11 January 2009
Page 109
"The look in his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me."
The last sentence of the book was just incredibly haunting. A sentence like that just completely seals in the effectiveness of the entire memoir. It completely explains everything about him and how everything can change and hit you harder than you could ever imagine. How an experience can haunt you for a lifetime.
auschwitz gas chamber
auschwitz oven
Monday, January 12, 2009
Night Journal 10
11 January 2009
Page 98
"It was late at night. The guards came to unload us. The dead were abandoned in the train. Only those who could still stand were able to get out. Meir Katz stayed in the train. The last day had been the most murderous. A hundred of us had got into the wagon. A dozen of us got out-- among them my father and I."
The entire book seemed very vague and almost a work of fiction until I read that one little paragraph. It just made everything that much more real. Although the book is a memoir, I think it would have made the book more realistic. I just think people could empathize a little more that way.
Page 98
"It was late at night. The guards came to unload us. The dead were abandoned in the train. Only those who could still stand were able to get out. Meir Katz stayed in the train. The last day had been the most murderous. A hundred of us had got into the wagon. A dozen of us got out-- among them my father and I."
The entire book seemed very vague and almost a work of fiction until I read that one little paragraph. It just made everything that much more real. Although the book is a memoir, I think it would have made the book more realistic. I just think people could empathize a little more that way.
Night Journal 9
11 January 2009
Page 83
"An endless road. Letting oneself be dragged along by blind destiny. When the SS became tired, they were changed. But no one changed us. Our limbs numb with cold despite the running, our throats parched, famished, breathless, on we went."
Has it really come to that? Not even a shred of hope or courage, or anything resembling a slightly positive emotion? At this point there really was no hope for them, was there? I wonder what it was like to feel completely lost and in despair. To have almost no will to live because it seems like there's just nothing left to live for.
Page 83
"An endless road. Letting oneself be dragged along by blind destiny. When the SS became tired, they were changed. But no one changed us. Our limbs numb with cold despite the running, our throats parched, famished, breathless, on we went."
Has it really come to that? Not even a shred of hope or courage, or anything resembling a slightly positive emotion? At this point there really was no hope for them, was there? I wonder what it was like to feel completely lost and in despair. To have almost no will to live because it seems like there's just nothing left to live for.
Night Journal 8
11 January 2009
Page 73
"We promised him. In three days time, when we saw the smoke rising from the chimneys we would think of him... And three days after he had gone we forgot to say the Kaddish."
Priorities really change for people in different situations. Had they been in a 'normal' situation, they would have deemed it of the utmost importance that they remember to obey his dying wish. And yet, there it is not that it's not important, it was just that it was somehow easily forgotten.
Page 73
"We promised him. In three days time, when we saw the smoke rising from the chimneys we would think of him... And three days after he had gone we forgot to say the Kaddish."
Priorities really change for people in different situations. Had they been in a 'normal' situation, they would have deemed it of the utmost importance that they remember to obey his dying wish. And yet, there it is not that it's not important, it was just that it was somehow easily forgotten.
Night Journal 7
11 January 2009
Page 65
"This day I had ceased to plead. I was no longer capable of lamentation. On the contrary. I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes were open and I was alone-- terribly alone in a world without God and without man. Without love or mercy."
I wonder if emotions are lost in stages while kept in captivity. It seems logical that something like that would happen. All the positive emotions go first and then someone feels anger and hate. It'd be an interesting thing to study. Not necessarily something that brings out the sparkles and sunshine in life, but interesting nonetheless.
Page 65
"This day I had ceased to plead. I was no longer capable of lamentation. On the contrary. I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes were open and I was alone-- terribly alone in a world without God and without man. Without love or mercy."
I wonder if emotions are lost in stages while kept in captivity. It seems logical that something like that would happen. All the positive emotions go first and then someone feels anger and hate. It'd be an interesting thing to study. Not necessarily something that brings out the sparkles and sunshine in life, but interesting nonetheless.
Night Journal 6
11 January 2009
Page 52
"I had watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet. In fact I was thinking of how to get farther away so that I would not be hit myself. What is more, any anger I felt at that moment was directed not against the Kapo, but against my father. I was angry with him for not knowing how to avoid Idek's outbreak. That is what concentration camp life had made of me.
