, The
technique used makes a balanced feel Oath, The Testament, and The Fifth Son.
to the readers. It can grab readers’ He has written plays, including Zalmen,
sympathy but does not make them too or The Madness of God and The Trial of
pitied of it. The writer reviews this God, and his essays and short stories are
book to improve the skill in literature collected in the volumes Legends of Our
project. The writer hopes that this Time, One Generation After, and A Jew
review can help the reader to get more Today. In addition, he has written
understanding about the messages of collections of Hasidic tales and Biblical
this book. stories, and the English translation of his
memoirs was published in 1995 as All
2. Objective Rivers Run to the Sea. Wiesel continues
to write in French, but his wife Marion,
who he married in 1969 and who also Along the year of 1943, the
survived the concentration camps, situation was normal. In 1944 after
collaborates with him his books' English Fascist party won the election, the
translations. Wiesel's books on the commando of deportation was issued.
Holocaust have helped win him an Jews had to wear the yellow star. Two
international reputation. ghettos were started to set up in the
Wiesel has lectured at colleges town. The people thought that ghettos
around the country and has been Andrew were the save place at least until the
Mellon Professor of Humanities at war ended. When the day of the
Boston University since 1976. In 1978 deportation came, they marched to the
he was appointed Chairman of the station and were brought with cattle
United States Holocaust Memorial cars 80 people in each car.
Council by President Jimmy Carter, and In Eliezer’s train there was
in 1985 he was awarded the Madam Schachter who always
Congressional Gold Medal of screamed that she saw fire, a nerve-
Achievement by President Ronald racking waiting for departing to the
Reagan. In 1986 Wiesel received the unknown destination. After a few days,
Nobel Prize for Peace. Currently, Elie they arrived at Birkenau, the reception
Wiesel lives in New York City with his center of Auschwitz, and they really
wife and son Elisha. smelled burnt flesh from the furnace.
Right after they arrived in the
concentration camp, there was a
4. Summary command from the Schutzstaffel (SS)
Moshe the Beadle was an that man should go to the left and
orphan that was loved by the people women to the right. The notorious Dr.
who worked in Hasidic synagogue in Mangele examined the people. Those
Sighet, Transylvania (now becomes a that were considered weak would be
part of Romania) where Eliezer and his killed. At this time Elizer was still
family and other Jews lived. His father together with his father. At the same
was a man who did not have a close time he started to accuse God that he
relationship with his family but he was was not with the people who believed
very respected by the Jews in their in His existence.
neighborhood. Eliezer had two older The barrack was like hell. It
sisters, Hilda and Bea, and a younger was full of madness, scream and
sister, Tzipora. brutishness. The officers made them
One day, all Jews foreigners stripped. At this time self-defense
were deported by cattle car by instinct and pride have lost from their
Hungarian police, and Moshe was soul. The selected people were sent to
included in that group. A few months work in the furnace and the rest,
later, Moshe went back to town and including Eliezer and his father, is
told the story about his suffer that moved to the main camp Auschwitz.
people had to dig their own graves and The officers gave them clothes, black
sacrifice their own necks. He also coffee, tick soup, and bread to eat.
warned the people in Sighet to escape. Afternoon roll call gave them a number
Yet they did not believe him and even for each person, Elizer is A-7713. After
said that he was insane.
three weeks in Auschwitz they moved They were brought to
to Buna. Buchenwald with the rattle without
Some people said that Buna roof. Eliezer’s father got dysentery,
was the “best” concentration camp. once he thought that he would let him
After three days the doctor came to die so he would lost this burden but as
examine but actually he only came to soon as he regretted it. Three days later
look for golden teeth. Eliezer has a he could not find his father on his bed.
golden tooth, and he could not save it Maybe he still breathed when he was
any longer after some postponements. brought to crematory. Eliezer regretted
Eliezer worked in the warehouse next since the last word his father said was
to a French girl that is told they would his name, and he ignored it. After that,
meet some years later in Paris. On there was no story about Eliezer since
Sunday Buna was stricken, the only reason of his life was his
Eliezerhoped that Buna was totally father. Eliezer was sent to children
ruined. A week later a black gallows block, and in April the American
give more frightening experience but at soldier won the battle over SS and
least it felt like freedom for those who released all prisoners.
dead there.
