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Elie Wiesel

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Elie Wiesel's Night . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Night: Introduction

Night: plot summary, night: detailed summary & analysis, night: themes, night: quotes, night: characters, night: symbols, night: theme wheel, brief biography of elie wiesel.

Historical Context of Night

Other books related to night.

• Full Title: Night
• When Written: 1955 - 1958
• Where Written: South America, France
• When Published: Argentina, France
• Genre: Memoir
• Setting: Europe during World War II
• Climax: Eliezer's father's death
• Antagonist: The German SS guards and officers; the Kapos
• Point of View: First person

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Home — Essay Samples — History — Elie Wiesel — The Literary Review of Night

The Literary Review of Night

• Categories: Elie Wiesel

About this sample

Words: 1848 |

10 min read

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1848 | Pages: 4 | 10 min read

Table of contents

Night essay outline, night essay example, introduction.

• Overview of Elie Wiesel's "Night" and its portrayal of the Holocaust
• The impact of the Holocaust on Eliezer's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being
• The role of aggressive diction, gruesome imagery, and figurative language in the narrative

Aggressive Diction and Loss of Faith

• Analysis of Wiesel's use of aggressive diction
• The significance of words like "murder," "consumed," and "flames" in describing faith
• The repetition of "Never shall I forget" to emphasize the horrors of the Holocaust
• The use of powerful words like "commanded" to describe the treatment of Jews

Tone and Its Emotional Impact

• The solemn tone of the narrative
• The portrayal of Eliezer's acceptance of his fate
• Examples of metaphors and personification to convey emotions
• How tone sets the mood and reflects the emotional state of the narrator

Imagery and Its Effect on the Reader

• The use of imagery to stimulate the reader's senses and emotions
• Memorable images like the reflection in the mirror and the hanging boy
• The impact of imagery in conveying the horrors of the Holocaust

Raskolnikov's Transition and Relationship with Sonya

• Raskolnikov's change in conscience after committing murder
• His struggle with accepting guilt and the breakdown of his resistance
• The role of Sonya in helping him confront his crime
• Raskolnikov's realization and the path to redemption
• The transformative journey of Eliezer and Raskolnikov
• The importance of literary devices in conveying their emotional and psychological experiences
• The lasting impact of their stories on the reader's understanding of human suffering and redemption

The Variety of Literary Devices in the "Night" By Elie Wiesel

Transition changes in raskolnikov's character, works cited.

• Chan, Y. (2013). The Holocaust. Stanford University.
• Easton, J. (2018). Night. Sparknotes.
• Eby, M. (2022). Literary Devices in Night by Elie Wiesel. Study.com.
• Elie Wiesel. (2015). Academy of Achievement.
• Elie Wiesel's Night. (n.d.). The Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• French, W. (2018). The Holocaust. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• Heselton, J. (2017). Diction, Tone and Imagery in Elie Wiesel's Night. The Classroom, Demand Media.
• Michelson, K. (2013). The Power of Night and the Hope of Light: Lessons from the Holocaust. The Huffington Post.
• Neuman, L. (2002). The Paradox of Night: Night as a Symbol and Theme in Elie Wiesel's Literary Works. Modern Judaism, 22(3), 203-219.
• Wiesel, E. (2006). Night. Hill and Wang.

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Survey Reveals High Cost of Course Materials Stops Students from Success

Professors share 5 myths students believe about college, anxiety among students: what do teachers think about it, how to write a character analysis essay, dorm overbooking and transitional housing: problems colleges are trying to solve, themes of “night” by elie wiesel.

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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 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.

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.

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.”

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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129 Night by Elie Wiesel : Night Essay Topics & Examples

Night by Elie Wiesel is one of the most powerful books on Holocaust and Nazi German concentration camps. If you’re looking for Night essay topics and tips on how to master your Night essay , you have come to the right place.

✍️ Night Essay: How to Write

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Night’s major themes include faith and dehumanization, but there are many other aspects that you can explore. This article will provide you with topics, samples, and tips on how to write your essay, including Night thesis statement.

This article will show a few essential tips on how to write the paper and provide you with ideas for your Night by Elie Wiesel essay thesis.

