"night" by elie wiesel
1.) Read the preface by Elie Wiesel. Why do you suppose Wiesel imposed a ten-tear vow of silence?
In memory of people's death and he was still in shock of the whole situation.
2.) Why did he have trouble finding a publisher?
It was too morbid, grotesque, and sensitive of a topic to publish a book about.
3.) What is the “devastation that will never end”?
The memories and experiences of the time.
4.) What is Wiesel saying about how we can make sure that something this horrible is never repeated?
To inform everyone and to never forget.
FOREWARD:
5.) Read the Foreword by Francois Mauriac. Why is Mauriac so moved by Wiesel’s book – of all the Holocaust literature he had seen?
It was an autobiography from the perspective of a child. He thinks its more genuine and authentic. He thinks the material included is an authentic representation or memory of what happened during the Holocaust.
6.) How do you explain the “inconceivable passivity” with which the Jews of Sighet yield themselves to the Nazis?
Fear that something worse will happen them if they resist and hope that things would get better. They were very naive to the actual severity of the situation.
7.) What aspects of Wiesel’s experience does Mauriac find most disturbing?
The sister and the mother are burned to death and the smoke made from their ashes, children being hung and transported in cattle cars, and a father being tortured every day and being killed. He often questions why God would allow those things to happen and related the people dying to Jesus on the cross.
NIGHT:
8.) When and where does Elie Wiesel grow up? (city, country and time period) How old is he?
Sighet, Transylvania. 1941. Twelve.
9.) Try to picture Elie’s childhood. How is his childhood like yours and how is it different?
Similar:
He goes to church, he religious, and he goes to school.
Difference:
He grew up in Transylvania, he's Jewish.
10.) Who is “Moshe the Beadle” and why does Wiesel begin the story with him?
He's his religious education mentor and the town joke. It shows how much he cares about his faith and how it's important in his life.
11.) What do Eliezer’s parents and the other in the community think of Moshe?
He is the town joke and most people don't think very much about him.
12.) Why does Elie spend so much time with Moshe?
Moshe is his religious mentor.
13.) What is Elie’s father’s profession?
He's a store owner.
14.) Is Elie’s father highly respected in the Jewish community?
Yes, he's well liked and respected. People often go to him for advice or help.
15.) What has happened to Moshe that caused a great change in him?
The police forcibly remove him from town to kill him, but he manages to escape.
16.) How does this experience change Moshe?
He's lost faith and the joy in his eyes is gone.
17.) How does the rest of the community react when he tells them what has happened to him?
They don't believe him. They think he's making it up or being delusional.
18.) The Jews of Sighet are optimistic because of the news they hear on the radio in late 1942 and 1943. What is the news and why are they so optimistic?
They hear of the daily bombings and think people are coming to help them.
19.) With an ironic tone, Wiesel says, “Besides, people were interested in everything – in strategy, in diplomacy, in politics, in Zionism – but not their own fate.” What does he mean?
They're worried about everything that's going on in the world except themselves. They don't understand the this could involve them and that they are in danger. It's ironic that they worry themselves so much over politics and Hitler, but they don't do anything about it.
20.) Berkovitz brings news from Budapest that anti-Semitism (hostility or discrimination against Jews) war is rampant. Why then, is “optimism soon revived”?
They think that the Germans will not come to their town. The journey seemed to be too far.
21.) Why do “the optimists rejoiced” even three days after the German soldiers appear in Sighet?
They're being polite, so they figured they're not all mean.
22.) Why is celebrating Passover like playing a “comedy”?
Their hearts aren't in it. They're going through the motions because they have to.
23.) What does the following mean? “On the seventh day of Passover the curtain rose.”
The Germans arrested the Jewish leaders in the community, so the people realized what was going to happen.
24.) Name the decrees (laws) the Germans put into place.
Stay in their homes for three days or die.
Hand over any valuables they had or die.
All Jews had to wear yellow stars or identify themselves.
25.) Describe the ghettos.
There are two ghettos enclosed by barbed wire. The Jews identify themselves as a Jewish republic. They appoint their own police force.
26.) How do the Jews of Sighet generally feel about the ghettos?
They think it's a good thing because they're living amoungst themselves. They feel excluded from the hostile enviroment, and they enjoy that.
27.) Why do the Jews of Sighet think they are being deported and why is their destination kept secret from them?27.) Why do the Jews of Sighet think they are being deported and why is their destination kept secret from them?
They're too close to the front and think they're being taken to safety.
28.) How could the Jews of Sighet have possibly escaped from the Germans?
They could have just left instead of trusting the officers.
29.) How do they prepare for deportation?
They bring a backpack, food, and some clothing.
30.) Why is there “joy” when the signal finally comes for them to leave?
They thought anything was better than standing there in the sun sweating.
