Plot Summary Of Night By Elie Wiesel. - "Night" By Elie Wiesel : Book Summary
TLDRIn 'Night' by Elie Wiesel, a 12-year-old Jewish boy named Eliezer endures the horrors of the Holocaust in 1941 Hungary. From religious studies to witnessing atrocities in concentration camps like Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Eliezer's faith in God is shattered as he and his father suffer through unimaginable cruelty, ultimately leading to his father's death.
Takeaways
- π The book begins in 1941 with Eliezer, a 12-year-old Jewish boy, living in Sighet, Hungary.
- π Eliezer is deeply religious, studying the Torah, the Bible, and the Talmud.
- π¬ His family runs a shop, and his father is a respected member of the Jewish community.
- ποΈ Eliezer begins studying the Kabbalah with Moishe the Beadle, who later tells a horrific story of Jews being killed by the Gestapo.
- π¨ Despite Moishe's warnings, the Jews of Sighet do not believe him and think he is crazy.
- β οΈ By 1944, even with the war escalating, the Jews of Sighet still do not believe they are in danger.
- π Eliezer's family is eventually taken to Auschwitz, where he is separated from his mother and sister, who are killed.
- π₯ Eliezer witnesses horrific scenes in the camp, including children being thrown into fires, which shatters his faith in God.
- π He and his father are transferred to Buna, where they endure brutal conditions and beatings.
- βοΈ As the war nears its end, they are forced on a death march to Gleiwitz and then transported to Buchenwald, where Eliezer's father dies.
Q & A
In which year does the story of 'Night' by Elie Wiesel begin?
-The story begins in the year 1941.
What was Eliezer's age at the start of the story?
-Eliezer was 12 years old at the start of the story.
Where was Eliezer living at the beginning of the book?
-Eliezer was living in the town of Sighet, which was located in Hungary.
What religious texts did Eliezer study?
-Eliezer studied the Torah, the Bible, and the Talmud.
What significant event occurred when the Hungarian police sent away foreign Jews?
-Mosh the Beetle was sent away and upon his return, he told a terrible story about the deportation and murder of Jews by the Gestapo.
What was the initial reaction of the Jews in Sighet to Mosh's story?
-The Jews in town couldn't believe what Mosh was saying and thought he had gone crazy.
When did the Hungarian police start putting the Jews in Sighet into ghettos?
-The Hungarian police started putting the Jews into ghettos in 1944.
What was the first concentration camp Eliezer and his father were sent to?
-Eliezer and his father were first sent to Auschwitz.
What was the role of the Capo in the concentration camps?
-The Capo was put in charge of the other inmates and sometimes beat people, including Eliezer and his father.
How did Eliezer's faith in God change throughout his experiences in the concentration camps?
-Eliezer's faith in a fair God was broken, especially after witnessing the horrors in the camps and the death of his father.
What happened to Eliezer's father in the concentration camps?
-Eliezer's father got sick with fever and diarrhea, was hit by an SS officer, and eventually died.
What was the final concentration camp Eliezer was in before being liberated?
-The final concentration camp Eliezer was in before being liberated was Buchenwald.
What did Elie Wiesel do after the war?
-After the war, Elie Wiesel went to a home in France, studied at the Sorbonne, became a writer, and eventually wrote 'Night' and other books. He also taught at some of the best colleges in the United States and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
Outlines
π Early Life and Persecution in Hungary
The first paragraph introduces Eliezer, a 12-year-old Jewish boy living in Sighet, Hungary, in 1941. He is deeply religious, studying the Torah, the Bible, and the Talmud. His family runs a shop, and his father is a respected figure in the community. The narrative begins with the arrival of Moshe the Beadle, who warns the community about the atrocities faced by deported Jews. Despite his warnings, the community is skeptical. As the war progresses, the Hungarian police and German soldiers begin to oppress the Jewish community, leading to their confinement in ghettos and eventual deportation to concentration camps. Eliezer's faith is severely tested as he witnesses horrific scenes of death and destruction, culminating in his arrival at Auschwitz, where he is separated from his mother and sister.
π Triumph Over Tragedy: Elie Wiesel's Legacy
The second paragraph shifts focus to the author, Elie Wiesel, who was born in Sighet and experienced the horrors of the Holocaust firsthand. His parents were Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, and he was raised in a religious environment. Tragically, both of his parents and one of his sisters perished in Nazi death camps, while his two older sisters survived. After the war, Wiesel moved to France, studied at the Sorbonne, and became a writer. He initially vowed not to write about his experiences for ten years, but eventually penned the influential book 'And the World Remains Silent.' Wiesel's work and advocacy for peace and against racism earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. His life and writings serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Eliezer
π‘Sighet
π‘Kabbalah
π‘Moshe the Beadle
π‘Auschwitz
π‘Ghetto
π‘Buna
π‘Death march
π‘Buchenwald
π‘Faith
Highlights
The book begins in 1941 with Eliezer, a 12-year-old Jewish boy from Syed, Hungary, deeply religious and studying the Torah, the Bible, and the Talmud.
Eliezer's family runs a shop in town, and his father is respected in the Jewish community.
Eliezer starts studying the Kabbalah with a newcomer named Mosh the Beetle.
Mosh returns from deportation with a horrifying story of mass murder by the Gestapo, but the townspeople don't believe him.
Despite the ongoing war, the Jews of Syed remain in denial about Hitler's intentions until 1944.
Eliezer wishes to move to Palestine, but his father refuses, believing he's too old to start anew.
Hungary is occupied by fascists, and German soldiers move into Syed, arresting Jewish leaders.
The Hungarian police force Jews into ghettos and then onto trains to an unknown destination.
At Birkenau, the entrance to Auschwitz, the train arrives, and women are immediately separated from men.
Eliezer's mother and younger sister are sent directly to the gas chambers, while he stays with his father.
Eliezer witnesses babies and small children being thrown into a burning ditch on his first night in the camp.
Eliezer's faith in a fair God is shattered by the atrocities he witnesses.
Prisoners are marked with numbers and threatened with cremation if they don't work.
Eliezer and his father are sent to Buna, where they work in a warehouse for electrical supplies.
Eliezer's father is selected for death but manages to convince someone he can still work.
Eliezer loses his faith in God after witnessing a child slowly hang himself.
As the war nears its end, the inmates at Buna are forced on a death march to Glivitz.
During the march, people die from exhaustion and starvation, with SS officers shooting those who fall behind.
Eliezer's father becomes sick and eventually dies in Buchenwald, despite Eliezer's attempts to care for him.
Eliezer is left in a daze at Buchenwald for over two months before the prisoners rise up and the SS flee.
Eliezer becomes sick from the food provided by the American tanks and spends two weeks in the hospital.
Eliezer is confronted with his own reflection, an image of a dead person, after leaving Syed.
The author, Elie Wiesel, was born in Sighet, Romania, and lost his parents and a sister in Nazi death camps.
Wiesel went to France after the war, studied at the Sorbonne, and became a writer.
Wiesel wrote 'And the World Remains Silent' in Yiddish, which was published in 1956 in Argentina.
Wiesel later adapted parts of his work into books titled 'Night Dawn' and 'Day'.
Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his work as a peace advocate and critic of racism.
Transcripts
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