NIGHT: The Project

DIRECTIONS: Choose one of the topics below and write only the body of an essay (at least two paragraphs).

1. One of the most tragic themes in Night is Eliezer’s discovery of the way that atrocities and cruel treatment can turn good people into brutes. Does he himself escape this fate?

2. In the midst of the dying men in Gleiwitz, the violinist Juliek plays a fragment of music written by the German composer Beethoven. Before and after the Holocaust, many people wondered how the Germans, cultured Europeans, could commit such barbaric acts. Does Wiesel suggest any rationale behind the Holocaust in Night? Does he speculate as to the motives of the perpetrators? What, for Wiesel, are those motives, if they exist?

3. It is possible to look at Night as the story of Eliezer’s loss of innocence. It might be argued, too, that innocence is impossible after the Holocaust. Is this true?


Important Quotation

DIRECTIONS: Interpret the quote below. In one paragraph, explain why Elie Wiesel chooses to end the memoir here.Why doesn’t Wiesel tell us what happens after his liberation?
In a second paragraph, explain how this quote applies to Elie himself. How has Elie changed from the beginning until now? How does he view himself? The world?

“One day I was able to get up, after gathering all my strength. I wanted to see myself in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto.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.”

The Interview
DIRECTIONS: Imagine you can interview Elie Wiesel today. You get to ask him ten questions. What are your questions and what are his answers. His answers must be based on information from the novel.

INTERVIEWER: I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Wiesel.
ELIE WIESEL: Thank you.
I:_________________________________________
E:_________________________________________