Elie Wiesel's "Night": Character Contrast

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Elie Wiesel's autobiographical book "Night", that presents an account of how Elie and his entire family were taken by the Nazis to concentration camps during World War II. The paper describes how Elie emerges as a much different person from his father. The paper presents a clear comparison of Elie and his father, through the character portraits provided in the book.

From the Paper:

"Elie himself, at least at the beginning of Night, seems to be on his way to becoming someone studious and cultured, like his father. As Weisel recalls: "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" (p. 1). As the story opens, all Elie has on his mind is his own fascination with the cabbala, and how he might be able to study it sooner than he should, according to Jewish law. Soon, however, that changes, as the Nazis threaten his family and their community of Sighet. The first warning sign is when all the foreign Jews of the community are deported, including Moshe the Beadle. When Moshe escapes, miraculously, he returns to Sighet to warn others, but is ignored. At this point in the story, it seems Elie and his father are very much alike."

More papers on Elie Wiesel's "Night": Character Contrast:

• Analytical Essay # 6468 : "Elie Wiesel"
• Analytical Essay # 52371 : "The Use of Emotion in Elie Wiesel's "Night"
• Book Review # 100489 : "Elie Wiesel's "Night"

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