Before you start your work on the paper, we’d suggest you to wipe out all the distractions: turn off the phone and TV. Use app- and website-blocking tools to concentrate on your research and writing.

Now, when you’re concentrated enough, check the next steps to write an A+ paper.

• Pick up a topic and narrow it. Read the book and choose a topic that you find interesting. Then narrow it as much as possible. The key idea of this step is the narrower your topic will be, the easier will be your writing process.
• Clarify your ideas and arguments. Think about what you’re going to discuss in your paper. Define key arguments you will use. You can use mindmapping tools that will help you to organize your ideas in a logical flow. Later, this will help you to write a Night essay outline.
• Search for examples and quotes to support your arguments. Research quotes to support your point of view. You can also use examples from other literary masterpieces, especially if you’re writing a compare and contrast essay. Make sure not to use too many citations: use 3 to 5 quotes and examples as evidence. You may also use a quote as an essay hook.
• Create an outline of your paper. Outlining helps you to structure your ideas and arguments. Moreover, a detailed outline makes the writing process much easier.

When writing your essay’s introduction, pay attention to the thesis statement. The function of paper thesis is to state your opinion and give your readers an understanding of what the essay is about. If you’re struggling with your Night thesis statement, check out these examples:

• In Night , Elie Wiesel demonstrates how extreme circumstances challenge a person’s religious beliefs.
• The author shows how dehumanization affected the main character and made him gradually lose his humanity.
• The atrocities suffered by the main character made him lose his childhood in a traumatic way.
• Father and son in “Night”: relationship dynamic.
• Destructive power of family ties in “Night.”
• Analysis of Death March in “Night.”
• “Night’s” ending: is it hopeful?
• Power and violence in Wiesel’s “Night.”
• “Night”: the significance of the title.
• What does Elie Wiesel write about the death of God?

If you’re struggling with a Night theme to choose for your paper, you may find some interesting ideas below:

• Theme of family. Analyze the relations between the father and son. Why it is important to stay with your family, especially during challenging times?
• Theme of faith and God. Analyze, why does the author writes about the death of God? Provide your own reflection on God and faith. What makes people believe in gods even when there is no hope?
• Power and violence. Think, why Germans who had a power made use violence to force Jews into concentration camps. Read the episode about the Death March and explore why German Soldiers never deprived themselves of killing prisoners who could not keep up.

If writing Night by Elie Wiesel Essay is still a challenging process, check our selection of free paper samples and other useful information at IvyPanda to get advice and find an inspiration!

