Night Symbolism

Night Symbolism By, Sammy, Kayla, Nnenna, Brendan

Connotations of Night

• Darkness• Fear• Hopeless• Faithless• Sinister• Uncertainty• Blindness

Night as a Symbol • Darkness and

Devastation

• Absence of light is darkness

• Extended Night

• Absorbed spirit

• Faithlessness in God

Other Ways Wiesel Uses Night:

Man’s Inhumanity to Man:

• Human race cruelness • Mood of foreboding

o ex: "night fell", before a big scene

• 'Inhumane’ scenes

(cont.)Struggle to Maintain faith:

• Without God = world of hopelessness and darkness

o Connotations of night

• Night = waning of faith

(cont.)

Father-Son Bonds:

• Protect each other o From: night, death, or other people

• Forces try to separate Elie and his father

Quote“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which

has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed...Never shall I forget

those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me...of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which

murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things...Never.” (pg 32)

Analysis• Set the stage of Terror

• Light of life and God started to fade

• World turned into darkness

• Shaped the rest of his life.

• Broke his spirit and joy in life

Quote

"The night was long and never ending.” (pg. 93)

Analysis• Elie and his father were exhausted and

waiting to die on the train

• Night symbolized agony and unhappiness

Quote

“On the third night of our journey I woke up suddenly and felt two hands on my

throat, trying to strangle me.” (pg. 96)

Analysis • Elie woken up on train- almost killed at night

• Imagery- terror and violence between people

• Some men gone mad- hopelessness and haunted

"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." (pg.18)

Quote

Analysis

• Creates an image of night symbolising death

• Draws a connection between stars and the Jews eyeso The light in their eyes were fading

Meant that death was coming

"Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!"

Some pressed against the bars to see. There was nothing. Only the

darkness of night." (pg. 22)

Quote

Analysis

• Madame Schachter thinks she sees a fire when there is only darkness

• She had a false fantasy of a fire (light)

• Needed and desired light

Quote

“The last night in Buna. Yet another last night. The last night at home, the last night in the ghetto, the last night in the train, and, now,

the last night in Buna. How much longer were our lives to be dragged out from one ‘last

night’ to another?” (pg. 79)

Analysis • Recalls the “last nights“

• Omen of something worse

• New chapter of terror, uncertainty, and faithlessness

• How much longer?

Quote

“The gates of the camp opened. It seemed that an even darker night was waiting for

us on the other side.” (pg. 80)

Analysis

• Greater purge of darkness

• Worse than the hell he left

• Experience only to get worse

Appropriate Use of Night?

• Yes!• The connotations bring the word to life• Ties to the story• Keeps consistent tone and mood• Causes suspense

Purpose Writing

Inform, Remember, Prevent

The End

Questions?