Themes and Analysis

By elie wiesel.

'Night' is a short and incredibly impactful novel that uses direct language and avoids metaphors and other figures of speech to tell its story.

About the Book

Emma Baldwin

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

Wiesel depicts his experiences in the Holocaust through the eyes of Eliezer who conveys the terrors of what he endured and saw. Readers will likely note reoccurring themes of faith, silence, and inhumanity, as well as symbols that include corpses, fire, and night. 

Night Themes and Analysis

Night Themes 

Faith .

Throughout the novel, Elie is forced to question his faith in God. When God does not step in and stop the horrors around him, Elie has to consider that his faith may have been wrong all along. He learned that God demands sacrifice but is, in the end, compassionate and loving, that’s far from what he learned firsthand during his experiences in the novel, Night . Despite the fact that Eliezer says he’s lost his faith several times, Wiesel includes religious allusions and figurative language that suggest that that’s not completely true. By the end of the novel, while his understanding of the world and religion has shifted, he’s not completely without faith. 

Silence/Indifference 

This is one of the primary themes in the novel, and one that can be found in Wiesel’s other works as well as lectures. Elie is constantly bothered by the silence of God and the silence of other men and women in Europe throughout the novel.

There are numerous examples of indifference throughout the novel. Elie notes the village’s indifferent reaction when Moishe returns with news of what he’s seen, the German people’s ability to ignore what’s going on right in front of their faces, and of course, the Nazi soldier’s indifference to the lives they were destroying. One of the most telling scenes comes towards the end of the novel when the prisoners are running toward Gleiwitz and are being shot down by guards if they paused for even a moment. 

Inhumanity 

Indifference and silence go hand in hand with inhumanity in Night. It’s impossible to read this novel and not walk away feeling horrified by the inhuman practices promoted and carried out by the Nazi regime. Eliezer has trouble making sense of the world after seeing some of the terrible things that happened inside and outside the camps. One such scene comes after he’s arrived with his father and they walk past a pit in which S.S. soldiers are burning the bodies of children.

Additionally, the prisoner on prisoner violence and hate is another aspect of the inhuman environment Eliezer had to endure. The men in his camps were so desperate they turned on one another, even sons on fathers. This is seen quite clearly at the end of the novel when the prisoners beat Eliezer’s father and effectively end his life. 

Analysis of Key Moments in Night

  • Elie studies with Moishe the Beadle. Moishe is expelled from Sighet. 
  • Moishe returns and tells everyone what he saw and experienced. 
  • German soldiers come to Sighet and place restrictions of Jews living there. 
  • Eliezer and his family are moved into a ghetto
  • Eliezer and his family are transported to Birkenau on cattle cars. 
  • Elie is separated from his mother and sisters . 
  • The men are taken to Auschwitz. 
  • Elie is given number r A-7713. 
  • Everyone goes to Buna. 
  • Elie is beaten and has his gold crown removed. 
  • Elie watches a young boy executed. 
  • Elie’s father barely passes inspection. 
  • The death march begins from Buna to an abandoned village and then Gleiwitz. 
  • Everyone gets on a train to Buchenwald and very few survive the journey. 
  • Elie’s father dies of dysentery and a beating from the other men. 
  • Elie is liberated from the camp. 

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language in Night

Throughout Night, Wiesel writes about Elie’s experiences in a detached tone. He uses short sentences and clear words to report on what Elie saw and what he felt. Wiesel was trying to put his experiences into words, in a way that accurately represented them but allowed him to keep some distance from the character of Eliezer. The text is sparse, with very few complex passages or examples of figurative language. Elie Wiesel chose to speak directly to the reader in a way that could not be misunderstood.

Often, Wiesel does take a step back from a terrible scene, talking around it rather than directly describing it. For example, when he speaks about an S.S. guard shooting a prisoner. 

The tone in the novel is serious throughout . There are no light or happy moments. Even when the novel concludes and the camp has been liberated, Elie concludes the novel with a striking scene of loss and sorrow with Eliezer standing in front of a mirror. 

Analysis of Symbols in Night

Night .