That must have nearly torn him apart to have realized that. I don't think that it necessarily means that he loves his father any less, it's just that his own survival instincts were kicking in. He couldn't save his father if he didn't save himself first. But I really doubt he thought of that at the time.
Page 52
"I had watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet. In fact I was thinking of how to get farther away so that I would not be hit myself. What is more, any anger I felt at that moment was directed not against the Kapo, but against my father. I was angry with him for not knowing how to avoid Idek's outbreak. That is what concentration camp life had made of me.
That must have nearly torn him apart to have realized that. I don't think that it necessarily means that he loves his father any less, it's just that his own survival instincts were kicking in. He couldn't save his father if he didn't save himself first. But I really doubt he thought of that at the time.
Night Journal 5
11 January 2009
Page 42
"Some talked of God, of his mysterious ways, of the sins of the Jewish people, and of their future deliverance. But I had ceased to pray."
How terrible depressing to know that people are still praying to a God that doesn't answer. I don't blame Wiesel one bit for ceasing to pray. But it's kind of uplifting in a twisted sort of way to know that people's faith and loyalty can run so deep that they can go through something like that while still praising God.
Page 42
"Some talked of God, of his mysterious ways, of the sins of the Jewish people, and of their future deliverance. But I had ceased to pray."
How terrible depressing to know that people are still praying to a God that doesn't answer. I don't blame Wiesel one bit for ceasing to pray. But it's kind of uplifting in a twisted sort of way to know that people's faith and loyalty can run so deep that they can go through something like that while still praising God.
Night Journal 4
11 January 2009
Page 29
"Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget these moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never"
This seems to be a good representation of the book in its entirety. Just that one little paragraph describes the book better than any other plot summary or overview ever could. And probably, the author's reason of calling it Night. It's really depressing to know that someone can not only have written these words but have lived them.
Page 29
"Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget these moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never"
This seems to be a good representation of the book in its entirety. Just that one little paragraph describes the book better than any other plot summary or overview ever could. And probably, the author's reason of calling it Night. It's really depressing to know that someone can not only have written these words but have lived them.
Night Journal 3
11 January 2009
Page 29
"There were a few sturdy young fellows among us. They had knives on them, and they tried to incite the others to throw themselves on the armed guards."
It's sad that they didn't know what was coming. If they did then they may have fought back or at least have done something to make a difference in their future, however small it might have been. I understand that everyone was scared and confused, but all they did was follow along like little sheep, despite the fact that they had seen what happened to their friends/neighbors in the beginning. And that was just the beginning.
Page 29
"There were a few sturdy young fellows among us. They had knives on them, and they tried to incite the others to throw themselves on the armed guards."
It's sad that they didn't know what was coming. If they did then they may have fought back or at least have done something to make a difference in their future, however small it might have been. I understand that everyone was scared and confused, but all they did was follow along like little sheep, despite the fact that they had seen what happened to their friends/neighbors in the beginning. And that was just the beginning.
Night Journal 2
11 January 2009
Page 15
"My father accompanied the deportees as far as the entrance of the ghetto. They first had to go through the big synanogue, where they were minutely searched, to see that htey were not taking away any gold, silver, or other objects of value. There were outbreaks of hysteria and blows with truncheons."
I wonder if it's chance or on purpose that they first sent the Jews to the synanogue first. Kind of ironic huh. It could either be just taht it was the most readily available large building, or it could be that Hitler and everyone who worked for/followed him had a very sick and twisted sense of humour.
Page 15
"My father accompanied the deportees as far as the entrance of the ghetto. They first had to go through the big synanogue, where they were minutely searched, to see that htey were not taking away any gold, silver, or other objects of value. There were outbreaks of hysteria and blows with truncheons."
I wonder if it's chance or on purpose that they first sent the Jews to the synanogue first. Kind of ironic huh. It could either be just taht it was the most readily available large building, or it could be that Hitler and everyone who worked for/followed him had a very sick and twisted sense of humour.
Night Journal 1
11 January 2009
Page 4
"Several days passed. Several weeks. Several months. A wind of calmness and reassurance blew through our houses."
