NIGHT

THE THEME OF DEATH

By: Megan Grocki and Nicole Couture

“Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.” (pg.32) The memories of this

experience are burned in his mind forever

The torture he was enduring made death seem like an escape

Death became desirable

“Not cry? We’re on the threshold of death…Soon we shall have crossed over…” (pg.33)

Death consumed the prisoners thoughts

They would all face it some point

Time was running out for the remaining prisoners

They would all die in the camp eventually

“Suddenly the silence grew oppressive. An SS officer had come in and, with him, the odor of the Angel of Death” (pg.35) Whenever the officers

were near they could feel the tension even in silence

Odor refers to the officers ability to kill any prisoner at any time

Always feared death when the officers came in their block

-“Here, you have got to work. If not, you will go straight to the furnace. To the crematory. Work or the crematory—the choice is in your hands.” (pg 36)

Quote from the SS officers to the prisoners

Telling them that they are forced to work while in the concentration camp

If you were weak or fought back you would be sent to death

Stronger you were and the harder you worked meant you could postpone death

-“We are all brothers, and we are all suffering the same fate. The same smoke floats over all our heads. Help one another. It is the only way to survive.” (pg 38) Head of the block says

they are all to look out for each other

Helping each other will give them a better chance at survival and give them hope

They can lean on each other for support since they all share the same fear

“Poor hero, committing suicide for a ration of soup! In our thoughts we were murdering him.”(pg.57)

Man faced death for stealing extra soup

On the outside other prisoners could show no emotion

On the inside they would kill just for another ration of soup

-“But we were no longer afraid of death; at any rate, not of that death. Every bomb that exploded filled us with joy and gave us new confidence in life.” (pg57) Wiesel and the prisoners

no longer feared death

Each bomb gave them hope they could make it through another day

Staying positive made it easier for them to stay alive

-“The idea of dying, of no longer being, began to fascinate me. Not to exist any longer. Not to feel the horrible pains in my foot. Not to feel anything, neither weariness, nor cold, nor anything. To break the ranks, to let oneself slide to the edge of the road…” (pg 82)

He had gone through so much that death seemed better than life

He starts losing hope in survival and thinks that giving up will provide peace

He feels like the idea of dying is a positive thing unlike before

“It’s dangerous to fall asleep in the snow. You might sleep for good.” (pg.84)

Many over tired from the march and extremely weak

Even sleep became deadly for them at this point

Sleeping in the snow would cause them to freeze to death

“The dead stayed in the yard under the snow, like faithful guards assassinated without burial.”( pg.87)

Dead were left behind in the snow

Left behind without a thought as if their death didn’t matter

They had no proper burial or grave for the bodies