31.) How does Elie feel as he watches the procession or deportees?
He felt sad watching everyone he knows sad and exhausted to leave what they know.
32.) Who offers Elie and his family safe refuge?
Maria the maid.
33.) Why doesn’t Elie’s father accept the offer?
The father has stronger morals and is a well respected person. He wanted to set an example for the community and didn't want to abandon his community.
34.) On what day of the week is the family expelled and why is this ironic?
The family is expelled on their day of rest. They are forced against their will to be expelled and be moved along to a camp, to a fate that they still don't know what it is.
35.) They spend 24 hours in a synagogue. What are the conditions like? Give examples.
Men and woman are seperated and the German soldiers have destroyed the synagogue. They are forced to relieve themselves in the synagogue.
36.) How are the Jews moved out of Sighet?
They are transported in cattle cars.
37.) Why do you suppose no one tries to escape?
You would get shot.
38.) Why does the Hungarian lieutenant move among the prisoners with a basket?
To collect any valuable items; gold, silver, etc.
39.) What actions do “those who no longer wished to taste the bitterness of terror” take?
They try to calm her down and become very compliant to all that is going on.
40.) Who is Madame Schachter and why is she so upset?
Being seperated from her husband and two sons.
41.) How do the others treat her and why?
They tie her up and gag her so she can't talk anymore. She's scaring everyone in the car.
42.) What is the first thing the prisoners see when they got to Birkenau?
The chimney with the flames rising from it.
43.) What do they smell?
Flesh burning.
44.) Who are the SS men?
They're soldiers of the German soldiers, not nazis.
45.) How do Elie and his father get separated from Mother and Tzipora?
The men and women are separated.
46.) What is Elie’s last memory of them?
Mom stroking his sister's hair.
47.) Why do some of the younger men want to attempt an escape?
They don't want to be burned and they don't want to die that way.
48.) Why don’t they go through with it?
The elders convince them not to and be optimistic.
49.) What lies do Elie and his father tell to Dr. Mengale and why?
Their age and occupation because if they are young and healthy they might find them useful instead of killing them.
50.) Why does Elie’s father wish Elie has gone with his mother and why is this ironic?
To be safe with mom and he doesn't want to see his son die. When he had the chance to save his family he didn't take it, but now he realizes he should have as he's marching to his death.
51.) What do you suppose Elie would say to those who claim that innocent children were not murdered during the Holocaust?
He witnessed children and babies being burned in the crematorium.
52.) What is the Kaddish and why doesn’t’ Elie join his father in reciting it?
Kaddish is a prayer for the dead. He holds onto the belief. He acknowledges the benefit of knowing he's going to die, but he doesn't want to die.
53.) How do the prisoners who are already in the barracks treat the newcomers?
They were mean to them by giving them orders and hitting them.
54.) What are Elie and the others ordered to do?
Take off their clothes, but hold onto their shoes and belts. Then they are sent to the barber to be shaved.
55.) How does Elie change by the end of the first night? (physically, emotionally, and spirirtually)
He changes emotionally and spiritually. He gives up hope and his faith. He refers to himself as a shape.
56.) How does Elie keep his his shoes from the “Kapos” at first?
He hides them in the mud. The mud disguised them as looking older.
57.) According to the SS officer, what is the only way to avoid the furnaces?
To do work and not slack off.
58.) Why does the gypsy strike Elie’s father and how does Elie react?
His father asks for the bathroom and Elie stays silent.
59.) To what new camp are the prisoners taken?
Auschwitz.
60.) Who is in charge of the block and what is his advice?
A young polish guy. His advice was to help each other.
61.) How does Elie become “A-7713”?
A veteran prisoner tattooed it on him. He started to become a number instead of Elie.
62.) Describe “roll call”.
An orchestra comes out and plays military marches. Tens of thousands prisoners line up.
63.) Who is Stein and why does Elie lie to him?
Stein is a relative and he lies to him to give him hope.
64.) Why does Stein stop coming to see Elie?
He found out Elie lied to him and he lost hope.
65.) Akiba Drumer believes that God is testing the Jews and that this punishment they are enduring is actually a sign of love. What does Elie think of this theory?
Akiba believes it was a test to see who was truly faithful. Elie doesn't agree with this.
66.) How could Elie have bribed the assistant to arrange for him to go with his father to a “good unit”?
He could have given him the shoes.
67.) Why doesn’t he try the bribe?
It's one of the only things he has left and he doesn't rust the guy can really keep them together.
68.) Where is music played in the camp?
In the entrance of the camp.
69.) Why can’t the musicians play Beethoven?
Jews weren't allowed to play German music.
70.) Why is Elie sent to the dentist?
To have his gold teeth removed.
71.) Why is he so desperate to keep his tooth and why doesn’t he succeed in keeping it?