One of the most obvious and important symbols in the novel is night. By naming the novel “night” and pushing themes of religious doubt, it’s important to consider Genesis and the passages regarding God’s creation of the earth. First, the Bile says, there was “darkness upon the face of the deep.” It’s this darkness, with the absence of God, that Eliezer lives through. Light is absent from some of the most important scenes in the novel, such as when Eliezer’s father is talking to him about the deportation of the Jews and when they arrive at Birkenau/Auschwitz. 

Fire is a symbol of death and destruction in Night. It is used by the Nazis to destroy evidence of their genocide. It first appears in a horrifying passage when Madame Schächter cries out “ Fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere ,” when the train arrives in Birkenau. When the train pulls in, Eliezer can smell burning flesh immediately. This is something that haunts the rest of the novel. The fire is an ever-present reminder of the deaths waiting for those able to escape the initial threat of the crematorium. 

Corpses 

Corpses appear throughout the novel, bringing into the light the true extent of the horrors the Nazi regime perpetrated on the Jewish people. Eliezer is forced to witness deaths and sees piles of bodies. The image of a corpse also appears at the end of the novel when Eliezer looks at himself in the mirror and thinks that he looks more than a corpse than he does a living person. It’s a symbol for the death of who he was, the strength of his faith, and the loss of the 11 million who did in the Holocaust . 

Emma Baldwin

About Emma Baldwin

Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.

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night by elie wiesel theme essay

Elie Wiesel

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Having and Losing Faith in God Theme Icon

Having and Losing Faith in God

One of the main themes of Night is Eliezer's loss of religious faith. Throughout the book, Eliezer witnesses and experiences things that he cannot reconcile with the idea of a just and all-knowing God.

At the beginning of the narrative, Eliezer declares, "I believed profoundly." He is twelve years old and his life is centered around Judaism—studying the Talmud during the day, praying at the synagogue at night until he weeps with religious feeling. He…

Having and Losing Faith in God Theme Icon

One of the legacies of the Holocaust is the sheer scale of one group of people's inhumanity towards other groups of people. In the case of the Jews, the German government and German society attempted to redefine them as sub-human, and then as creatures who deserved to die.

But Night doesn't just focus on the Nazis and their seemingly endless diabolical behavior (concentration camp doctors—those who swear an oath to do no harm—are some of…

Inhumanity Theme Icon

Fathers and Sons

As his family is being marched from its home, Eliezer sees his father weep for the first time. By the end of the book, his father is dead, another victim of the Nazi death camps. In between, Night explores the ways traditional father-son relationships break down under impossibly difficult conditions. At the heart of this theme is Eliezer's relationship with his own father. Yet the narrator also pays attention to other father-son relationships among the…

Fathers and Sons Theme Icon

Guilt and Inaction

On several occasions in Night , Eliezer watches as his father is beaten and can do nothing about it. Or, rather, he could perhaps help his father in the very short term, but he would quickly pay for it with his life. (Eliezer's father, too, must watch powerlessly as Eliezer is whipped by a kapo.) Even though a small act of resistance is the equivalent of suicide, Eliezer cannot help feeling guilt about his fear…

Guilt and Inaction Theme Icon

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Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Religious faith plays an important role in Night , from Eliezer’s devout childhood in Sighet to life in the concentration camps after the Jews are deported from Hungary. How does Eliezer’s relationship to God and his commitment to his faith change over the course of the narrative? What is the value of religious observance and faith for the imprisoned Jews, and how does their religion become a target of Nazi persecution and oppression?

Family ties, especially the bond between father and son, is a major theme of Wiesel’s memoir . How does the narrative emphasize the importance of this relationship? How are love and loyalty related to the will to survive and the instinct for self-preservation? Does the relationship of Eliezer and his father change over time at Buna, Gleiwitz, and Buchenwald? If so, how?

The narrative of Night relies on powerful symbols, such as night , fire , and silence , to convey the author’s meaning. What do these three symbols signify, and how does Wiesel develop those meanings throughout the course of the book?

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Night Themes

Themes are overarching ideas and beliefs that the writers express in their texts, including poetry, fiction , and plays.  Themes make the story appealing and persuasive and help readers to understand the hidden messages in a story or poem . Themes in Night , a masterpiece of Elie Wiesel , are diverse. They present question a man’s faith, show the effects of cruelty and hatred, along with the dark sides of human nature.  Some of the major themes in Night have been discussed below.