In the end of the year, the Jew 5. Review
should have fasting, but some of them 5.1 Symbols
did not do it as a rebellion. The first In “Night”, Elie Wiesel as the
selection came, Eliezer’s father did not author uses several symbols as well
make it and bequeathed a spoon and a allusions to deliver the intended
knife, but fortunately he passed the meaning which considered more
next selection. In the winter, they were accurate than common words. Those
given thicker stripped pajamas, and it symbols, which were often mentioned,
made a new mockery for the SS “Now, have important role in Night. Those
you’ll really getting a taste of the symbols are Night, Fire and Prisoner’s
camp!”.Eliezer had swollen foot and Number.
had to have an operation. In his
recovery time, the Red Army was Night
getting closer, and all prisoners had to The word “night” is mostly used
be evacuated to the depth of Germany. to represent something dark that can also
Evacuation was started the next mean the end of the days. In Jewish
day, under thick snows they had to run. doctrine, night also has a certain
The SS also run beside them with the meaning. According to Rabbi Louis
guns in their hands, and they would Jacobs in the encyclopedia entitled
shoot the weak. On the way Eliezer “What is Jew?” , in Talmud, the
met his comrade that left his weak collections of rabbinic commentary on
father and he thought that he would biblical texts that form, and Torah, the
never do it since he only had his father foundation for the religious laws of
in this world. After this long journey Judaism, “night” means “the world of
prisoners reached Gleiwitz, but a lot of error and darkness”. It is not surprising if
people died. Three days in Buna Wiesel as a pious Jew uses Jewish
without food and drink, then they tried symbol and allusion and even uses
to eat snow. ‘night’ as the title of this novel.
 The author mentions some “last beautifully given from the parents for
night” in the story. For example, the their children. It is reasonable if they
main character Eliezer always tells about are disappointed when those beautiful
the last night before the scene moves to names are changed into those numbers.
the next one as another last night. He For example, Eliezer means ‘God is my
even compiles all his ‘last nights’ Savior’ in Hebrew. After imprisoned in
experiences in one scene when he states, the notorious concentration camp, their
“The last night in Buna. Yet another last beautiful name is changed into a
night. The last night at home, the last meaningless number such as A1773
night in the gettho, the last night in the
train, and, now, the last night in Buna” 5.2 The Strengths of Night
(Wiesel, 1960:100). The Historical Theme
By gathering the whole last This novel has historical theme
nights he experienced, it seems like as it talks about the struggle of a boy in
Eliezer hopes that his nightmare will concentration camps in Holocaust era.
end up soon. Deep in his heart, he Therefore, this book can be used as
hopes that tomorrow will be better as guidance for the readers to study about
the sun will rise brightly and his old history, especially Holocaust and
life will come back to him. He never World War as two of the greatest
stops to believe that his nightmare will human tragedy in the world. This novel
end soon, even when he finds that the is also beneficial for students who
next day is worst than his last day. study literature to study the deeper
meaning of a literary works since the
Fire author gives some clues that should be
The word “fire” appears first analyzed by a literary approach. In
when Madam Schachter screams like literature, this novel can be explored by
crazy in the carriage that bring them to using Historical Approach because it
Buna. In Talmud, fire is called “aish” contains social document.
which has a mystical and spiritual
negative meaning that is, “a chaotic The Use of Denotative Words
and intimidating natural power”. In Another strength of this novel is
some religions, fire is decrypted to hell in the diction or the word choice.
as people often say, “If you do bad Wiesel writes “Night” as a memoir. He
things, you will be burnt in hell”. The uses Eliezer as the main character and
power mentioned in “Night” is not the the first person narrator. His double
power of nature as it refers to the roles makes the readers catch the whole
power of Hitler that will send them to messages of the story easily. As a man
one of greatest tragedy in humankind who produced literature works, Wiesel
history. does not make his writing complicated
by employing connotative words. He
Prisonner’s Numbers delivers his purpose by telling about an
In Buna, all prisoners are given unpleasant experience of how his
a number to replace their name. It character tries to be tough without
shows that their right is really being begging people to pity on him.
seized even for their right of their own
names. In general, a name is
 Father and Son Relationship in this story he is strong enough when
In the novel, the relationship he still lives free and fearless with his
between Eliezer and his father is family and neighborhood in his
growing closer so that they become hometown, Sighet. He does not even
inseparable. The strong bound between show his fear when the Jews started to
Elizer and his father is an interesting be evacuated from their environment. It
topic since it gives a moral value of a might happen as the effect of studying
father and son relationship. Both of Talmud that contains the collection of
them are in the process to learn how to Rabbis’ discussion since a very young
resist their hard time that they never age that makes a boy has a man’s
imagine before as Eliezer’s father is thought.