It could be of use to him to sell it or barter.
72.) Who beats Elie in front of the French girl and why?
Idek beats Elie because he's just there. He beats him without a motive.
73.) Why is she afraid to speak to him?
She was paralyzed with fear.
74.) What advice does she give to Elie and what does this show about her?
To hold in his anger and wait.
75.) Why does Idek beat Elie’s father?
Ellie's father couldn't keep up with the rest of the people.
76.) Why is Elie angry at his father for getting beaten?
His father isn't trying, so he brought it upon himself.
77.) Why does Elie give his father “marching lessons”?
He can't march in place. As a result of this he is beaten because Elie won't give him his gold crown.
78.) Why does Elie laugh at Idek and what is the result?
He's hooking up with a girl and Elie laughs because it's ridiculous that he sent the whole crew away and that he's forcing this upon a girl because he can't get his own girlfriend.
79.) What do the air raid sirens signify?
There was a bombing.
80.) Why is this a particularly dangerous time for prisoners?
The prisoners are left to fend for themselves. The SS officers go underground.
81.) How is “terror stronger than hunger”?
They're afraid of the consequences that could come with taking the soup.
82.) How does the death of that one man affect Elie and how does he react when the air raid is over?
The man is shot in the back, but it doesn't affect Elie. It was just another day in his life.
83.) Who are some of the people who die on the gallows?
A young boy is put to death because he stole during the air raid. A little boy a pipeline is hung because he stole weapons.
84.) What phrase so many repeat before their deaths?
Long live liberty
85.) Why are people hanged rather than being shot or killed some other way?
It's painful and haunting.
86.) Whose death affects Elie the most and why?
The little boy's death affects him the most because he's a child. It makes Elie doubt God again.
87.) Why does Elie find the soup “excellent” after one execution, but tasting of “corpses” after another?
The first death he feels that it is usual and it's not him, but the second time he saw a child being hung and it haunted him. He's realizing that the army doesn't have limits to who they harm and kill.
88.) What is Rosh Hashanah?
Jewish New Year.
89.) Why do you suppose even “Kapos, functionaries of death” come to the Rosh Hashanah service?
To supervise the people and they're there to be faithful and celebrate in some way. They are there to participate.
90.) What is going through Elie’s mind?
He's losing his faith and he feels defeated.
91.) Is Elie in the minority when he “rebelled” inwardly and why does he call the place where the Jews meet to pray a “mirage”?
They think they see hole, but they're just kidding themselves.
92.) What does Elie mean when he says of his father, “We had never understood each other so clearly”?
They love each other and they don't need to say it, but they are also afraid.
93.) What is Yom Kippur?
A day of atonement where they fast.
94.) Why doesn’t Elie fast?
A symbol of rebellion. A protest against God and he also is in no position to be fasting when he is already starving.
95.) What is the “fine New Year’s gift” the SS gives the prisoners?
Selection.
96.) What advice does Elie get from the head of the block about avoiding selection?
To eat what he can and look healthy. To run as fast as he could and give himself color.
97.) What does Wiesel mean when he says, as the prisoners stand naked, “This must show how one stands at the last judgment”?
Selection is like whether they got I heaven or hell, they either pass or get burned.
98.) What is Dr. Mengele’s attitude during the “selection”?
He acts like it's a game and smiles at them.
99.) What are Elie’s thoughts as he goes through the “race”?
He keeps thinking that he's too skinny and too weak.
100.) What sorts of “presents” and “inheritance” gifts does Wiesel’s father give Elie and why?
Half a ration of bread and some rubber to fix a shoe. A knife and a spoon.
101.) Why does Elie return them to his father?
He wasn't going to take anything from his dad as long as he's alive.
102.) What does this show about how life changes when mere survival is a struggle?
You need actual survival tools to survive.
103.) What happens to many of the prisoners when they lose faith?
They lose hope and the incentive to fight.
104.) Why does Wiesel tell the story of Akiba Dumer – and how everyone forgets to say the Kaddish for him?
He's an example of how people lost their faith.
105.) How does Wiesel end up in the hospital?
His foot is swelling.
106.) What decision is Wiesel faced with while he is in the hospital?
If he should leave and go or wait a little longer.
107.) What is Elie’s choice and why does he choose this option?
He doesn't trust his neighbor and he likes being there.
108.) Why is the camp being evacuated?
The battlefront was coming closer.
109.) Why do the prisoners want the Russians to arrive first?
To rescue them.
110.) What is meant by the question the prisoners ask: “were they (SS) going to let the Jews hear the twelfth stroke sound?”
To see of they were going to kill them or not.
111.) How does the “face of the camp” change on the morning of the evacuation?
Prisoners put on several different garments and put on layers of clothing and gathered food. It became a "free for all" for survival.