Themes in Night

Cruelty in the Holocaust

The Night demonstrates terribly cruel acts by the Nazis against the Jews, also known as The Holocaust. Elie’s family is in Sighet. They are ordered to move in segregated places and are forced to board a train to Auschwitz. Cruelty can be assessed from the fact that various people have already foreseen their deaths. For example, Madam Schachter starts screaming at the top of her voice and imagining that there is a fire. Moishe of Beadle also warns the people that they would be driven to their deaths, yet nobody believes him. Eliezer later remembers that people often took him as a lunatic. Elie, who is in his teens during these events, witnesses his family’s death and the horrors of the concentration camps. Eliezer questions his faith when he sees a young boy hanging on the gallows.

Humanity is absent from the main storyline. However, it can be considered as an overarching theme . Most of the characters treat each other with prejudice and inhumanity. Amidst this chaos, however, readers will find a few exceptions. For example, a veteran prisoner advises Eliezer that he should forget his father, or else he would lose his own life. He says, “You cannot think of others.” Eliezer feels that he had lost his humanity. He understands the circumstances and doesn’t condemn Rabbi’s son for leaving his father to die. Instead, he blames himself for his father’s death. Due to fear, Elie loses a sense of humanity and kindness when he does not give water to his father. He thinks by doing so, he’ll be killed by the Germans.

Faith in God is another major theme of the novel . When Eliezer in Sighet, his primary concern is the study of his religion, Judaism, and the purpose of life on this earth. He used to take an interest in religion and religious studies. Once he enters the concentration camp, he begins to doubt the existence of God. He often thinks that if such a great power existed, God wouldn’t allow such events, and also protect the chosen people. As the internal battle for the faith continues, he believes that “man is stronger, greater than God.” In fact, most inmates of the camp face the same dilemma about God’s existence.

Families were broken during the mayhem of transportation to the concentration camps to Auschwitz and other camps. Eliezer, for example, gets separated from his mother and sisters. During the camp, his relationship with his father turns cold. Because whenever Germans see such sympathies or efforts to support one another, they would kill them. Another such family relation is witnessed through the son of Rabi Eliahu, who gets separated from him. When he sees that he is unable to support his father, he leaves him and moves on. However, Eliezer prays to God that such a time should not come for him. However, Elie’s father dies, and Elie tries to suppress the loss.

Silence and suppression is another major theme of the novel. Eliezer observes that it is strange that despite warnings from Moishe the Beadle and Madam Sachachet, the Jews did not try to flee. There is a lack of voice even in Auschwitz and other camps. The most prominent silence is the silence of God. Though people cried out for Him, there was no answer. A prisoner asks it clearly “Where is God?” The play of Beethoven by Juliek amid death is a reminder that the people are alive and that they can speak. The rest is all silence.

Faith in God

Elie Wiesel had seen very religious people going to the death chambers with blank faces. He sees the Germans putting the little and innocent children to gas chambers or sending them to gallows. It is obvious that every person will question the very existence of God crying, ‘Where is God?’ Elie becomes numb and loses faith in God as he thinks that he may never believe in God. Therefore, the theme of faith in God also goes with the other thematic ideas like faith.

The theme of loyalty is closely tied to the theme of humanity. In fact, this loyalty sets human beings apart from other social creatures. Elie Wiesel proves his loyalty through his own relationships and the relationship of the son of the Rabbi. At first, he thinks that he is more loyal to his father and accompanies him on every stage of their lives. However, as he gives in to the fear of survival, he becomes numb and silent during the last stages of his father’s life. He doesn’t give him because of the fear of death, either of his own or of his father. Secondly, when Rabbi’s son, helplessly watches his father be crushed during the march, he prays that he does not face the same situation.

Insight into Human Nature

Understanding human nature, its unpredictability is another major theme of the novel. According to the author, human beings neither good nor bad. However, when they feel superior to their race and religion, they become cruel and kill people without any remorse. Even sometimes close and blood relatives ignore each other such as the son of Rabbi and Elie ignoring their fathers. Also, people stop believing in religion or the existence of God when they are desperate for safety.

Dignity or dignity of human life is another minor theme of the novel. However, the readers will only notice a loss of dignity such as Madam Schachter and Moise the Beadle. Under the Nazi regime, Jewish people were stripped of dignity and massacred in the most inhuman manner. The author’s story of survival is one of the million examples of people who lost their dignity before losing their lives.