• The Relationship Between Eliezer and His Father Essay Their experience at the concentration camp changes the relationship between son and father, and the despicable treatment by the Nazis helps Eliezer and his father develop a strong connection.
• Conceptual Inconsistency in “Night” by Elie Wiesel For people who have not been completely deprived of their ability to utilize their sense of logic, as a result of being continuously brainwashed by hawks of political correctness, it does not make a whole […]
• Night by Elie Wiesel The book notes that when the Jews were forced into the concentration camps, Elie and his family remained calm and obeyed every directive from their oppressors. The author attributed the enmity among the Jews to […]
• Elizer’s Struggle to Keep Faith in God This was an indication that although his faith had started to change, he still had faith in God. He was able to come out of the holocaust with a stronger faith.
• Understanding of God – “Night” by Elie Wiesel Although Elie questions the whole concept of faith in God, he never stops to ask questions that connect him with God.
• Night by Elie Wiesel: Eliezer’s Changing Relationship With His Father He began to feel the loss and gripped with fear of losing his father, the forthcoming experiences and need for protection; he clings to his father.
• “Night” by Elie Wiesel and the Book of Job Comparison Job’s friends tell him that sins caused his sufferings; yet, he refuses to accept it and claims that God still cares for him.
• The Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel The book is a powerful testimony to the horrors of the holocaust and how people can lose their humanity and innocence.
• Eliezer’s Transformations Throughout Night by Wiesel One of the first stages in the main character’s Eliezer transformation is his childhood and the desire to study Talmud and Kabbalah at a young age.
• The Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel Eliezer is the narrator in the tale and experiences multiple challenges throughout the story. Faith, guilt and inaction, and inhumanity are some of the narratives themes that readers can analyze when focusing on the various […]
• The Memoir “Night” by Elie Wiesel The incident changed Eliezer’s attitude where the fulfillment of getting the bread at that particular period outweighed the life of his father.
• Contemplation of Indifference in Elie Wiesel’s “Night” The theme of disregard is especially prevalent in the interaction of the Jews on their way to the camps and those that remain in Wiesel’s native Sighet.
• Wiesel’s Night and Solzhenitsyn’s A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Concentration Camps Comparison Nowadays, it has become a commonplace practice to refer to the novels Night by Elie Wiesel and A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn as such that is concerned with revealing […]
• Critique of Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust Book “Night” Like many books on the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel’s Night is a dramatic picture of the horror times in the history of humankind and particularly in the history of the Jewish people.
• The Narrative of “Night” by Elie Wiesel The recurring themes of Night, by Elie Wiesel reflect the poignant feelings of disgust of writer against mankind and gradually his loss of faith in God, helplessness and hopelessness of a child who entirely disgusts […]
• “Night” by Elie Wiesel: Holocaust and Genocide Given that the events are seen through the eyes of the young person, the major emphasis is placed upon the main character’s perception of the violence and death taking place around him and gradual loss […]
• Understanding of God in Eliezer’s “Night” His unshakable and unconditional faith in God is demonstrated at the beginning of the text through his interest in Talmud, and expressing grief over the destruction of the Temple.
• Holocaust Experience in the Book ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel Eliezer’s depiction in the story as the main character in the story is that of a humble and religious young man.
• Nazi Deception and “Night” by Elie Wiesel Eliezer, the main character of the novel and the prototype of the author, became one of the victims of the Nazi occupation in Europe.
• Eliezer’s Faith in God – “Night” by Elie Wiesel Literature Analysis Eliezer’s faith in God changes throughout the book, as Eliezer experiences the challenges of the Holocaust. The events in the book regarding Elizer’s faith are quite sarcastic and dramatic as Eliezer’s faith moves from an […]
• The Central Themes in “Night” by Elie Wiesel Literature Analysis At the beginning of the novel, we meet Eliezer and his father, the main characters, the destinies of whom we will follow up to the end of the novel.
• The Relation Between Eliezer and His Father in Night by Elie Wiesel Soon after that, the Nazis sent them to Auschwitz, but, because of the hardships of the way, only Eliezer and his father arrived there alive. That is how the author’s attitude to and relations with […]
• Nazi Deception and the Demoralization and Dehumanization of Eliezer and His Fellow Prisoners The novel describes one of the most horrible periods in the history of humanity. The prisoners of the Nazis little knew about their future and they were likely to deceive themselves.
• Night by Ellie Wiesel The paper summarizes the reasoning of the writer and goes a notch higher to analyze some of the themes in order to establish the relevance of the book to the modern political environment.
• Eliezer’s Struggle to Keep His Faith in God It was after he joined the camp that his faith decreased as he could not clearly understand why God could not rescue him and others that he deemed to have suffered more than he did, […]
• Eliezer’s Lost Childhood and the Image in the Mirror The author of the book presents his hero in two ways: on the one hand, he depicts the boy, who is full of hopes and expectations; on the other hand, he shows the boy whose […]
• Night by Elie Wiesel: Eliezer’s Relationship With His Father The relationship Eliezer has with his father at the beginning of the story can be compared to the one he has with God soon after the tough experiences and problems at the Nazi concentration camps […]
• Change in Wiesel’s Understanding of God But this did not change the faith he had in God and he continued believing that God was going to safe them. He believed that the Jews were faithful to God but his understanding was […]
• Wiesel’s Changing Understanding of God The faith that Wiesel had in God was enormous, in spite of the increasing abuse and hatred that the Nazis had for the Jews.