112.) Why does the head of the block order the prisoners to clean the floor, and how do you think the prisoners feel about this task?
They wanted the Russian army to think they were men taking care of each other than pigs living there.
113.) Reread the description of the evacuation at the end of the chapter. Why does the author choose to use a series of short sentences in this passage? What is the effect?
It's happening fast and it gives you a sense of urgency to relate to it.
114.) What does Wiesel mean by the observations of the SS men “Their fingers on the triggers, they did not deprive themselves of this pleasure”?
It shows that they are still in charge even though they are evacuating camp.
115.) What is sadism and where do you see evidence of it in the novel?
Sadism is the act of being sadistic.
When Elie's father is beat on the top of his head.
When Edek beats up people randomly.
When the surgeon pushes aside Elie's father and doesn't help him.
116.) What happens to Zalman?
He has stomach pain and is trampled over by the marching people.
117.) In what way are Wiesel and the other Jews who keep rushing onward “masters of nature” -then in the morning “without strength, without illusions”?
Nothing fazes them anymore. They are so desensitized that they become strong, but in the morning they are exhausted and can't move anymore.
118.) How do Wiesel and his father help each other stay alive?
They look after each other and keep each other awake.
119.) Why does Wiesel tell the story of Rabbi Eliahou?
Shows what might happen to Elie and his dad when he decided to either leave him or stay with him.
120.) Why is he glad that the rabbi “should continue to look for his beloved son”?
If he were to leave his dad they would still look for each other. It gives him peace of mind that his dad will always look for him.
121.) Why do you think that “sons abandoned their fathers’ remains without a tear”?
There's nothing they can do, they need to move on.
122.) How does Wiesel avoid suffocation?
He separates the bodies from him and makes an air hole.
123.) Why does Wiesel think he is hallucinating?
He hears music, so he assumes he's going crazy.
124.) Why is Juliek playing his violin in this terrible situation?
His final song for the dead and himself. He figures he is going to die or the violin is going to be taken away from him, so he wanted to die happily.
125.) What happens to Juliek?
He dies.
126.) How does Wiesel’s father avoid being “selected” at Gleiwitz and why does Wiesel run after him to the left?
Elite runs after him and brings him to the right so he doesn't die.
127.) How does Wiesel convey a sense of hopelessness in this final section of the book?
They're waiting to die.
128.) Why do the two men try to throw Wiesel’s father from the carriage?
He looks dead and is barley breathing.
129.) Why do the living “rejoice” when the order comes to throw out the corpses?
They have more room to move around.
130.) What is the author trying to say about the prisoners at this point?
They were so desperate for food. They began to act like animals.
131.) How do the prisoners in the wagon act like animals?
They fight over food.
132.) Why do the German workmen take a “lively interest in this spectacle” when they have merely stopped and stared at marching prisoners before?
He's making fun of them by throwing one piece of food for many starving people.
133.) Why doesn’t Wiesel join in this scramble for food?
He knows he's not strong enough to fight.
134.) How are Meir and his son similar to other fathers and sons Wiesel describes?
The father providing the love when the child becomes greedy.
135.) What is the author saying about how the concentration camp affects the bonds between loved ones?
They either get closer or farther apart because they care about each other or because they can't take care of each other.
136.) How does Meir Katz save Elie Wiesel’s life?
He stops someone from strangling Elie.
137.) What advice does Wiesel’s father give Katz in an attempt to save him?
Don't give up.
139.) Why is it that Wiesel “could have wept with rage” when his father begs for rest upon arrival at Buchenwald?
His father was giving in to death and it upset him.
140.) Why does Elie feel that he is arguing “with death itself”?
He's delusional and arguing with death because his father has already given up.
141.) Why does Wiesel leave his father when the sirens wail, and how does he feel about this later?
First he just wants to be safe, but later he regrets it.
142.) Is his father angry at Elie for deserting him?
No because his father has already accepted death and just wants his son to survive.
143.) What emotions does Wiesel experience that last week as he watches his father die?
He was afraid of his father actually dying and he feels guilty that he can't take care if his father anymore.
144.) Why does Wiesel decide to be an “invalid”?
He wants to stay with his father.
145.) Why doesn’t he see his father die and why doesn’t he cry?
He was out of tears so he couldn't cry anymore.
146.) What are Wiesel’s thoughts during the months after his father’s death?
He didn't want to leave his side.
147.) What would have happened if the children had gone to the assembly place, as ordered?
They would've been killed.
148.) Why do the SS men flee the camp?
The resistance took over the camp.
149.) When is Wiesel finally freed?
When the American tank shows up m
150.) Why is Wiesel sent to a hospital after his liberation?
He became sick from some form of poisoning.
151.) The book ends with a haunting sense of hollowness. Why do you think the author ends with this tone?