Freedom from Oppression

Freedom from the oppression of the German occupation forces came after millions of Jews were slaughtered. During the marching or changing camps, Elie feels that his father has rather become a burden on him. Every prisoner wanted to be free from physical and mental torture in the concentration camps.

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Unveiling the Holocaust through Elie Wiesel’s Night Essay

Introduction.

Elie Wiesel’s book Night is a poignant account of how the author survived the Holocaust as a Jewish boy. This work describes the horrors that befell the Jewish people in these difficult times and is the author’s intensely personal emotional view of what is happening. The book serves as a reminder to the modern generation why it is essential not to forget the atrocities committed by mankind and never let them be repeated.

First, reading the book Night is crucial because it reveals an accurate picture of the Holocaust. The author describes the cruel treatment of Jews by the Nazis, including various stories about the conditions of the concentration camps, starvation, and forced labor. With his detailed and vivid descriptions, Wiesel conveys the feelings of fear and despair he and other people felt during his stay in the camp.

Second, the work serves as a reminder of historical events and the importance of remembering them. The author gives a detailed account of his experience of surviving the Holocaust and ensures that this terrible page in history is not forgotten. It also highlights the fact that people need to express their views and stand up for justice, despite the possible adversities that they face them.

Finally, the book serves as a warning against the dangers of discrimination and its possible consequences for humanity. Intolerance of each other can have deadly consequences, and every individual must remain vigilant in this regard. Maintaining tolerance for everyone in the world ensures that atrocities like the Holocaust will never happen again. People must fight for their freedom and continue the process of humanizing society, and this is the task of modern generations.

In conclusion, Elie Wiesel’s book Night is an essential object of analysis for present and future generations. First and foremost, it is the memory of the horrors of the Holocaust – the nightmares man has made with his own hands. Everyone must remember history to not forget the lessons of the past and remain vigilant against those forces that wish to repeat what was done.

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Bibliography

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Themes of “night” by elie wiesel.

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Lesley J. Vos

The following review example can serve as a guide for students trying to find inspiration when writing an assignment. 

What makes the story real? Not the reliability of facts or the fact that it’s based on real events. The main element is honesty. Integrity to share the happiest and the saddest moments, success and despair. The real story is raw to the bone, and the real author never hides behind the pen and paper.

This is the case for Elie Wiesel. The writer chooses memoir to go uncensored with his thoughts and memories about the most challenging moment in his life and the scariest event in history – war. 

Elie Wiesel’s “Night” is a powerful narrative that delves into the darkest chapters of human history through the eyes of a young Jewish boy, Eliezer. This semi-autobiographical novel, though woven with fictional elements, deeply reflects Wiesel’s harrowing experiences in Nazi concentration camps. “Night” is not just a story of survival but also a testament to the human spirit facing unimaginable horrors. In this article, we’ll explore the central themes that emerge from this profound work, rendered in simple text for clarity and understanding.

In this article, we’ll discover the main themes in “Night” and their meaning. 

Loss of Identity

The themes of “Night” by Elie Wiesel explore profound aspects of human nature and spirituality. Eliezer’s journey begins in his hometown, where he is deeply immersed in Jewish teachings and traditions. His profound identity as a young, devout Jew is starkly contrasted with the dehumanization he endures under the Nazi regime. The camps strip him of his name, his hair, and eventually, his faith, reducing him to a mere number. The transformation is so drastic that Eliezer, along with other prisoners, begins to see themselves as nothing more than animals, fighting over scraps of bread. This theme highlights not just a loss of personal identity but the obliteration of humanity itself.

“In the afternoon, they made us line up. Three prisoners brought a table and some medical instruments. We were told to roll up our left sleeves and file past the table. The three “veteran” prisoners, needles in hand, tattooed numbers on our left arms. I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name.”

Loss of identity, faith, the oppressive silence, and the ubiquity of suffering are not just historical reflections but also universal questions that resonate across time. Wiesel’s narrative serves as a stark reminder of the depths of darkness humanity can reach, and the resilience required to search for light amid such darkness.

Loss of Identity

Loss of Faith

The core of Eliezer’s being is his faith, which is deeply challenged by the atrocities he witnesses. At the beginning of the narrative, Eliezer declares, “I believed profoundly.”  