It seems as if that was how Hitler was able to get so close to taking over so easily. People who are about to be sent to anywhere from months to years of suffering should not cause people to feel serenity. Just because someone was sent in their stead in the beginning doesn't mean that they should feel at least a shred of fear.
Page 4
"Several days passed. Several weeks. Several months. A wind of calmness and reassurance blew through our houses."
It seems as if that was how Hitler was able to get so close to taking over so easily. People who are about to be sent to anywhere from months to years of suffering should not cause people to feel serenity. Just because someone was sent in their stead in the beginning doesn't mean that they should feel at least a shred of fear.
Night Essay
Night seems to be a time when dreams and hopes come alive. The world sleeps and everything becomes almost magical in a way. It seems as if almost anything can happen under the stars and the silvery glow of the moonlight. And yet, for some, dreams and hopes are almost nonexistent and inaccessible. For the men and women that survived the concentration camps, not only are these hopes and dreams full of uncertainty and obscurity, but garish nightmares and memories constantly replace them. Many people of the world are constantly haunted by their experiences of concentration camps. Elie Wiesel, author of the Nobel Peace Prize winning novel titled Night, provides insight as to how fortunate many are and how easily it is to take simple daily luxuries for granted. Wiesel’s memoir is the epitome of the dehumanization of Jews during World War II. The Nazis reduced the Jews to a mere object that was not worth any emotion, kindness, or care whatsoever. Night provides numerous events that may serve as the best example for the horrific manner in which Jews were treated. Examples of brutality such as when the cargo train was congested so that no one person had room to even scarcely move, Wiesel’s father was brutalized with an iron bar, and prisoners were forced to run approximately forty-two miles without stopping.
Through the beginning of the journey to the concentration camps large groups of Jews were forcefully separated and arranged for several trips to be made because of the total overbearing quantity of people. Though it was highly possible to make only an almost inconsequential number of more loads, the German officers felt nothing but apathy towards any Jewish person’s wellbeing. No food or water was offered to them throughout the duration of the trip; therefore, any provisions they may have packed had to last them as long as possible. Not only that, but because the German officers treated the Jews so inhumanely, they were given no other option in their situation but to resort to their primitive natures.
Lying down was out of the question, and we were only able to sit by deciding to take turns. There was very little air… After two days of traveling, we began to be tortured by thirst. Then the heat became unbearable… We still had a few provisions left. But we never ate enough to satisfy our hunger. To save was our rule; to save up for tomorrow. Tomorrow might be worse. (Wiesel 21)
The German officers treated no one but themselves with respect or dignity, and failed several times over to put effort into any sort of kindness they could have possibly spared for the confused and scared passengers. Towards the end of the book, Wiesel and dozens more were loaded on a train to be transported from one place to another. They were so familiar with the way they had previously been treated by the officers, not one blinked an eye at their harsh treatment. It is saddening to know that so many boarded the train without hope of surviving the night.
It was late at night. The guards came to unload us. The dead were abandoned in the train. Only those who could still stand were able to get out… The last day had been the most murderous. A hundred of us had got into the wagon. A dozen of us got out- among them, my father and I. (98)
Elie Wiesel found himself a changed person when he witnessed his father being beaten with an iron bar for a minor infraction, while he stood there without a thought as to his father’s sake. Wiesel had actually become angry with his father for not working hard enough to avoid the officer’s punishment. Wiesel’s priorities were engaged on his own self because of the psychological abuse that the Jewish concentration camp put him through.
I had watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet. In fact I was thinking of how to get farther away so that I would not be hit myself. What is more, any anger I felt at that moment was direction, not against the Kapo, but against my father. I was angry with him, for not knowing how to avoid Idek’s outbreak. That is what concentration camp life had made of me. (52)
Wiesel’s father committed a minor infraction, if one at all, and had to pay dearly for the overseer’s short temper. Though Wiesel had turned his head while his father was beaten, his warped conscience still recognized the need to protect his family. The officers beat Wiesel’s father savagely whenever they felt his marching was not up to par. In turn, Wiesel gave his father lessons day after day on marching etiquette, though it did not help his father in the long run. Officers still mercilessly beat whomever they deemed worthy of it at that particular moment. All Jews were subject to it at any point throughout the day.