He will never forget the experiences that happened during Holocaust.
In memory of people's death and he was still in shock of the whole situation.
2.) Why did he have trouble finding a publisher?
It was too morbid, grotesque, and sensitive of a topic to publish a book about.
3.) What is the “devastation that will never end”?
The memories and experiences of the time.
4.) What is Wiesel saying about how we can make sure that something this horrible is never repeated?
To inform everyone and to never forget.
FOREWARD:
5.) Read the Foreword by Francois Mauriac. Why is Mauriac so moved by Wiesel’s book – of all the Holocaust literature he had seen?
It was an autobiography from the perspective of a child. He thinks its more genuine and authentic. He thinks the material included is an authentic representation or memory of what happened during the Holocaust.
6.) How do you explain the “inconceivable passivity” with which the Jews of Sighet yield themselves to the Nazis?
Fear that something worse will happen them if they resist and hope that things would get better. They were very naive to the actual severity of the situation.
7.) What aspects of Wiesel’s experience does Mauriac find most disturbing?
The sister and the mother are burned to death and the smoke made from their ashes, children being hung and transported in cattle cars, and a father being tortured every day and being killed. He often questions why God would allow those things to happen and related the people dying to Jesus on the cross.
NIGHT:
8.) When and where does Elie Wiesel grow up? (city, country and time period) How old is he?
Sighet, Transylvania. 1941. Twelve.
9.) Try to picture Elie’s childhood. How is his childhood like yours and how is it different?
Similar:
He goes to church, he religious, and he goes to school.
Difference:
He grew up in Transylvania, he's Jewish.
10.) Who is “Moshe the Beadle” and why does Wiesel begin the story with him?
He's his religious education mentor and the town joke. It shows how much he cares about his faith and how it's important in his life.
11.) What do Eliezer’s parents and the other in the community think of Moshe?
He is the town joke and most people don't think very much about him.
12.) Why does Elie spend so much time with Moshe?
Moshe is his religious mentor.
13.) What is Elie’s father’s profession?
He's a store owner.
14.) Is Elie’s father highly respected in the Jewish community?
Yes, he's well liked and respected. People often go to him for advice or help.
15.) What has happened to Moshe that caused a great change in him?
The police forcibly remove him from town to kill him, but he manages to escape.
16.) How does this experience change Moshe?
He's lost faith and the joy in his eyes is gone.
17.) How does the rest of the community react when he tells them what has happened to him?
They don't believe him. They think he's making it up or being delusional.
18.) The Jews of Sighet are optimistic because of the news they hear on the radio in late 1942 and 1943. What is the news and why are they so optimistic?
They hear of the daily bombings and think people are coming to help them.
19.) With an ironic tone, Wiesel says, “Besides, people were interested in everything – in strategy, in diplomacy, in politics, in Zionism – but not their own fate.” What does he mean?
They're worried about everything that's going on in the world except themselves. They don't understand the this could involve them and that they are in danger. It's ironic that they worry themselves so much over politics and Hitler, but they don't do anything about it.
20.) Berkovitz brings news from Budapest that anti-Semitism (hostility or discrimination against Jews) war is rampant. Why then, is “optimism soon revived”?
They think that the Germans will not come to their town. The journey seemed to be too far.
21.) Why do “the optimists rejoiced” even three days after the German soldiers appear in Sighet?
They're being polite, so they figured they're not all mean.
22.) Why is celebrating Passover like playing a “comedy”?
Their hearts aren't in it. They're going through the motions because they have to.
23.) What does the following mean? “On the seventh day of Passover the curtain rose.”
The Germans arrested the Jewish leaders in the community, so the people realized what was going to happen.
24.) Name the decrees (laws) the Germans put into place.
Stay in their homes for three days or die.
Hand over any valuables they had or die.
All Jews had to wear yellow stars or identify themselves.
25.) Describe the ghettos.
There are two ghettos enclosed by barbed wire. The Jews identify themselves as a Jewish republic. They appoint their own police force.
26.) How do the Jews of Sighet generally feel about the ghettos?
They think it's a good thing because they're living amoungst themselves. They feel excluded from the hostile enviroment, and they enjoy that.
27.) Why do the Jews of Sighet think they are being deported and why is their destination kept secret from them?27.) Why do the Jews of Sighet think they are being deported and why is their destination kept secret from them?
They're too close to the front and think they're being taken to safety.
28.) How could the Jews of Sighet have possibly escaped from the Germans?
They could have just left instead of trusting the officers.
29.) How do they prepare for deportation?
They bring a backpack, food, and some clothing.
30.) Why is there “joy” when the signal finally comes for them to leave?
They thought anything was better than standing there in the sun sweating.
31.) How does Elie feel as he watches the procession or deportees?