“I was twelve. I believed profoundly. During the day I studied the Talmud, and at night I ran to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the Temple.”

In the concentration camps of Birkenau-Auschwitz, the horrors Eliezer witnesses begin to shake his faith in God. The crematoriums burn without end, devouring countless lives, including the most innocent of all—children. The cruelty he observes and endures is unimaginable, more brutal than one would ever treat animals. He struggles with the idea of a just God who would allow such atrocities.

“Night. No one prayed, so that the night would pass quickly. The stars were only sparks of the fire which devoured us. Should that fire die out one day, there would be nothing left in the sky but dead stars, dead eyes.”

Despite the terror surrounding them, Eliezer is struck by the sight of fellow Jews clinging to their faith, praying and seeking solace in their beliefs. This perseverance in the face of such evil puzzles him; it seems to demonstrate a strength and a capacity for forgiveness that surpasses the deity they worship.

As time goes on, death becomes a constant companion in the camps, and despair takes root. Eliezer, along with others, loses any remaining belief in a benevolent God. This sentiment is shared by others, like Akiba Drumer and a rabbi Eliezer speaks with, who conclude that a God cannot exist in a world that allows the Holocaust to happen.

“Behind me, I heard the same man asking: “Where is God now?” And I heard a voice within me answer him: “Where is He? Here He is—He is hanging here on this gallows. . . . “”

Eliezer’s faith is irreparably damaged during an execution at Buna, where a young boy is hanged before the eyes of the prisoners. A voice from the crowd pierces the air with the question, “ Where is God now? ” In his heart, Eliezer believes that if God exists, He is present in the suffering of the boy on the gallows, who dies a slow, agonizing death while the prisoners are forced to witness.

Faith

Silence permeates “Night,” symbolizing both the incomprehensible absence of God and the muted response of the world to the Holocaust. Eliezer grapples with God’s silence, unable to reconcile it with the loving deity he was raised to worship. 

This theme is painfully illustrated when Eliezer fails to answer his dying father’s call, a silence born of utter despair and hopelessness. Wiesel uses this motif to challenge the reader, posing difficult questions about divine and human inaction in the face of atrocity.

Silence

Fathers and Sons

Eliezer’s story begins with him witnessing his father cry for the first time when they are forced to leave their home. This is significant because it shows a crack in the strong figure his father has always been. The memoir “Night” delves into the breakdown of father-son bonds under the extreme conditions of the Holocaust. Central to this theme is the changing relationship between Eliezer and his father, which also reflects on the relationships between other fathers and sons in the concentration camps.

Before the Holocaust, Eliezer’s father is a respected figure both in the community and at home. Their relationship is based on tradition, where honoring one’s parents is a key commandment, especially in Jewish families like theirs. But once Eliezer and his father are separated from the rest of their family at Birkenau, they only have each other. As his father becomes weaker, the roles they once played change. Eliezer finds himself in the position of being the protector, rather than the one protected.

Life in the camps tests their relationship in many ways. Eliezer often feels guilty for being mad at his father when he can’t defend himself or keep up with the march. Despite his weakening state, his father still tries to look after Eliezer by giving him tools for survival and even saving him from being strangled on the train. But there’s only so much they can do to shield one another from suffering. As the conditions worsen and the weaker prisoners start dying, fathers start to be seen as burdens. Sons struggle with guilt over their survival instincts and their inability to save their fathers. Eliezer witnesses the extreme of this when a young man abandons his exhausted father, a rabbi, during a death march, and again on a train when a son kills his father for food.

These harsh realities force Eliezer to confront his feelings for his father. However, by the end of “Night,” these feelings become irrelevant. His father falls ill, no one is willing to provide medical help, and Eliezer is powerless to protect him or to stop others from causing harm. The roles and relationships that once defined them are irreversibly altered.

“Oh, to strangle the doctor and the others! To burn the whole world! My father’s murderers! But the cry stayed in my throat.”

Father and son by the sea

Final thoughts

Elie Wiesel’s “Night” shares a heart-wrenching story of how the Holocaust tore apart people’s lives and faith. It shows the painful change in a son’s duty to his father and the struggle to keep hope alive. The book makes us think deeply about the harsh truths of survival and loss during one of history’s darkest times.