It was when the enemies of the Germans were about to come in and take over that the concentration camp that the prisoners were forced to pack up and be prepared to depart. The Jews were forced to wait in their blocks outside in the snow before they could begin marching. Not long after everyone was forced to run without stopping.
His trousers lowered, he let himself sink down. That is the last picture I have of him. I do not think it can have been the SS who finished him, because no one had noticed. He must have been trampled to death beneath the feet of thousands of men who followed us. (82)
Elie Wiesel witnessed his companion fall to the snow while simultaneously keeping pace for fear of the same fate. When the officers grew tired of running someone else took his place so he may rest, but every single Jew was not to stop under any circumstances, lest it be death. Shortly after witnessing his comrade fall to the snow, everyone was allowed a rest. It was then that "the commandant announced that [they] had already covered forty-two miles" (83). The only sustenance available to the prisoners was the few breadcrumbs in their pockets and the snow on the ground. It is more than probable that every single Jew that was running was beyond exhaustion, and was only functioning because of the brain’s automatic processes. Not only the physical but the psychological damage of being exhausted but continuing to run because of a mob trailing closely behind that would scarcely notice trampling over a body.
Dehumanization is the process by which the Nazis gradually reduced the Jews to little more than "things" which were a nuisance to them, which gives Elie Wiesel’s memoir an entirely new meaning. The Jews were mistreated and tortured for long periods of time, and went through what many can only imagine in a nightmare. Elie Wiesel’s Night can not just be described as a memoir, but a historical and emotional masterpiece. He was able to capture the moving yet historically accurate story of life in concentration camps while still writing his own captivating memoir. It is that which makes the story all the more true and emotionally heartbreaking.
Work Cited
Wiesel, Elie. Night. 25th. New York: Bantam Books, 1982.
Through the beginning of the journey to the concentration camps large groups of Jews were forcefully separated and arranged for several trips to be made because of the total overbearing quantity of people. Though it was highly possible to make only an almost inconsequential number of more loads, the German officers felt nothing but apathy towards any Jewish person’s wellbeing. No food or water was offered to them throughout the duration of the trip; therefore, any provisions they may have packed had to last them as long as possible. Not only that, but because the German officers treated the Jews so inhumanely, they were given no other option in their situation but to resort to their primitive natures.
Lying down was out of the question, and we were only able to sit by deciding to take turns. There was very little air… After two days of traveling, we began to be tortured by thirst. Then the heat became unbearable… We still had a few provisions left. But we never ate enough to satisfy our hunger. To save was our rule; to save up for tomorrow. Tomorrow might be worse. (Wiesel 21)
The German officers treated no one but themselves with respect or dignity, and failed several times over to put effort into any sort of kindness they could have possibly spared for the confused and scared passengers. Towards the end of the book, Wiesel and dozens more were loaded on a train to be transported from one place to another. They were so familiar with the way they had previously been treated by the officers, not one blinked an eye at their harsh treatment. It is saddening to know that so many boarded the train without hope of surviving the night.
It was late at night. The guards came to unload us. The dead were abandoned in the train. Only those who could still stand were able to get out… The last day had been the most murderous. A hundred of us had got into the wagon. A dozen of us got out- among them, my father and I. (98)
Elie Wiesel found himself a changed person when he witnessed his father being beaten with an iron bar for a minor infraction, while he stood there without a thought as to his father’s sake. Wiesel had actually become angry with his father for not working hard enough to avoid the officer’s punishment. Wiesel’s priorities were engaged on his own self because of the psychological abuse that the Jewish concentration camp put him through.
I had watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet. In fact I was thinking of how to get farther away so that I would not be hit myself. What is more, any anger I felt at that moment was direction, not against the Kapo, but against my father. I was angry with him, for not knowing how to avoid Idek’s outbreak. That is what concentration camp life had made of me. (52)
Wiesel’s father committed a minor infraction, if one at all, and had to pay dearly for the overseer’s short temper. Though Wiesel had turned his head while his father was beaten, his warped conscience still recognized the need to protect his family. The officers beat Wiesel’s father savagely whenever they felt his marching was not up to par. In turn, Wiesel gave his father lessons day after day on marching etiquette, though it did not help his father in the long run. Officers still mercilessly beat whomever they deemed worthy of it at that particular moment. All Jews were subject to it at any point throughout the day.