He felt sad watching everyone he knows sad and exhausted to leave what they know.
32.) Who offers Elie and his family safe refuge?
Maria the maid.
33.) Why doesn’t Elie’s father accept the offer?
The father has stronger morals and is a well respected person. He wanted to set an example for the community and didn't want to abandon his community.
34.) On what day of the week is the family expelled and why is this ironic?
The family is expelled on their day of rest. They are forced against their will to be expelled and be moved along to a camp, to a fate that they still don't know what it is.
35.) They spend 24 hours in a synagogue. What are the conditions like? Give examples.
Men and woman are seperated and the German soldiers have destroyed the synagogue. They are forced to relieve themselves in the synagogue.
36.) How are the Jews moved out of Sighet?
They are transported in cattle cars.
37.) Why do you suppose no one tries to escape?
You would get shot.
38.) Why does the Hungarian lieutenant move among the prisoners with a basket?
To collect any valuable items; gold, silver, etc.
39.) What actions do “those who no longer wished to taste the bitterness of terror” take?
They try to calm her down and become very compliant to all that is going on.
40.) Who is Madame Schachter and why is she so upset?
Being seperated from her husband and two sons.
41.) How do the others treat her and why?
They tie her up and gag her so she can't talk anymore. She's scaring everyone in the car.
42.) What is the first thing the prisoners see when they got to Birkenau?
The chimney with the flames rising from it.
43.) What do they smell?
Flesh burning.
44.) Who are the SS men?
They're soldiers of the German soldiers, not nazis.
45.) How do Elie and his father get separated from Mother and Tzipora?
The men and women are separated.
46.) What is Elie’s last memory of them?
Mom stroking his sister's hair.
47.) Why do some of the younger men want to attempt an escape?
They don't want to be burned and they don't want to die that way.
48.) Why don’t they go through with it?
The elders convince them not to and be optimistic.
49.) What lies do Elie and his father tell to Dr. Mengale and why?
Their age and occupation because if they are young and healthy they might find them useful instead of killing them.
50.) Why does Elie’s father wish Elie has gone with his mother and why is this ironic?
To be safe with mom and he doesn't want to see his son die. When he had the chance to save his family he didn't take it, but now he realizes he should have as he's marching to his death.
51.) What do you suppose Elie would say to those who claim that innocent children were not murdered during the Holocaust?
He witnessed children and babies being burned in the crematorium.
52.) What is the Kaddish and why doesn’t’ Elie join his father in reciting it?
Kaddish is a prayer for the dead. He holds onto the belief. He acknowledges the benefit of knowing he's going to die, but he doesn't want to die.
53.) How do the prisoners who are already in the barracks treat the newcomers?
They were mean to them by giving them orders and hitting them.
54.) What are Elie and the others ordered to do?
Take off their clothes, but hold onto their shoes and belts. Then they are sent to the barber to be shaved.
55.) How does Elie change by the end of the first night? (physically, emotionally, and spirirtually)
He changes emotionally and spiritually. He gives up hope and his faith. He refers to himself as a shape.
56.) How does Elie keep his his shoes from the “Kapos” at first?
He hides them in the mud. The mud disguised them as looking older.
57.) According to the SS officer, what is the only way to avoid the furnaces?
To do work and not slack off.
58.) Why does the gypsy strike Elie’s father and how does Elie react?
His father asks for the bathroom and Elie stays silent.
59.) To what new camp are the prisoners taken?
Auschwitz.
60.) Who is in charge of the block and what is his advice?
A young polish guy. His advice was to help each other.
61.) How does Elie become “A-7713”?
A veteran prisoner tattooed it on him. He started to become a number instead of Elie.
62.) Describe “roll call”.
An orchestra comes out and plays military marches. Tens of thousands prisoners line up.
63.) Who is Stein and why does Elie lie to him?
Stein is a relative and he lies to him to give him hope.
64.) Why does Stein stop coming to see Elie?
He found out Elie lied to him and he lost hope.
65.) Akiba Drumer believes that God is testing the Jews and that this punishment they are enduring is actually a sign of love. What does Elie think of this theory?
Akiba believes it was a test to see who was truly faithful. Elie doesn't agree with this.
66.) How could Elie have bribed the assistant to arrange for him to go with his father to a “good unit”?
He could have given him the shoes.
67.) Why doesn’t he try the bribe?
It's one of the only things he has left and he doesn't rust the guy can really keep them together.
68.) Where is music played in the camp?
In the entrance of the camp.
69.) Why can’t the musicians play Beethoven?
Jews weren't allowed to play German music.
70.) Why is Elie sent to the dentist?
To have his gold teeth removed.
71.) Why is he so desperate to keep his tooth and why doesn’t he succeed in keeping it?
It could be of use to him to sell it or barter.