still doing his role as a guidance and
protector of his son. This relationship 5.4 Personal Opinion
influences Elizer’s mental development The controversy about the fact
because, without his father, he would of the real number of murdered Jews in
be as cruel as German people since his the tragedy of Holocaust is still
desire to save the only remaining interesting to be debated even though
family member makes him not to act The World War II that marked this
wild and greedy like other prisoners. tragedy has ended in 1945. While
reading this book we can set aside this
5.3 The Weakness of Night case so that this book will drive our
Germany and Jewish Terms attention to the suffered victims. For
For non-Jewish and non- the common readers who do not learn
Germany people, it is rather hard to Jewish or Germany, the Germany and
translate some words in the novel. For Jewish terms might be rather hard to
example, Achtung is a Germany word understand.
which means ‘attention’ in English. The biggest question that comes
Another example is synagogue in in common readers’ mind should be
Jewish which means a house of “Why the Jews did not pretend to be
worship and learning and kaddish that non Jews?”. After reading another
means Jewish prayer recited in the memoir book about Holocaust from
daily synagogue services and by another Holocaust victim Thomas
mourners after the death of a close Buergenthal the writer found out the
relative. However, in this novel those reason why Jews cannot pretend to be
terms are important since it shows how non Jew is because they have a certain
the people’s loyalty to God stars to physical characteristics that differ them
fades away by gradually neglecting from the common Eastern European
God’s commands one by one as the that is they have black wavy hair and
result of their suffering in the camps. brown eyes that identified their Jewish
blood (Buergenthal, 2007:32).
Eliezer’s Early Maturity The interesting phase of this
In this novel, Eliezer as a novel is when Eliezer’s father says,
fifteen-year-old boy seems to be too “I’ve got more faith in Hitler than in
mature in facing all his problems. It is anyone else. He’s the only one who’s
probably more sensible if his strength kept his promises, all his promises,
comes in the middle of the story. But, to the Jewish people.”(Wiesel,
 1960:97). This phase touches the analyzed in this paper. First, there are
writer’s deepest heart since it shows several Germany and Jewish words that
how great Hitler’s will is to reach his are not familiar for readers that do not
dreams that makes the Jews think learn about Germany and Hebrew.
that he is the real ‘death angle’ as Second, Eliezer looks more mature
when he releases a command to kill than his actual age.
Jews, they will die in time. It shows There are a lot of books written
that in the hard time to save his life by the ex-prisoner of Nazi, but this
he does not even have time to think novel is different since it is not only
about God’s purpose that God puts about physical and mental struggle of
people in the hard time is to make the victim but also their spiritual
they think about His presence. struggle as a prisoner that asks for
Night is the first memoir God’s existence when Nazi tried to
about Holocaust that the writer read. annihilate Jews. The surprising thing
This book makes the writer more about “Night” is the fact that Eliezer
curious about the Holocaust and look does not have such a passion to take
for other stories about the victims of revenge after he had released from
Holocaust. Among those stories the those concentration camps. The author
writer thinks that Night is the one who writes this novel some years after
that appropriate to be reviewed for he released from the notorious
this paper. The book shows the concentration camps, Birkenau,
character development of a child that Auschwitz and Buna, shows his mental
is being force to be a premature maturity by not showing his exploding
adult. This book also teaches about anger and writes this book wisely.
the important of family members’
support for their living. It is not only 7. Bibliography
telling about personal experience but Buergenthal, Thomas. A Lucky Child.
this book also tells about the Trans. Shandy Than. Jakarta:
historical event that is written Gramedia. 2001.
chronologically. Elie Wiesel Biography. Nobleprize.org.
23 May 2012.
6. Conclusion <http://www.nobelprize.org/no
This paper shows that the bel_prizes/peace/laureates/1986
author’s background as a loyal Jew /wiesel-bio.html>.
influence him a lot in writing his Morner, Kathleen, and Ralph Rausch.
literary work. The allusions and NTC’s Dictionary of Literary
symbols in this novel help him to Terms. Chicago: NTC. 1991.
explain the hidden feeling that is never Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill
completely shown. The elements that and Wang, 1960. 2 April 2011.
reinforce this novel are the historical E Book Browse. 14 May. 2012
theme that makes it worth to be a <http://ebookbrowse.com/elie-
document social, the word choice that wiesel-night-pdf-d98428904> .
makes the readers get the story clearly, Wiesel, Elie. Home page. Oprah’s
and moral message that is delivered Book Club. 16 January. 2006.
from father and son relationship. On <http://www.oprah.com/oprahs
the other hand, there are two bookclub/The-Night-Glossary>
weaknesses of “Night” are also