Summary of the Novel Night by Elie Wiesel - Book Report/Review Example

Book Review of Night Section 5 1. What is the importance of Rosh Hashanah, according to the text? Rosh Hashanah was a Jewish high holiday that marked the last day of the Jewish year. The Jews of Buna gathered together during Rosh Hashanah to pray and praise God’s name (Wiesel 126). 2. What does Elie see and feel with his “eyes wide open”? Ellie felt lonely in a word without God. He sees a world without God and humanity. 3. What question is “hotly debated” regarding Yom Kippur — The Day of Atonement? Yom Kippur marked the day of fasting among the Jews to atone for their sins. Debate raged on whether they should or should not fast on Yom Kippur considering they already received limited or no food rations from their captors already (Wiesel 128). 4. According to the veterans of Buna, how has the camp changed in the past few years as far as conditions for the prisoners? The veterans of Buna state that the camp has improved conditions for the prisoners compared to five years ago. They state that selection got carried out weekly and were far brutal five years ago. 5. In a better world, Elie could imagine a universe without what? Ellie could imagine a universe without bells as a much better world to him. 6. What is the “inheritance” Elie’s father gives to him if he does not survive the second selection? His father gives him a knife and an old spoon as his inheritance. 7. Elie must have surgery for what reason? Ellie must have surgery for his swollen foot. 8. What is ironic in the statement, “I’ve got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He’s the only one who’s kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people”? The irony is understood from the perspective of God and Hitler on the Jewish people. Hitler had promised to wipe out all Jews of Europe and he appeared to keep his promise by executing them (Wiesel 132). God had promised the Jews that they were his chosen people and would rule over earth but with the tribulations they faced under Hitler; it appeared as though Hitler was the only one succeeding at keeping his promises. 9. What is ironic about the choice Elie and his father make concerning staying in the hospital or evacuating with the others in his unit? Elie and his father thought by evacuating they would be liberating themselves and those staying in the hospital would be executed. Elie later gets to find out that those they left behind that day got freed by the Russians a day later. 10. Why is the wooden floor of the block cleaned before they leave? The wooden floor got cleaned to make an impression on the liberators. The prisoners got told to keep it clean so that the liberators do not think they lived in a pig sty. Section 6 1. What are the overall conditions of the march to the next camp? The conditions of the march to the next camp are difficult and dangerous because of the cold. There was an ongoing winter storm that led to snowing and the Jews also lacked adequate and appropriate clothing. 2. Why can’t Zalman continue to march? Zalman is unable to continue marching as he developed a painful stomachache. 3. How does the presence of his father give Elie the strength to continue the march? Elie derives strength from his father’s presence as he feels he has to take care of him. 4. The image that Elie has of the Rabbi Eliahou’s son running away from his father in the snowy march initiates a prayer. Explain the importance of the prayer. The prayer was important to Elie as he asks to gain strength to continue looking and tending for his father. 5. Why is the violin so important to Juliek? The violin marked Juiliek’s life (Wiesel 135). It was the only thing he had left and provided him a reminder of life before the onset of the concentration camps. 6. What is the importance of Juliek’s playing of Beethoven’s concerto? Beethoven’s concerto was a German symphony. Jews were forbidden to play it. Juliek plays it out of defiance as he is dying. 7. To what does Elie refer when he says he saw the “strange overwhelming little corpse”? Elie refers to Juliek’s dead corpse that lay next to his smashed and trampled violin. The violin represented Juliek’s soul (Wiesel 135). Wiesel uses the term ‘strange overwhelming little corpse’ to signify how they had trampled on Juliek’s soul/violin and all that lay now was simply a body that appeared unfamiliar to Juliek’s spirit. 8. How do the prisoners appease their thirst while waiting for the train to arrive? The prisoners appease their thirst by eating snow off each other’s backs. Section 7 1. Why does Elie say, “there was no more reason to live, no more reason to struggle” when he wakes up to a snow covered, open cattle car? Elie says this when he thinks his father is dead in the cattle car. 2. Why does Elie, some years later, ask a lady not to throw money out to the poor? Elie asked the Parisian lady not to throw money at poor children as it reminded him of Jews fighting over thrown bread in the cattle cars and concentration camps (Wiesel 137). 3. How is the passage describing the fight over the piece of bread in the open cattle car one of both horror and sadness? Fighting over thrown bread was of horror and sadness as the Jews in the cattle cars would stampede, fight, and kill each other over a few crumbs of bread as they went unfed for days and were hungry. They had been reduced to savages where survival was for the fittest and even when it came to a basic want as food. In one instance, a father and son killed each other over the bread (Wiesel 138). Meanwhile, the workmen in the German towns who throw the bread take delight in watching them fight and kill each other over food. 4. What camp do Elie and his father end up going to? Elie and his father end up at Buchenwald camp. Section 8 1. Why is Elie angry with his father right after they debark from the train at the camp? Elie is angry at his father as he wanted to give up and be left alone to die when they had undergone so much suffering to finally arrive at the camp. 2. What thoughts does Elie have concerning his father, and why does he feel ashamed? Elie thinks his physically weak and ill father has become a burden to him. He thinks it would be easier for his survival if he died. He later rethinks about his thoughts that leave him ashamed and embarrassed that he could think so of his own parent. 3. What is Elie’s father dying of? Elie’s father is infected with Dysentery that leaves him dying (Wiesel 140). 4. In what ways does Elie try to help his father while he is sick? Elie tries to get a doctor to see his sick father. He also tries to get him water, soup, and food. He also abuses his father’s neighbors who keep hitting him. 5. What happens to Elie’s father when he continues to ask for water? Elie’s father constant need for water means that his dysentery also worsens. The other prisoners get mad at him because of his insistence on water yet he was so weak to drag and relieve himself outside (Wiesel 140). The prisoners could not bear with him anymore. 6. What do you think Elie means when he says, “free at last” concerning his father’s death? Elie implies that he now has to only worry over himself with no one else to look after. He knows that his father’s sickness held him back from taking care of himself. Section 9 1. How does Elie feel after the death of his father? Elie is numb and pained by his father’s death that he cannot master to weep over his death. 2. Why do the Germans decide to “liquidate” Buchenwald and evacuate the prisoners? The Germans decide to liquidate Buchenwald as the resistance was growing ever close to the camp (Wiesle 138). The war front neared the camp and the Germans had to evacuate the prisoners within a short time and blow up the camp not living traces for their enemies. 3. What stops the final evacuation of prisoners from the camp? The final evacuation of the prisoners got delayed by a day due to alarm sirens. However, it was to be taken over by the resistance forces six days later thus further stopping any further evacuation plans by the Germans. 4. What is the first act of the prisoners after the first Americans begin arriving? The prisoner’s first act on the arrival of the Americans was to throw themselves on the provisions brought along. They went for the available food provisions and mainly bread which was available. 5. What stares back at Elie at the end of the novel? Elie’s reflection on the mirror stares back at him (Wiesel 143). He sees his reflection as that of a corpse which implies that he saw himself as a living corpse at the time. Works Cited Read More