72.) Who beats Elie in front of the French girl and why?
Idek beats Elie because he's just there. He beats him without a motive.
73.) Why is she afraid to speak to him?
She was paralyzed with fear.
74.) What advice does she give to Elie and what does this show about her?
To hold in his anger and wait.
75.) Why does Idek beat Elie’s father?
Ellie's father couldn't keep up with the rest of the people.
76.) Why is Elie angry at his father for getting beaten?
His father isn't trying, so he brought it upon himself.
77.) Why does Elie give his father “marching lessons”?
He can't march in place. As a result of this he is beaten because Elie won't give him his gold crown.
78.) Why does Elie laugh at Idek and what is the result?
He's hooking up with a girl and Elie laughs because it's ridiculous that he sent the whole crew away and that he's forcing this upon a girl because he can't get his own girlfriend.
79.) What do the air raid sirens signify?
There was a bombing.
80.) Why is this a particularly dangerous time for prisoners?
The prisoners are left to fend for themselves. The SS officers go underground.
81.) How is “terror stronger than hunger”?
They're afraid of the consequences that could come with taking the soup.
82.) How does the death of that one man affect Elie and how does he react when the air raid is over?
The man is shot in the back, but it doesn't affect Elie. It was just another day in his life.
83.) Who are some of the people who die on the gallows?
A young boy is put to death because he stole during the air raid. A little boy a pipeline is hung because he stole weapons.
84.) What phrase so many repeat before their deaths?
Long live liberty
85.) Why are people hanged rather than being shot or killed some other way?
It's painful and haunting.
86.) Whose death affects Elie the most and why?
The little boy's death affects him the most because he's a child. It makes Elie doubt God again.
87.) Why does Elie find the soup “excellent” after one execution, but tasting of “corpses” after another?
The first death he feels that it is usual and it's not him, but the second time he saw a child being hung and it haunted him. He's realizing that the army doesn't have limits to who they harm and kill.
88.) What is Rosh Hashanah?
Jewish New Year.
89.) Why do you suppose even “Kapos, functionaries of death” come to the Rosh Hashanah service?
To supervise the people and they're there to be faithful and celebrate in some way. They are there to participate.
90.) What is going through Elie’s mind?
He's losing his faith and he feels defeated.
91.) Is Elie in the minority when he “rebelled” inwardly and why does he call the place where the Jews meet to pray a “mirage”?
They think they see hole, but they're just kidding themselves.
92.) What does Elie mean when he says of his father, “We had never understood each other so clearly”?
They love each other and they don't need to say it, but they are also afraid.
93.) What is Yom Kippur?
A day of atonement where they fast.
94.) Why doesn’t Elie fast?
A symbol of rebellion. A protest against God and he also is in no position to be fasting when he is already starving.
95.) What is the “fine New Year’s gift” the SS gives the prisoners?
Selection.
96.) What advice does Elie get from the head of the block about avoiding selection?
To eat what he can and look healthy. To run as fast as he could and give himself color.
97.) What does Wiesel mean when he says, as the prisoners stand naked, “This must show how one stands at the last judgment”?
Selection is like whether they got I heaven or hell, they either pass or get burned.
98.) What is Dr. Mengele’s attitude during the “selection”?
He acts like it's a game and smiles at them.
99.) What are Elie’s thoughts as he goes through the “race”?
He keeps thinking that he's too skinny and too weak.
100.) What sorts of “presents” and “inheritance” gifts does Wiesel’s father give Elie and why?
Half a ration of bread and some rubber to fix a shoe. A knife and a spoon.
101.) Why does Elie return them to his father?
He wasn't going to take anything from his dad as long as he's alive.
102.) What does this show about how life changes when mere survival is a struggle?
You need actual survival tools to survive.
103.) What happens to many of the prisoners when they lose faith?
They lose hope and the incentive to fight.
104.) Why does Wiesel tell the story of Akiba Dumer – and how everyone forgets to say the Kaddish for him?
He's an example of how people lost their faith.
105.) How does Wiesel end up in the hospital?
His foot is swelling.
106.) What decision is Wiesel faced with while he is in the hospital?
If he should leave and go or wait a little longer.
107.) What is Elie’s choice and why does he choose this option?
He doesn't trust his neighbor and he likes being there.
108.) Why is the camp being evacuated?
The battlefront was coming closer.
109.) Why do the prisoners want the Russians to arrive first?
To rescue them.
110.) What is meant by the question the prisoners ask: “were they (SS) going to let the Jews hear the twelfth stroke sound?”
To see of they were going to kill them or not.
111.) How does the “face of the camp” change on the morning of the evacuation?
Prisoners put on several different garments and put on layers of clothing and gathered food. It became a "free for all" for survival.
112.) Why does the head of the block order the prisoners to clean the floor, and how do you think the prisoners feel about this task?