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Night by Elie Wiesel: Essay Topics & Samples

Do you need to write an essay on Elie Wiesel’s Night ? Are you feeling too overwhelmed and don’t know how to start? No worries!

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In this article, we’ve gathered everything you need to create an outstanding Night essay: topics, the most insightful questions, valuable prompts, and useful examples.

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Topics

  • The transformation of Eliezer’s personality throughout the book. Describe the main character’s personality at the beginning of the book. What were the boy’s interests? How did he perceive the world living in Sighet? Examine how the concentration camp changed Eliezer’s attitude towards life.
  • The significance of family ties in Night by Elie Wiesel. Analyze the relationship between Eliezer and his father . In your opinion, are family ties a powerful or a destructive force for the main character? State your position and support it with good examples.
  • Night : just a title or a powerful symbol? Does night itself symbolize anything in the book? If yes, what? What role does the symbol of the night play for the comprehension of the entire story? To make your essay more dynamic, consider inserting relevant quotes from the book.
  • The religious context in Night, a novel by Elie Wiesel. Investigate Eliezer’s attitude towards God . Compare and contrast his perception of divine powers in the beginning and at the end of the book. What factors influenced the transformation of the main character’s worldview?
  • Did Eliezer become a stronger or a weaker person? Analyze Eliezer’s transformation . Did the obstacles he went through make him feel weaker or stronger? Present your point of view and support it with valid arguments and appropriate evidence from the text.
  • Is there a life after the concentration camp? “From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me” (Eliezer, Night ). How do you think Eliezer’s life will look like after the camp? Is there any chance he will be able to get back to everyday life?
  • Eliezer’s relief after his father’s death: a betrayal or a normal reaction? Why do you think Eliezer felt like he got rid of the burden after his father passed away? Should the main character be ashamed about it? Analyze how the trials Eliezer went through transformed his attitude towards his dad.
  • Hell on Earth. Describe the Nazi’s inhuman actions toward the deported Jews. What were the Nazi’s intentions? After Eliezer witnessed the tourers in the concentration camp, did he lose faith in God? Or did he only started questioning God’s justice and kindness?
  • The unexpected interpretation of the symbol of fire. The fire is the central symbol Elie Wiesel includes in his book. Analyze its meaning and significance. Compare and contrast the role of the fire in Night and the Bible. Why do you think the author interprets fire in quite an unusual way?
  • The significance of Night by Elie Wiesel for the audience of the 21 st century. Think about the lessons the modern readers could learn from this book. Will you suggest reading it to your children? In your opinion, can Night become outdated and irrelevant one day?

Night by Elie Wiesel: Essay Samples

In case you lack the inspiration to compose your Night essay, we collected the most insightful samples. Read their summaries, choose the one you most liked, and create your outstanding piece of writing!

  • Father-Son Relationships in Eliezer Wiesel’s Book “Night” Are you about to write an essay on the evolution of the relationship between Eliezer and his father? Take a look at this example! You will find an analysis of the family ties and a bunch of crucial quotes.
  • Jews’ Suffering in “Night” by Elie Wiesel Literature Analysis The given essay sample explores the trials the Jews were forced to go through during the Holocaust. Also, you will find some insights into Eliezer’s struggle to maintain his faith in God. Check it out!
  • Events in the Concentration Camps: “Night” by Elie Wiesel This essay gives a general overview of the events that occurred to Eliezer and his fellow Jews in several concentration camps. Also, the author focuses on the effect of hardships on the relationship between Eliezer and his father.
  • Eliezer and His Father in Elie Wiesel’s Night How did Eliezer change his attitude towards his father as the plot progresses? Curious about the reasons for the main character’s personality transformation? Read this essay and grasp the answers to all of your questions!
  • Elie’s Life in “Night” by Elie Wiesel The following essay will take you into a long journey of Eliezer’s life, starting from Sighet and ending in the hospital in front of the mirror. Are you ready to feel compassion towards the main character? Check this essay out!
  • Elie Wiesel’s “Night” – Eliezer’s Faith in God Eliezer’s relationship with God takes a separate storyline in the book. Do you want to investigate it? Take a look at this essay!
  • Family Relationship in ”Night” by Elie Wiesel At the beginning of the book, Eliezer’s family is an exemplary one in Sighet. But how do the family ties shift throughout the story? Do they weaken or strengthen? Read this sample and figure it out!
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Night Study Guide

Night by Elie Wiesel is a tragic story of a Jewish teenager that won’t let any reader stay indifferent. The novel is based on real-life events experienced by the author. Thus, Elie Wiesel’s Night is autobiographical, yet how much of the story is fiction remains unclear. It’s known as a...

