Theme Analysis of Night

Students will compose five paragraph essay using a thesis

statement and three topic sentences provided by the teacher. The
students’ focus is to develop a well-organized essay using evidence
from the text to support the claim of each body paragraph.

Standards:
• W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
• W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.
Introduction Notes: Stay in 3rd person!
1. Hook/Grabber/Lead- 1 sentence
– Grabs reader’s attention/on topic (quotation, interesting fact,
unusual detail, exaggerated statement, compelling question)
2. Background Info/Context – 3+ sentences
– Introduce/Explain the Holocaust
– Provide some information about Elie Wiesel, his hometown, his
religion, and his family
– Explain that Elie was taken prisoner and survived five
concentration camps
3. Thesis Statement- 1 sentence
- Sets up the claim or argument of the entire paper
- Teacher has given you this sentence word-for-word– just copy it
over.
Thesis Statement:
• This will be the last sentence of the first
paragraph.
• Example:

Elie Wiesel uncovers and explores three distinct

themes in his memoir Night: one’s spiritual
journey, dehumanization, and relationships
between friends and family.
Student Sample Intro:
Not even eighteen years old, Elie Wiesel has experienced
more suffering than most adults will accumulate in a
lifetime. A survivor of the Holocaust, Elie writes about his
struggles in the book Night. By 1945, Elie has endured five
camps: Birkenau, Auschwitz, Buna, Gleiwitz, and
Buchenwald. He goes into the first camp optimistic and
walks out of the last camp without any revenge in his
heart. Elie Wiesel uncovers and explores three distinct
themes in his memoir Night: one’s spiritual journey,
dehumanization, and relationships between friends and
family.
Body Paragraphs:
• Begin with given topic sentences.
• Add your analysis integrated with supportive
details (snippets) from the text.
• Each paragraph needs to be at least 5-7
sentences.
• Pay attention to grammar, capitalization,
organization, word choice and spelling.
Topic Sentences:
• Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 1: Elie Wiesel’s
experiences in the concentration camp lead him to
question, if not deny, his religion.
• Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 2: The prisoners are
forced to undergo a brutal process of dehumanization
that leaves them lacking individual identities.
• Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 3: Despite constant
suffering, Elie Wiesel relies on his closeness with his
father and his relationship with friends to give him
strength.
Where do I find the quotes?
Paragraph 1 Religion 4-5. 19, 33-34, 37,
45, 65, and 67-69

Paragraph 2 Dehumanization 18-19, 22, 32, 35-

37, 39, and 42

Paragraph 3 Father-son 32, 44, 55, 68-69,

Relationship and 71, 73, 75-76, 82,
Friendships and 86-87

TO LEAVE OUT WORDS: use ellipses …

TO ADD/CHANGE WORDS: use [brackets]
Teacher Sample Body Paragraph:
The Jewish people maintained optimism prior to being
taken prisoner. Despite warnings from people like Moishe
the Beadle, the Jewish people in Elie’s hometown clung to
the hope that “Germany would be defeated” (8). Even
when confined to the Jewish ghettos, some said, “this was
not a bad thing” (11). They continued to hope for the best
and believe in the good of humanity. Partially, this hope
came from the belief that “in the middle of the twentieth
century” (8) such crimes would never be permitted. This
delusion, combined with optimism, enabled them to “walk
[away from their homes] without another glance” (16) and
be taken as prisoners to the concentration camps where
the violence and brutality finally forced them to let go of
their “illusions” (29). Until it was too late, the people of
Sighet hoped for a good outcome.
Student Sample Body Paragraph:
Elie Wiesel’s experiences in the concentration camps lead him to
question, if not deny, his religion. Elie is committed to his religion
and prays often before he is taken to Birkenau. The first day at the
camp, he witnesses “flames that consum[e] [his] faith forever” (34)
as he watches “children [being] thrown into the flames” (32). Elie
walks scirss the camp with other people. All of them see the smoke.
All of them smell the “burning flesh” (28). Elie from that point on
would never “forget those moments that murdered [his] God” (34).
Elie “ceas[es] to pray” (45) as he doubts God is ever going to help.
The concentration camp puts so many horrible images into Elie’s
mind. Every events leaves a scar, mentally and sometimes physically.
He says, “Yes, man is stronger, greater than God” (67) and “He
caused thousands of children to burn” (67). Elies loses his faith in the
“Almighty, Master of the Universe” (67) because “He” (67) was
letting all of this happen.
Conclusion Notes: Stay in 3rd person!
• Recap: 1 sentence
– Don’t repeat yourself. Restate or recap your thesis
(from Paragraph 1) in NEW WORDS.
• Greater Significance: 4+ sentences
– Take your claims deeper. Make the issue seem highly
important (earth shattering / world changing!)
Explain the lasting importance of these themes. How
do they impact the overall tone? How do these
thoughts, actions, and relationships affect Elie over
time? What’s the deeper message of the book?