• Comparison of Night by Elie Weisel and Cry of the Beloved Country by Paton Wiesel was brought up in the mountains of the present day Romania and in 1944, at fifteen years old, his family was captured as part of a mission by the Germans to torture the Jews.
• The Importance of Maintaining Faith and Goal to Endure and Overcome Situation in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Terrifying Encounters of the “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Examples of Extreme Dehumanization and Genocide Portrayed in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Dehumanizing Sufferings During the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
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• The Symbol of Fire During the Holocaust in the Novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Power of the Nazis, Death, Loss of Humanity and of Faith in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
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• Reliability of Testimonies of the Holocaust Survivors: Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and Binjamin Wilkomirski’s “Fragments”
• The Theme of Peer Pressure in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Father-Son Relationship Theme in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Transformation of Eliezer’s Relationship With God in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Survival of the Jewish People in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Inhumanity of the Genocide During the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Psychological Transformation of Holocaust Victims Caused by the Fight to Survive in Two Novels: Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and Art Spiegelman’s “Maus”
• The Experiences at the Nazi Death Camp as Described in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• The Life Journey of Elie From Schoolboy to Corpse in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Importance of Studying the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Heartbreaking Stories and Memories of Holocaust Survivors in Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and John Chua’s “Marion’s Triumph”
• The Lose of Faith in God in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Transformation of Eliezer’s Personality Throughout the “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Significance of Family Ties in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Human History and the Desire for the Agony in the Novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• Theme of Self Respect in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Horrors of Genocide: “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Loss of Faith in Humanity in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
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• The Theme of Darkness in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
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• 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”
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• The Frightened and Lonely Attitude of the Speaker in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Struggle of the Holocaust Survivor in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
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• The Value of Time in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• A Life After the Concentration Camp in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• How does Wiesel treat his father during the journey to Buchenwald?
• How does Wiesel react when his father is slapped by a gypsy?
• What are the imagery and literary devices in Night by Elie Wiesel?
• Why does Elie Wiesel believe indifference is the most dangerous emotion?
• Who Moshe the Beadle is, and why does Wiesel begin the story with him?
• What psychological changes in victims are showed in Night by Elie Wiesel?
• What advice does the blockäteste give to Eliezer? How does Eliezer respond to the advice?
• What role did Moishe the Beadle play in Elie’s life?
• On page 22, Wiesel calls his former neighbors “our friends of yesterday.” What does this suggest about Wiesel’s attitude?
• Why do you think there was no large-scale effort to resist the Night?
• How does symbolism in Night by Elie Wiesel further the authorial message?
• What might be the reasons for the townspeople’s widespread denial of the evidence facing them?
• What events lead to the two hangings Wiesel describes?
• How can reading Night by Elie Wiesel change views on the Holocaust?
• Who is Juliek in Night? Why did he play his violin as he lay dying in the mass bodies?
• Why did the prisoners have to wash the floors of the blocks before the evacuation?
• When did Wiesel say the travelers left their illusions behind?
• How trauma, memory, and timelessness are illustrated in Night by Elie Wiesel?
• What did Elie Wiesel smell getting off the train at Auschwitz?
• What were the instances of the foreshadowing in Night?
• What is the most devastating choice made in the book Night by Elie Wiesel?
• Who was Rabbi Eliahou and what happened to his son?
• What are the father-son relationships in Night?
• What are some examples of dehumanization in Night by Elie Wiesel?
• What were the conditions in the train in Night?
• What is the thematic message of Night?
• What is “work in liberty”?
• How did Elie Wiesel’s father die?
• What is the theme of hope in the book Night?
• What is the significance of a-7713?
• Why does Idek in Night has Eliezer whipped?
• What does the title Night by Elie Wiesel evoke?
• Who is Madame Schachter?
• What did Wiesel compare the world to?
• How does deception dehumanize?
• Why do Wiesel and his father leave Buna?
• What does the “kingdom of night” mean?
• What is viewed as the death’s head?
• Can death be a motif in the book Night?
• Why is Mrs. Schahter the first to break down?
• How did Elies’ encounter with the dentist go?
• How does repetition affect the reader?
• How does Eliezer’s faith change in Night?
• What is the first selection?
• What was Gleiwitz in Night?
• What is Elie’s relationship with God in the Night?
• What does the last sentence in Night mean?
• What happened on April 5th?
• What does the mirror symbolize in Night?
• What did Elie’s father’s neighbors do to him?
• The Cask of Amontillado Research Ideas
• The Crucible Research Topics
• The Fall of the House of Usher Research Ideas
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• A Raisin in the Sun Essay Titles
• Call of the Wild Questions
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• Chicago (N-B)