Night by Elie Wiesel: Summary & Analysis

Night is a semi-fictional memoir by a Romanian-born American writer Elie Wiesel. The book tells the horrifying story of a Jewish teenager who goes through the dreadful torture of the Holocaust. There you’ll see its summary and analysis. The action takes place during World War II. Thus, the book’s analysis...

Elie Wiesel’s Night: Characters

The Night book’s characters impress the readers with their multifaceted natures and dramatic fates. Through their sufferings in concentration camps, Elie Wiesel demonstrates horrifying events the Jews faced during the Holocaust. Now let’s look closely at the key figures of the story: Eliezer Wiesel Eliezer is the book’s central character,...

Night by Elie Wiesel: Themes

Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night explores many critical issues that occurred during World War II. Night themes play a crucial role for the readers since they help to comprehend the book’s main idea. Willing to investigate themes in Night by Elie Wiesel? Read the following article and find a lot of...

Night by Elie Wiesel: Symbols

Symbolism in Night plays a crucial role. It helps the reader reveal the author’s hidden ideas and dive deep into the book’s theme. Elie Wiesel discovers only two symbols in Night – the fire and the night itself. Yet, their meanings are essential for the comprehension of the entire memoir....

The Lottery Study Guide

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The Lottery: Analysis

What do the stones symbolize in The Lottery? What about the black box? What is its main theme? There are so many questions to attend to about this story, so this article by Custom-Writing.org experts is here to help you out! Apart from discussing the symbolism in The Lottery, we...

The Lottery: Characters

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts contains all the information about the characters in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson: Tessie Hutchinson, Bill Hutchinson, Mr. Summers, Old Man Warner, and others. In the first section, you’ll find The Lottery character map. 🗺️ The Lottery: Character Map Below you’ll find a character map...

Summary of The Lottery

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The Necklace Study Guide

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Metaphors in Night by Elie Wiesel

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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night by elie wiesel theme essay

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  1. Night: Suggested Essay Topics

    1. One of the most tragic themes in Night is Eliezer's discovery of the way that atrocities and cruel treatment can make good people into brutes. Does he himself escape this fate? 2. Night is essentially Elie Wiesel's memoir about his experiences in the Holocaust. Yet, there are minor differences between Wiesel's own experiences and those of Night's narrator, Eliezer.

  2. 105 Night by Elie Wiesel : Night Essay Topics & Examples

    The Issues of the World War Two as Portrayed in the Novel "Night" by Elie Wiesel. The Role of Religion in James McBride's "Color of Water" and Elie Wiesel's "Night". The Creation of Suspense in "Night" by Elie Wiesel. The Significance of "Night" by Elie Wiesel for the Audience of the 21st Century.

  3. Night Themes and Analysis

    Night. One of the most obvious and important symbols in the novel is night. By naming the novel "night" and pushing themes of religious doubt, it's important to consider Genesis and the passages regarding God's creation of the earth. First, the Bile says, there was "darkness upon the face of the deep.". It's this darkness, with ...

  4. The Book "Night" by Elie Wiesel Essay (Book Review)

    Although "Night" is a work of fiction, it is based on Wiesel's real-life experiences and serves as a powerful testimony to the horrors of the holocaust. The novel is incredibly moving and provides a valuable perspective on one of the darkest periods in human history. We will write a custom essay on your topic. 809 writers online.

  5. Night Themes

    One of the main themes of Night is Eliezer's loss of religious faith. Throughout the book, Eliezer witnesses and experiences things that he cannot reconcile with the idea of a just and all-knowing God. At the beginning of the narrative, Eliezer declares, "I believed profoundly." He is twelve years old and his life is centered around Judaism ...

  6. Night Themes

    Discussion of themes and motifs in Elie Wiesel's Night. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of Night so you can excel on your essay or test.

