Name: Abby Weitkamp

Night Discussion QuestionsChapter 1

Why does Moishe come back to tell his story? How does the townspeoples reaction contribute
to the meaning of the text?

Moishe returns to tell his story in order to warn people. On page 7 of the book, it says:
You dont understand, he said in despair. You cannot understand. I was saved miraculously.
I succeeded in coming back. Where did I get my strength? I wanted to return to Sighet to
describe to you my death so that you might ready yourselves while there is still time. Life? I no
longer care to live. I am alone. But I wanted to come back to warn you. Only no one is listening
to me Moishe specifically says that he came back to warn people in hope that they might
prepare themselves while they still can. However, the townspeople do not believe him. In fact,
many of them refused to even listen to Moishe. This reaction contributes to the meaning of the
text because their delusion foreshadows what will happen to the townspeople later on in the
book. Not long after Moishe returns to speak of the terrors that he has experienced. The
townspeople are sent to ghettos where they delude themselves into believing that the ghettos
are a good thing.

Explain the meaning of the following statement: The ghetto was ruled by neither German nor
Jew; it was ruled by delusion (12). (SPEPES)

The statement: The ghetto was ruled by neither German nor Jew; it was ruled by
delusion means that the people living in the ghetto were not ruled by people; instead, they were
ruled by their delusions that what was occurring was good and that they were safe. A quote
from page 11 states: Little by little life returned to normal. The barbed wire that encircled us
like a wall did not fill us with real fear. In fact, we felt this was not a bad thing; we were entirely
among ourselves. From this quote, it is evident that the Jews believed that being by themselves
was a good thing. However, their delusions did not allow them to look at how this came to be.
They are trapped in the ghetto but delusionally view it as though it was a good thing instead of a
precursor for the terrible tragedies sure to come. Another quote on page 12 says: Most people
thought that we would remain in the ghetto until the end of the war, until the arrival of the Red
Army. For starters, once the Germans arrived in Sighet, everything started changing. First, the
Germans moved into the homes of the Jews. Then, they prohibited Jews from leaving their
homes and forbid Jews from owning valuables. Later, they required every Jew to wear a yellow
star. Finally, they were moved into the ghettos. With all that happened, the Jews were
delusional to think they would remain in the ghettos. Denial is a psychological defense
mechanism and the constant denial of what was actually occurring led to delusions of safety
and happiness which spread like a disease among the Jews.
 Night Discussion QuestionsChapter 2-3

How do Mrs. Schachters cries and the people on the trains reaction to her impact the meaning
of the text?

Mrs. Schachters cries and the reaction of the people on the train reinforce the delusion
of the people. Her cries of seeing a fire are caused by the fact that she knew of the
concentration camp and the crematoriums. However, the people do not believe her because
they cannot literally see the fire. The fire is not actually there at first, but it symbolizes what is to
come. When the people respond, they say that all they are able to see is darkness. This
darkness symbolizes their delusion and strengthens the readers knowledge and understanding
of the delusions that the people have. Overall, Mrs. Schachters cries the the people on the
trains reaction to her reinforce the delusion that nothing bad will happen to them.

How has Elies life changed since his arrival at Birkenau? Give specific examples from the
chapter. (SPEPES)

Since his arrival at Birkenau, the physical and mental conditions of Elies life has
changed. Throughout chapter 3, we see a variety of physical changes to Elies life. Some
examples are his age, his loss of contact with his mother and sisters, and his loss of hair. All of
these changes impact his way of life. A new age results in the appearance of a man. The lack of
family, not including his father, is completely different from his old life where Elie was constantly
close to his family. Also, the loss of hair symbolizes the stripping of Elie. Combined, all of these
physical changes create a new person, a new identity. The mental change is evident on page
39 where Elie says: I stood petrified. What had happened to me? My father had just been
struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent. Only
yesterday, I would have dug my nails into the criminals flesh. Had I changed that much? So
fast? Elie has changed his way of thinking. Previously, he would have stepped up and fought
for his father, but now he is too afraid. Also, this change in thinking results in a change in his
moral compass, his morality. What was once wrong enough to cause a reaction no longer does.
This changes his life because it changes the way that Elie views the world and it changes his
reaction to specific events. Elies life changed dramatically and quickly since his arrival at
Birkenau. He has become a completely new person with the loss of his identity and morality.
 Night Discussion QuestionsChapter 4