They wanted the Russian army to think they were men taking care of each other than pigs living there.
113.) Reread the description of the evacuation at the end of the chapter. Why does the author choose to use a series of short sentences in this passage? What is the effect?
It's happening fast and it gives you a sense of urgency to relate to it.
114.) What does Wiesel mean by the observations of the SS men “Their fingers on the triggers, they did not deprive themselves of this pleasure”?
It shows that they are still in charge even though they are evacuating camp.
115.) What is sadism and where do you see evidence of it in the novel?
Sadism is the act of being sadistic.
When Elie's father is beat on the top of his head.
When Edek beats up people randomly.
When the surgeon pushes aside Elie's father and doesn't help him.
116.) What happens to Zalman?
He has stomach pain and is trampled over by the marching people.
117.) In what way are Wiesel and the other Jews who keep rushing onward “masters of nature” -then in the morning “without strength, without illusions”?
Nothing fazes them anymore. They are so desensitized that they become strong, but in the morning they are exhausted and can't move anymore.
118.) How do Wiesel and his father help each other stay alive?
They look after each other and keep each other awake.
119.) Why does Wiesel tell the story of Rabbi Eliahou?
Shows what might happen to Elie and his dad when he decided to either leave him or stay with him.
120.) Why is he glad that the rabbi “should continue to look for his beloved son”?
If he were to leave his dad they would still look for each other. It gives him peace of mind that his dad will always look for him.
121.) Why do you think that “sons abandoned their fathers’ remains without a tear”?
There's nothing they can do, they need to move on.
122.) How does Wiesel avoid suffocation?
He separates the bodies from him and makes an air hole.
123.) Why does Wiesel think he is hallucinating?
He hears music, so he assumes he's going crazy.
124.) Why is Juliek playing his violin in this terrible situation?
His final song for the dead and himself. He figures he is going to die or the violin is going to be taken away from him, so he wanted to die happily.
125.) What happens to Juliek?
He dies.
126.) How does Wiesel’s father avoid being “selected” at Gleiwitz and why does Wiesel run after him to the left?
Elite runs after him and brings him to the right so he doesn't die.
127.) How does Wiesel convey a sense of hopelessness in this final section of the book?
They're waiting to die.
128.) Why do the two men try to throw Wiesel’s father from the carriage?
He looks dead and is barley breathing.
129.) Why do the living “rejoice” when the order comes to throw out the corpses?
They have more room to move around.
130.) What is the author trying to say about the prisoners at this point?
They were so desperate for food. They began to act like animals.
131.) How do the prisoners in the wagon act like animals?
They fight over food.
132.) Why do the German workmen take a “lively interest in this spectacle” when they have merely stopped and stared at marching prisoners before?
He's making fun of them by throwing one piece of food for many starving people.
133.) Why doesn’t Wiesel join in this scramble for food?
He knows he's not strong enough to fight.
134.) How are Meir and his son similar to other fathers and sons Wiesel describes?
The father providing the love when the child becomes greedy.
135.) What is the author saying about how the concentration camp affects the bonds between loved ones?
They either get closer or farther apart because they care about each other or because they can't take care of each other.
136.) How does Meir Katz save Elie Wiesel’s life?
He stops someone from strangling Elie.
137.) What advice does Wiesel’s father give Katz in an attempt to save him?
Don't give up.
139.) Why is it that Wiesel “could have wept with rage” when his father begs for rest upon arrival at Buchenwald?
His father was giving in to death and it upset him.
140.) Why does Elie feel that he is arguing “with death itself”?
He's delusional and arguing with death because his father has already given up.
141.) Why does Wiesel leave his father when the sirens wail, and how does he feel about this later?
First he just wants to be safe, but later he regrets it.
142.) Is his father angry at Elie for deserting him?
No because his father has already accepted death and just wants his son to survive.
143.) What emotions does Wiesel experience that last week as he watches his father die?
He was afraid of his father actually dying and he feels guilty that he can't take care if his father anymore.
144.) Why does Wiesel decide to be an “invalid”?
He wants to stay with his father.
145.) Why doesn’t he see his father die and why doesn’t he cry?
He was out of tears so he couldn't cry anymore.
146.) What are Wiesel’s thoughts during the months after his father’s death?
He didn't want to leave his side.
147.) What would have happened if the children had gone to the assembly place, as ordered?
They would've been killed.
148.) Why do the SS men flee the camp?
The resistance took over the camp.
149.) When is Wiesel finally freed?
When the American tank shows up m
150.) Why is Wiesel sent to a hospital after his liberation?
He became sick from some form of poisoning.
151.) The book ends with a haunting sense of hollowness. Why do you think the author ends with this tone?
He will never forget the experiences that happened during Holocaust.