  7. Night Essay Topics

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Night" by Elie Wiesel. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

  8. Themes in Night with Examples and Analysis

    Themes are overarching ideas and beliefs that the writers express in their texts, including poetry, fiction, and plays. Themes make the story appealing and persuasive and help readers to understand the hidden messages in a story or poem.Themes in Night, a masterpiece of Elie Wiesel, are diverse.They present question a man's faith, show the effects of cruelty and hatred, along with the dark ...

  9. Night By Elie Wiesel Analysis: [Essay Example], 660 words

    Published: Mar 13, 2024. Elie Wiesel's Night is a powerful and harrowing memoir that recounts his experiences as a teenager during the Holocaust. The book delves into the horrors of the concentration camps, the loss of faith, and the struggle for survival. In this essay, we will analyze the themes of dehumanization, the struggle for faith, and ...

  10. Unveiling the Holocaust through Elie Wiesel's Night Essay

    Elie Wiesel's book Night is a poignant account of how the author survived the Holocaust as a Jewish boy. This work describes the horrors that befell the Jewish people in these difficult times and is the author's intensely personal emotional view of what is happening. The book serves as a reminder to the modern generation why it is essential ...

  11. Themes of Night by Elie Wiesel: Essay Example, Sample

    The themes of "Night" by Elie Wiesel explore profound aspects of human nature and spirituality. Eliezer's journey begins in his hometown, where he is deeply immersed in Jewish teachings and traditions. His profound identity as a young, devout Jew is starkly contrasted with the dehumanization he endures under the Nazi regime.

  12. The Significance of Elie Wiesel's Night in Holocaust Literature: [Essay

    Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, wrote Night as a way to bear witness to the horrors he endured during the Holocaust.The memoir, which has been translated into over 30 languages, has become a seminal work in Holocaust literature. Wiesel's account provides a firsthand portrayal of the inhumanity and suffering inflicted upon millions of Jews during the Holocaust.

  13. Night by Elie Wiesel: an Analysis of Surviving at All Costs

    Published: Mar 8, 2024. Elie Wiesel's groundbreaking memoir, Night, chronicles the author's journey through the Holocaust and his transformation from an innocent youth to a broken survivor. The book is a gripping account of the horrors of war, and its portrayal of the human capacity for cruelty is both harrowing and enlightening.

  14. Elie Wiesel's Night: Essay Topics & Examples

    Events in the Concentration Camps: "Night" by Elie Wiesel. This essay gives a general overview of the events that occurred to Eliezer and his fellow Jews in several concentration camps. Also, the author focuses on the effect of hardships on the relationship between Eliezer and his father. Eliezer and His Father in Elie Wiesel's Night.

  15. Essay Themes in "Night" by Elie Wiesel

    Essay Themes in "Night" by Elie Wiesel. THemes 1.) Man's inhumanity to man. Removal of human looks that defined who they are * Same uniform * Cut hair to remove individuality. * "In a few seconds we had ceased to be men" 37 * "I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name"42. The harshness of the camp quickly transformed them ...

  16. Theme of Life in Night by Elie Wiesel

    In Elie Wiesel's memoir, "Night," the theme of life is a central focus throughout the narrative. Wiesel's harrowing account of his experiences during the Holocaust shines a light on the fragility and resilience of human life in the face of unimaginable horrors.

  17. Concentration Camps In Night By Elie Wiesel

    Concentration Camps In Night By Elie Wiesel. 246 Words1 Page. In the story "Night," the narrator allows the readers to have a glimpse into the lives of those who lived through concentration camps. We can see how the narrator uses language to convey his devastation at becoming an inmate in the concentration camp through repetition and metaphors.

  18. Analysis Of Rhetorical Strategies And Stylistic Devices In Night By

    Elie Wiesel's Message and Purpose. The central theme of ending human violence and the Holocaust; How rhetorical strategies are used to emphasize the need to prevent such horrors from happening again; Night Essay Example. A world with corruption and violence is what Elie Wiesel painfully dealt with as mentioned in the written memoir, Night.

  19. Metaphors In Night By Elie Wiesel: [Essay Example], 922 words

    Night, the memoir by Elie Wiesel, is a haunting and powerful account of the author's experiences as a young Jewish boy during the Holocaust. Throughout the text, Wiesel uses metaphors to convey the unimaginable horrors of the concentration camps, the loss of faith, and the struggle for survival. In this essay, we will explore the significance ...