It was when the enemies of the Germans were about to come in and take over that the concentration camp that the prisoners were forced to pack up and be prepared to depart. The Jews were forced to wait in their blocks outside in the snow before they could begin marching. Not long after everyone was forced to run without stopping.
His trousers lowered, he let himself sink down. That is the last picture I have of him. I do not think it can have been the SS who finished him, because no one had noticed. He must have been trampled to death beneath the feet of thousands of men who followed us. (82)
Elie Wiesel witnessed his companion fall to the snow while simultaneously keeping pace for fear of the same fate. When the officers grew tired of running someone else took his place so he may rest, but every single Jew was not to stop under any circumstances, lest it be death. Shortly after witnessing his comrade fall to the snow, everyone was allowed a rest. It was then that "the commandant announced that [they] had already covered forty-two miles" (83). The only sustenance available to the prisoners was the few breadcrumbs in their pockets and the snow on the ground. It is more than probable that every single Jew that was running was beyond exhaustion, and was only functioning because of the brain’s automatic processes. Not only the physical but the psychological damage of being exhausted but continuing to run because of a mob trailing closely behind that would scarcely notice trampling over a body.
Dehumanization is the process by which the Nazis gradually reduced the Jews to little more than "things" which were a nuisance to them, which gives Elie Wiesel’s memoir an entirely new meaning. The Jews were mistreated and tortured for long periods of time, and went through what many can only imagine in a nightmare. Elie Wiesel’s Night can not just be described as a memoir, but a historical and emotional masterpiece. He was able to capture the moving yet historically accurate story of life in concentration camps while still writing his own captivating memoir. It is that which makes the story all the more true and emotionally heartbreaking.
Work Cited
Wiesel, Elie. Night. 25th. New York: Bantam Books, 1982.
Night Questions
1. Where is Wiesel's childhood home? Locate the country on a map. ~Wiesel’s childhood home is located in the center of Romania near the Transylvanian Mountains.
2. Wiesel opens Night by relating his youthful desire to study the cabala. What is the cabala? ~The cabala is a body of mystical teachings of rabbinical origin, often based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
3. Wiesel says that when he was young, he wanted to study the cabala in order to know the truths of this world. What kinds of truths is he referring to? After you complete Night, return to this question: what kinds of truth was the young Elie ignorant of? ~When Elie was young he wanted to learn the religious truths of God and life; because of his naïveté, Elie was ignorant of the evil of the world and the hardships that can so easily occur.
4. Why is Moshe the Beadle a significant character? What does he tell Elie about answers, questions, and the truth? After you complete Night, return to this question: why was Moshe prescient in his admonition to Elie? ~Moshe the Beadle is significant because he instills religious faith and practice into Elie when he’s young, which provides a basis for his cynicism and loss of faith when he gets older.
5. Why do the people of Sighet ignore Moshe after he returns from his escape? Why don't they listen to him? ~The people of Sighet thought Moshe was insane, especially because the German officers that surrounded them seemed so peaceful and harmless, and Moshe’s stories were of death and suffering.
6. Who is Madame Schachter? In what ways is she similar to Moshe the Beadle? ~Madame Schachter was the woman who claimed she smelled smoke on the way to the concentration camp; she is similar to Moshe the Beadle because she tried to warn the people, and yet they would not listen to her.
7. Consider this passage on pg. 32:Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desires to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never. ~In this passage, Elie is explaining the significance of night, and how his world was turned upside down because of his experiences.
8. What is the context of this passage? How has the young Elie's theology changed? As you continue reading, ask yourself how this passage speaks to the rest of Night. ~Elie no longer really has any faith in God, and is beginning to feel cynical towards religion, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel.
9. How does Elie's understanding of God and God's presence—or absence— continue to change throughout Night? When is he most angry with God? When is not angry at all? ~Throughout the novel, Elie becomes more and more aware of the lack of presence of God in a place of such suffering, and goes from a boy that is willing to devote his entire life to God to a man that no longer has any faith in religion or God. Elie is his angriest with God when others are praying to him and yet receiving no answers, but is almost always angry with him.