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The Story of ‘Night’

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By Rachel Donadio

• Jan. 20, 2008

This fall, Elie Wiesel’s “Night” was removed from the New York Times best-seller list, where it had spent an impressive 80 weeks after Oprah Winfrey picked it for her book club. The Times’s news survey department, which compiles the list, decided the Holocaust memoir wasn’t a new best seller but a classic like “Animal Farm” or “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which sell hundreds of thousands of copies a year largely through course adoptions. Indeed, since it appeared in 1960, “Night” has sold an estimated 10 million copies — three million of them since Winfrey chose the book in January 2006 (and traveled with Wiesel to Auschwitz).

But “Night” had taken a long route to the best-seller list. In the late 1950s, long before the advent of Holocaust memoirs and Holocaust studies, Wiesel’s account of his time at Auschwitz and Buchenwald was turned down by more than 15 publishers before the small firm Hill & Wang finally accepted it. How “Night” became an evergreen is more than a publishing phenomenon. It is also a case study in how a book helped created a genre, how a writer became an icon and how the Holocaust was absorbed into the American experience.

Raised in an Orthodox family in Sighet, Transylvania, Wiesel was liberated from Buchenwald at age 16. In unsentimental detail, “Night” recounts daily life in the camps — the never-ending hunger, the sadistic doctors who pulled gold teeth, the Kapos who beat fellow Jews. On his first day in the camps, Wiesel was separated forever from his mother and sister. At Auschwitz, he watched his father slowly succumb to dysentery before the SS beat him to within an inch of his life. Wiesel writes honestly about his guilty relief at his father’s death. In the camps, the formerly observant boy underwent a profound crisis of faith; “Night” was one of the first books to raise the question: where was God at Auschwitz?

Working as a journalist in his mid-20s, Wiesel wrote the first version of “Night” in Yiddish as “Und di Velt Hot Geshvign” (“And the World Remained Silent”) while on assignment in Brazil. But it wasn’t until he returned to Paris and met François Mauriac, a noted Catholic novelist and journalist, that “Night” took the shape we know today. Mauriac urged Wiesel to rewrite the book in French and promised to write a preface. Still, “it was rejected by the major publishers,” Wiesel recalled in a recent interview, “although it was brought to them by François Mauriac, the greatest, greatest writer and journalist in France, a Catholic, a Nobel Prize-winner with all the credentials.” Les Éditions de Minuit brought it out in 1958, but it sold poorly.

The American response was similarly tepid. Georges Borchardt, Wiesel’s longtime literary agent and himself a Holocaust survivor, sent the French manuscript to New York publishers in 1958 and 1959, to little effect. “Nobody really wanted to talk about the Holocaust in those days,” Borchardt said. “The Diary of Anne Frank,” published in the United States in 1952, had been a huge success, but it did not take readers into the horror of the camps. Although “Night” had sophisticated literary motifs and a quiet elegance, American publishers worried it was more a testimonial than a work of literature. “It is, as you say, a horrifying and extremely moving document, and I wish I could say this was something for Scribner’s,” an editor there wrote to Borchardt. “However, we have certain misgivings as to the size of the American market for what remains, despite Mauriac’s brilliant introduction, a document.” Kurt Wolff, the head of Pantheon, also turned “Night” down. Although it had qualities “not brought out in any other book,” Pantheon had “always refrained from doing books of this kind,” meaning books about the Holocaust, he wrote to Borchardt.

Finally, in 1959, Arthur Wang of Hill & Wang agreed to take on “Night.” The first reviews were positive. Gertrude Samuels, writing in the Book Review, called it a “slim volume of terrifying power.” Alfred Kazin, writing in The Reporter, said Wiesel’s account of his loss of faith had a “particular poignancy.” After the Kazin review, the book “got great reviews all over America, but it didn’t influence the sales,” Wiesel said.

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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!

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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Twelfth Night

By william shakespeare, twelfth night essay questions.

To what extent is Twelfth Night related to the holiday after which it is named?

Twelfth Night is titled after a holiday celebration that takes place on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Many speculate that Shakespeare wrote the play to be performed during Twelfth Night festivities, though its composition history is largely uncertain. The play does share elements in common with the holiday, however, notably through its focus on food/indulgence and role reversal. Traditionally, Twelfth Night festivities were a time to imagine a topsy-turvy society in which gender could be performed and social status was not fixed. Both the cross-dressing character of Viola and the ambitious servant Malvolio embody these themes.