Eliezers father is beaten with an iron bar (p. 54). Eliezer concludes this scene with the following
judgment: That is what concentration camp life had made of me. What does he mean?

The judgement That was what life in a concentration camp had made of me means
that the changes to Eliezers thoughts and actions are due to being in the concentration camp.
Before this line, Eliezer speaks of how he was not angry at the Kapo, but at his father. His anger
was directed toward his father because Eliezer believes that his father could have avoided the
wrath of Idek. However, Idek is a reckless and unpredictable character who struggles to restrain
himself. The text does not specifically highlight an event that would have caused a problem with
Idek. It only says: Idek was on the edge, he had trouble restraining himself. Suddenly, he
exploded. The victim this time was my father. This quote provides no inclination to a fault by
Eliezers father. Thus, Eliezers belief that his father could have prevented the wrath is simply
another delusion created by life in the concentration camp. In this scene, we see that Eliezer is
deluded into believing that the beatings are justified. He is beginning to think that those who
control him should. Thus, the judgement means that his life in concentration camp completely
warped his way of viewing life.

What events lead to each of the two hangings Elie describes? How does Elies tone after each
hanging contribute to his characterization?

The first hanging was of a boy who stole food during the air raid. Just before being
executed, the boy yells: Long live liberty! My curse on Germany! My curse! My Later, Elie
says: I remember that on that evening, the soup tasted better than ever Elies tone after the
hanging expresses joy. However, this joy does not come because of the hanging itself, but
because of the rebellion. All around Elie, Jews are submitting to the Germans. They are no
longer fighting for themselves or what they believe in. The boy died with dignity by defying the
Germans and not simply accepting his death as many other Jews did. Elie respected the boy
and his act of defiance for this exact reason. The second hanging was of a young boy who was
a servant to a man found guilty of having a large quantity of weapons. The text states: But the
Dutchmans little servant was beloved by all. He was the face of an angel in distress. Before his
hanging, the boy was tortured, but remained silent. As the chair was removed from under him,
the young boy lingered between life and death. Throughout this process, the young boy said no
word. After the hanging of the young boy, Elie says: That night, the soup tasted of corpses.
Elies tone after the second hanging expresses sadness and exasperation. Elie is upset that the
beloved young boy lingered between life and death. This young boy is a symbol for the overall
spirit of the Jewish people. In the concentration camps, the Jewish people show little defiance
as a sign of life. Instead, they are slowly deteriorating and becoming submissive to the Germans
just as the little boy slowly lost his life. Overall, both of these hanging contribute to the
characterization of Elie by allowing the reader to see how much Elie valued defiance and hated
the submission of his fellow Jewish people.
 Night Discussion QuestionsChapter 5

Describe Elies changing views on faith and God. Compare him at the beginning of the book to
now. (SPEPES)
Throughout the book, Elie has changed from having faith in God to being angry with
God. A quote from page 69 says: I did not fast. First of all, to please my father who had
forbidden me to so. And then, there was no longer any reason for me to fast. I no longer
accepted Gods silence. As I swallowed my ration of soup, I turned that act into a symbol of
rebellion, of protest against Him. In this quote, Elie highlights the change in himself. He no
longer accepted God. Thus, at one point he believed, but, after being in the concentration camp,
no longer does. In fact, Elie is angry with God and wants to rebel and protest against him. In the
beginning of the book, Elie is dedicated to God. On page 5, the text says: And Moishe the
Beadle, the poorest of the poor of Sighet, spoke to me for hours on end about the Kabbalahs
revelations and its mysteries. Thus began my initiation. Together we would read, over and over
again, the same page of the Zohar. Not to learn it biy heart but to discover within the very
essence of divinity. The word divinity refers to God. Every night Elie would dedicate time to
understand God. This dedication provides solid evidence that Elie had faith in God. Thus, it is
easy to determine that over the course of the book and Elies time in concentration camps, Elie
loses faith and his belief in God.

