Winter Questions

1) Where is Wiesel's childhood home? Locate the country on a map.Wiesel's childhood home is a twon called Jews of Sighet in Transylvania.
2) Wiesel opens Night by relating his youthful desire to study the cabala. What is the cabala? The cabala is a perilous world of mysticism but Elie must first study the basic subjects within his own understandings.
3) Wiesel says that when he was young, he wanted to study the cabala in order to know the truths of this world. What kinds of truths is he referring to? After you complete Night, return to this question: what kinds of truth was the young Elie ignorant of? The truths he is referring to is about the cabala. Elie is ignorant of the evil in the world.
4) Why is Moshe the Beadle a significant character? What does he tell Elie about answers, questions, and the truth? After you complete Night, return to this question: why was Moshe prescient in his admonition to Elie? Moshe the Beadle is a significant character because he taught Elie the truth in himself. Moshe was prescient in his admonition to Elie because he was the first to explain Elie of the evils in concentration camps.
5) Why do the people of Sighet ignore Moshe after he returns from his escape? Why don't they listen to him? The people of Sighet ignore Moshe because they think he's crazy. They don't listen to him because they think he wants charity.
6) Who is Madame Schachter? In what ways is she similar to Moshe the Beadle? (Think about prophetic figures and how people often ignore them.) Madame Schachter is a mother and a psycic. She is similar to Moshe the Beadle because they both attempt to warn the Jews and get ignored and rejected.
7) Consider this passage on pg. 32:Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desires 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, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.
8) What is the context of this passage? How has the young Elie's theology changed? As you continue reading, ask yourself how this passage speaks to the rest of Night. The context of this passage is hatred and fear. Elie's theology changed, he used to believe God would answer to prayers and he would help.
9) How does Elie's understanding of God and God's presence—or absence— continue to change throughout Night? When is he most angry with God? When is not angry at all? Mark passages throughout Night that illustrate his changing attitudes toward God. Elie's understanding of God and God's presence-or absence-continue to change throughout Night by distance the the suffer he goes through. He is most angry with God when he says he is hanging on gallows.
10) What literal and figurative (symbolic or metaphorical) meanings does night have in Night? The literal and figurative meanings are that it is a time of darkness, evil does exist, and there's no escape or hope
11) Why do you think Night is such a slim book? Surely Wiesel could have included much more detail. Night is such a slim book because there is not much information left to tell because it is so complex.
12) Is Night a memoir of tragedy or triumph? Can it be both? If so, why? If not, why not? Night is a memoir of tragedy and triumph both because Elie had lost everyone he cared for. Also he had survived the challenges God had put in front of him.