How do Viola and Olivia both represent instances of gender role-reversal?

While the discourse around gender roles in the play usually focuses on Viola because of her cross-dressing endeavor as Cesario, Olivia is another character who defies gender roles, not through her appearance but through her behavior. Despite swearing off men for seven years to mourn her brother, Olivia quickly falls in love with Cesario and boldly pursues him with the adamance of a male suitor. Then, when Sebastian arrives in Illyria, Olivia proposes to him, assuming he is Cesario. Olivia's actions throughout the play are persistent and bold, showcasing her own form of gender reversal as she steps into the role of romantic aggressor.

How does the play suggest that Orsino's love for Olivia is not genuine?

The beginning of the play features a grim Orsino lamenting his love for Olivia, so much so that he asks to be made sick by "the food of love" in order to eliminate his appetite for desire altogether. However, the play suggests through his various complaints that his love for Olivia is misguided. Most notably, when describing the first time he saw Olivia, he says that he was turned into a hart (a male deer) and hunted by his own desire. This metaphor is an unconventional take on the image of the hart (usually a woman) being pursued by a hunter (usually a male lover). That Orsino thinks of himself as both the pursuer and the pursued is a reflection of his self-interest that he has interpreted as affection for Olivia.

What significance does Feste have in the events of the play?

Feste is a professional fool, meaning he is employed to entertain the people he serves. Feste subscribes to the early modern theatrical convention of assigning the fool the wisest role in the play. More often than not, Feste understands more about the characters' intentions than they do themselves, and he frequently comments on some of the play's major ironies and tensions. He is also a mouthpiece for meta-theatrical commentary, as he expresses both his appreciation and skepticism for people who work with words (like Shakespeare and other playwrights). Feste warns that words are like gloves that can be turned inside out, manipulated, and misinterpreted, raising questions for the audience about the role of playwrights and poets in society.

What are audiences to make of Orsino's decision to continue referring to Viola as Cesario?

At the end of the play, Viola reveals her true identity and stability is seemingly restored – Viola marries Orsino and Olivia marries Sebastian. However, Orsino remarks to his betrothed that as long as she is dressed as a man, he will continue to call her Cesario. This ending has puzzled critics for years, as it seems to challenge the notion that all is returned to "normal" at the end of the play. What Orsino's choice ultimately suggests is something that contemporary audiences will likely recognize throughout the earlier acts of the play – that part of Viola's appeal is due to her androgynous appearance as a cross-dressing woman. Of course, Orsino's choice could also be a playful nod toward the fact that the actor playing Viola would have been a young man, himself dressed in drag to portray a woman.

Twelfth Night Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Twelfth Night is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Question In Twelfth Night, which event is part of the resolution? Responses Malvolio receives a love letter. Malvolio receives a love letter. Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked. Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked. Viola, disguised as Cesario, meets O

• Sir Toby and Maria are married.

Discuss Viola's use of her disguise in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

After the shipwreck, Viola resolves to make the best of her situation and be taken into Orsino's service. As a young eunuch named Cesario, she will be safe from male attentions. Viola is quickly taken into Orsino's confidence, and he tells her all...

How do valentines entrance and message affects the plot?

Orsino's servant Valentine, whom Orsino sent to give his affections to Olivia, returns; Valentine was not allowed to speak directly to Olivia, but Olivia sent a message, via her handmaiden, that Olivia will continue to mourn her dead brother, and...

Study Guide for Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Twelfth Night
• Twelfth Night Summary
• Twelfth Night Video
• Character List

Essays for Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Twelfth Night.

• The Role of the Fool: Feste's Significance
• The Fool as a Playwright in Twelfth Night
• It is Theater
• To Believe, or Not To Believe
• The Function of Plot Divisions in Twelfth Night and in Doctor Faustus

Lesson Plan for Twelfth Night

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Twelfth Night
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Twelfth Night Bibliography

E-Text of Twelfth Night

The Twelfth Night e-text contains the full text of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.

• List of Characters

Wikipedia Entries for Twelfth Night

• Introduction