10. What literal and figurative (symbolic or metaphorical) meanings does night have in Night? ~Night represents the loss of innocence of the Jews when plunged into the darkness and unknown that was the concentration camps. Night also represents the lack of God’s presence in a dark time of fear and isolation.
11. Why do you think Night is such a slim book? Surely Wiesel could have included much more detail. ~Night is a slim book because Wiesel wanted to concentrate on the main aspects and significance of his experience, rather than the minor details.
12. Is Night a memoir of tragedy or triumph? Can it be both? If so, why? If not, why not? ~Night is both a memoir of tragedy and triumph because the things Wiesel went through were things that no living thing should ever experience, not to mention the fact that Wiesel’s faith in God completely diminished. However, the memoir may also be a triumph because Wiesel escaped and is still alive and healthy to this very day.
2. Wiesel opens Night by relating his youthful desire to study the cabala. What is the cabala? ~The cabala is a body of mystical teachings of rabbinical origin, often based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
3. Wiesel says that when he was young, he wanted to study the cabala in order to know the truths of this world. What kinds of truths is he referring to? After you complete Night, return to this question: what kinds of truth was the young Elie ignorant of? ~When Elie was young he wanted to learn the religious truths of God and life; because of his naïveté, Elie was ignorant of the evil of the world and the hardships that can so easily occur.
4. Why is Moshe the Beadle a significant character? What does he tell Elie about answers, questions, and the truth? After you complete Night, return to this question: why was Moshe prescient in his admonition to Elie? ~Moshe the Beadle is significant because he instills religious faith and practice into Elie when he’s young, which provides a basis for his cynicism and loss of faith when he gets older.
5. Why do the people of Sighet ignore Moshe after he returns from his escape? Why don't they listen to him? ~The people of Sighet thought Moshe was insane, especially because the German officers that surrounded them seemed so peaceful and harmless, and Moshe’s stories were of death and suffering.
6. Who is Madame Schachter? In what ways is she similar to Moshe the Beadle? ~Madame Schachter was the woman who claimed she smelled smoke on the way to the concentration camp; she is similar to Moshe the Beadle because she tried to warn the people, and yet they would not listen to her.
7. Consider this passage on pg. 32:Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desires to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never. ~In this passage, Elie is explaining the significance of night, and how his world was turned upside down because of his experiences.
8. What is the context of this passage? How has the young Elie's theology changed? As you continue reading, ask yourself how this passage speaks to the rest of Night. ~Elie no longer really has any faith in God, and is beginning to feel cynical towards religion, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel.
9. How does Elie's understanding of God and God's presence—or absence— continue to change throughout Night? When is he most angry with God? When is not angry at all? ~Throughout the novel, Elie becomes more and more aware of the lack of presence of God in a place of such suffering, and goes from a boy that is willing to devote his entire life to God to a man that no longer has any faith in religion or God. Elie is his angriest with God when others are praying to him and yet receiving no answers, but is almost always angry with him.
10. What literal and figurative (symbolic or metaphorical) meanings does night have in Night? ~Night represents the loss of innocence of the Jews when plunged into the darkness and unknown that was the concentration camps. Night also represents the lack of God’s presence in a dark time of fear and isolation.
11. Why do you think Night is such a slim book? Surely Wiesel could have included much more detail. ~Night is a slim book because Wiesel wanted to concentrate on the main aspects and significance of his experience, rather than the minor details.