Night Discussion QuestionsChapter 6

Responsibly infer Julieks motives (plural) behind his final concert. (SPEPES)

Julieks motives behind his final concert were to give hope and peace to those in the
Barracks and as an act of defiance. On page 95, the text states: Never before had I heard such
a beautiful sound. In such silence. This beautiful sound instilled peace in Elie. It allowed him to
sleep. Previously in the book, silence brought fear and hopelessness so the beautiful sound of
Julieks final concert brings peace to Elie. On page 95, the text also states: The darkness
enveloped us. All I could hear was the violin, and it was as if Juliek's soul had become his bow.
He was playing his life. His whole being was gliding over the strings. His unfulfilled hopes. His
charred past, his extinguished future. He played that which he would never play again. Just as
the man from the first hanging shouted for liberty while facing death, Juliek is expressing his
defiance through his music. Instead of remaining quiet and suffering a silent, suffocating death
like many other prisoners of the concentration camps have done, Juliek is speaking out with his
music. His spirit lives in his music and works to inspire the other prisoners to resist and not
submit. Thus, Julieks final motives combined result in the motive to inspire the other prisoners
to have hope, have strength, and to resist.
 Night Discussion QuestionsChapter 7-9

Elie says, Just like Rabbi Eliahous son, I had not passed the test (107). Do you agree or
disagree? Why? (SPEPES)

I disagree with Elies statement that Just like Rabbi Eliahous son, I had not passed the
test because despite some of Elies thoughts and actions, he still helped his father in the end.
On page 106, Elie says: I knew he was running out of strength, close to death, and yet I
abandoned him. I went to look for him. Yet at the same time a thought crept into my mind: If only
I didnt find him! If only I were relieved of this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight
for my own survival, to take care of only myself...Instantly, I felt ashamed, ashamed of myself
forever. In chapter 6, Rabbi Eliahous son leaves his father behind when they were running in
order to free himself of the burden that could diminish his own chance of survival but does not
look for his father afterwards. Despite the fact that Elie also left his father behind, his first
thought is to find him. When thoughts of leaving him for good arise, he immediately becomes
ashamed of himself. This proves that he is different from Rabbi Eliahous son because he did
not completely leave his father behind. Later in the chapter on page 107, Elie says: I gave him
what was left of my soup. But my heart was heavy. I was aware that I was doing it grudgingly.
Elie sacrificed some of his own rations in order to help his father. Even though he did it
grudgingly, Elie did not have the will to not help his father whereas Rabbi Eliahous son left the
Rabbi with no regret. Overall, despite some similar thoughts to Rabbi Eliahous son, Elie did not
have the will to leave his father behind and ultimately send his father to death as Rabbi
Eliahous son easily did.

When Elie thinks, Free at last (112) after his fathers death, is he referring to himself or his
father? Explain.

When Elie thinks Free at last after his fathers death, he is referring to himself. The
death of his father has lifted a burden off of Elies back. He no longer needs to urge his father to
stay strong and continue on or provide his father with food. Now, Elie can focus solely on his
own survival. Elie thinks this as he looks deep into his conscience, also known as his moral
compass. Not that his father is dead, Elie is freed from his recurring guilt over some of his
thoughts and actions surrounding his father. Thus, not only is Elie freed from the physical
burden of his father, but also from the mental guilt that his father has caused him throughout
their time in concentration camps.