Novel Night

In the novel Night, darkness and death surround the camp, people are dying all around. No one cares, people move on just so they can survive. Night is the main theme in the book Night by Elie Wiesel. Wiesel uses this as a symbol to represent agony in the camp as well as showing slow, pointless, gruesome death. Night also represents a world without God or hope. Night is used to create a dramatic effect throughout the novel and is used to explain the madness of Madame Schächter, the agony shown by Eliezer during his first night at Birkenau, and the danger people experience through the night on the ride to Buchenwald.

The most terrifying part of the day for Elis was when the sun went down and the moon came up along with the stars in the sky. One of the quotes that has always stuck with me is on page 34 and Wiesel states: "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never". This I believe is the first moment in Wiesel's memoir where he realizes the importance of questioning God. He begins to question God, which he later deems a religious act in and of itself, at night. This quote suggests that Wiesel realizes the importance and truth of night. Wiesel reflects on the times Moshe the Beatle tried to make the people of Sighet believe his stories of the first deportation. Weasel sadly realized the truth that night holds.

Throughout the book there took many significant moments in the concentration camps and on the train rides and also running miles upon miles to other camps. The majority of the significant memories forever burned in Wiesel's memory took place at night. Since the men had gotten to the concentration camps they were put in hot showers for a few short minutes, and then were chased outside and ordered to run some more. They were chased through a storeroom and had to hurry and pick clothes. Some wore to small of clothes and others were too big, and everyone looked different. But the main quote that stands out after all this is all said and done is on page 37 when Wiesel states "The night had passed completely. The morning star shone in the sky. I too had become a different person. The student of Talmud, the child I was, had been consumed by the flames. All that was left was a shape that resembled me. My soul had been invaded-and devoured-by a black flame". Wiesel is saying that since the night has gone and the morning sun has risen