12. Is Night a memoir of tragedy or triumph? Can it be both? If so, why? If not, why not? ~Night is both a memoir of tragedy and triumph because the things Wiesel went through were things that no living thing should ever experience, not to mention the fact that Wiesel’s faith in God completely diminished. However, the memoir may also be a triumph because Wiesel escaped and is still alive and healthy to this very day.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Night Vocabulary
1. prostrate- to cast (oneself) face down on the ground in humility, submission, or adoration; to reduce to physical weakness or exhaustion; to throw down level with the ground
2. interlude- any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play; an intervening episode, period, space, etc.; An intervening episode, feature, or period of time
3. reprieve- any respite or temporary relief; to delay the impending punishment or sentence of (a condemned person); to bring relief to
4. rations- an allotted amount; to restrict the consumption of; a fixed allowance of provisions or food
5. dysentery- an infectious disease marked by inflammation and ulceration of the lower part of the bowels, with diarrhea that becomes mucous and hemorrhagic; diarrhea; an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea
6. robust- strong and healthy, hardy, vigorous; rough, rude, or boisterous; rich and full-bodied
7. quarantine- a strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of disease; social, political, or economic isolation imposed as a punishment, as in ostracizing an individual or enforcing sanctions against a foreign state; the detention or isolation enforced
8. apathy- absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement; lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting; freedom from emotion of any kind
9. humane- characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, esp. for the suffering or distressed; of or pertaining to humanistic studies; characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion
10. grimace- a facial expression, often ugly or contorted, that indicates disapproval, pain, etc.; a sharp contortion of the face expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust; contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state
11. nocturnal- of or pertaining to the night; done, occurring, or coming at night; active at night
12. livid- having a discolored, bluish appearance caused by a bruise, congestion of blood vessels, strangulation, etc., as the face, flesh, hands, or nails; feeling or appearing strangulated because of strong emotion; extremely angry or furious
13. pious- having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations; characterized by a hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion; having or showing appropriate respect or regard for parents or others
14. interminable- incapable of being terminated, unending; monotonously or annoyingly protracted or continued, unceasing, incessant; having no limits
15. wizened- withered or shriveled; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness; To cause to wither, shrivel, or dry up
16. morale- emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., esp. in the face of opposition, hardship, etc.; a state of individual psychological well-being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and purpose; the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed
17. infernal- extremely troublesome, annoying, etc.; of, inhabiting, or befitting hell; Abominable; awful
18. refuge- shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.; anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape; A source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble
19. oppressive- burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical; causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.; weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
20. expelled- to drive or force out or away, discharge or eject; to cut off from membership or relations; to discharge from or as if from a receptacle
2. interlude- any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play; an intervening episode, period, space, etc.; An intervening episode, feature, or period of time
3. reprieve- any respite or temporary relief; to delay the impending punishment or sentence of (a condemned person); to bring relief to
4. rations- an allotted amount; to restrict the consumption of; a fixed allowance of provisions or food
5. dysentery- an infectious disease marked by inflammation and ulceration of the lower part of the bowels, with diarrhea that becomes mucous and hemorrhagic; diarrhea; an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea
6. robust- strong and healthy, hardy, vigorous; rough, rude, or boisterous; rich and full-bodied
7. quarantine- a strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of disease; social, political, or economic isolation imposed as a punishment, as in ostracizing an individual or enforcing sanctions against a foreign state; the detention or isolation enforced
8. apathy- absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement; lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting; freedom from emotion of any kind
9. humane- characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, esp. for the suffering or distressed; of or pertaining to humanistic studies; characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion
10. grimace- a facial expression, often ugly or contorted, that indicates disapproval, pain, etc.; a sharp contortion of the face expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust; contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state
11. nocturnal- of or pertaining to the night; done, occurring, or coming at night; active at night
12. livid- having a discolored, bluish appearance caused by a bruise, congestion of blood vessels, strangulation, etc., as the face, flesh, hands, or nails; feeling or appearing strangulated because of strong emotion; extremely angry or furious
13. pious- having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations; characterized by a hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion; having or showing appropriate respect or regard for parents or others
14. interminable- incapable of being terminated, unending; monotonously or annoyingly protracted or continued, unceasing, incessant; having no limits
15. wizened- withered or shriveled; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness; To cause to wither, shrivel, or dry up
16. morale- emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., esp. in the face of opposition, hardship, etc.; a state of individual psychological well-being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and purpose; the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed
17. infernal- extremely troublesome, annoying, etc.; of, inhabiting, or befitting hell; Abominable; awful
18. refuge- shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.; anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape; A source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble
19. oppressive- burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical; causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.; weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
20. expelled- to drive or force out or away, discharge or eject; to cut off from membership or relations; to discharge from or as if from a receptacle
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