Friday, April 25, 2014
Night questions
Night. I asked you to answer a question that another student posed. Please, when you post your answer, reference the student whose question you are answering and write out their question so we all may have the context to understand your post. Your answers must be thoughtful, based on the characters and history of the book and times. Minimum length is five good sentences. All unsatisfactory posts will be rejected, so be mindful of your thoughts and take care with your writing. Remember too, use only first names and last initial. This assignment is due Wednesday, April 30 at 8 p.m.
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Publish your posts here. Once they are approved, I will publish them here. Remember ,first name and last initial only.
In Response to Vladimir Putin's question-- "Why did the Jews leave willingly when there were little to no guards?"
A. All the Jewish people seem to have a submissive or nearly fearful attitude to any form of authority at this point, German or not. However, at the end of chapter one, the Jewish Council are the people in charge of the transfer (without supervision from the Hungarian Police), and the congregation of people left have a level of respect for the leaders to their religion. It also must be kept in mind that there was no way to fathom the horrors that were in store in the future, so the need to escape was not as apparent. However, the Jews knew that NOT complying would lead to immediate punishment; therefore, the majority went through with the transfer without hesitation. They didn't know what horrors the future held, so they went along with the orders to evacuate thinking that if they complied, they would survive.
In response to Lauryn's question- Why didn't Elie give up his shoes to the boy? He could've gotten in good kommando, stayed with his father, and gotten a ration of bread. So why didn't he just give up his shoes?
A. At this part in the book, Elie was desperate to hang onto anything that he owned, including his shoes, because he felt like almost everything had been taken away from him. He was so desperate that he wasn't even thinking rationally.He wasn't thinking thoughts like "the Nazis are probably gonna take my shoes anyway so it would only benefit me if I gave them to him). To Elie, his shoes were a symbol of his rebellion(because he hid them in mud at the beginning of the book and got away with it)and he didn't want that taken away form him. Also, Elie knew that his shoes would keep him warm for the upcoming winter. Lastly, Elie really liked them because they reminded him of the happier life he once had.
-Sarah P. 8a
In response to the (anonymous) question: Elie, how and why did people keep their faith under such awful conditions? The Jewish holy days were still observed.
A: Many Jewish people lost their faith in the concentration camps - they had seen too much horror to believe in God anymore. Those who did manage to retain their faith probably had many different reasons, at which can only guess. One of the reasons I would guess at is defiance. The Nazis’ goal in the concentration camps was to eliminate the Jewish religion. By keeping your faith, you are defeating the system in the best way that you can. Another reason may have been tradition. Many people are taught a religion from the time they are born, and their entire family has been practicing that same religion for generations beforehand. Still other people may have kept their Jewish faith because it was all they had. God gave them hope and comfort in a horrendous place. Huge amounts of Jewish people lost their faith in the Holocaust. Some, though, hung on to, each for his/her own reason.
"When all the people got on the train and left, how were they (the other people of the town) so calm about it? Did they forget about them? -Mimi Fina
Well Mimi, the people of the town were given fake information to mislead them. On page six and seven of "Night", the Germans were spreading rumors. They told the people of the town that the deported people were in a safe place and were working. The words the book uses are, "they were content with their fate." The people of the town believed that everything was all right because back then, nothing this serious had ever happened so they didn't suspect anything wrong with the situation.
The people of the town did eventually forget about the deported people because again, they thought that they were in a safe, happy place.
In Response to Annabelle H.'s question - Elie, looking back, explain which you would have chosen and why? Would you have just jumped into the electric fence or would you still go through all the labor and camps?
Answer: Looking back, I still would not have chosen to jump into the electric fence, but it would depend on what time I was asked this question. When I was first brought to the camps, killing myself was tempting, but it would have caused grief and despair to my father, who wanted me near to him because I was all he had and he was all I had. We persevered through countless hardships together and wanted to get out of the camps together. Now, because I have been set free, I see how the decision would have been foolish for the reason that I could have been saved if I kept persevering. I would also not have lived to see the destruction of Germany and be able to tell the world my tale. The labor in the camps would still have been long and exhausting, but it would lead to my freedom. However, if I was still in the camps for a long amount of time after my father died, the choice could have been different. I would have strongly considered jumping into the electric fence. There would have seemed to be no hope for me, and so I would rather have died sooner than suffering and dying later.
Elie Wiesel
(Jacob v.)
In response to Allison B.'s question of "What did the Jewish people mean by Hitler kept his promise to the Jews?"
Hitler's promise, in short, was to eliminate all the "undermining" races; the dominant race being German. Hitler's indirect promise to the Jews was to kill them eventually. When this phrase was mentioned in the story, the Jews were about to be shot. They said he was about to keep his promise because they knew their deaths would come eventually, especially now with the impending Russian force approaching. The only reasons that they had not been killed before is because Hitler did not focus on the elimination of the Jews until later in the war, and the Germans could use the able bodied for hard labor. The final reason they chose to eliminate them now is because they did not want to waste the bullets on them until it wouldn't matter anymore, in about a day, when the Russians arrived.
-Micah Sieglaff
~ What did the Germans do with the clothes and valuable items from the Jew's suitcases?~ The Germans took everything away from the Jewish people. They would take there clothes and sell them for money for themselves, they would take everything they owned and used it in some way. They didn't burn the clothes because they would either keep them for themselves or they would sell them for money. The Jewish people at the end of this had nothing left. No money, no clothes, no shoes, no useful items and no everyday needed items. They had nothing.- Taylor Cadenhead 8A
In response to Lauryn M's question - "Why didn't Elie give up his shoes to the boy? He could've gotten in a good kommando, stayed with his father, and gotten a ration of bread. So why didn't he just give up his shoes?"
During the Holocaust, the people forced into concentration camps could keep little to none of their personal possessions. We learned that if a prisoner had a suitcase, for example, the Nazis would take it and sort through the contents. They also stripped the prisoners of their clothes and gave them all striped prison clothes. So when the boy asked Elie for his shoes, Elie did not want to give up his last possession (other than his gold tooth, which was also taken away later on). Even if he was able to get in a good kommando, stay with his father, and get a ration of bread, Elie would want to keep something that still defined him as an individual person instead of an ordinary concentration camp prisoner.
In Response to Sarah P.’s Question to Elie- “Do you believe that you did the right thing by telling your relative that his family was alive? Looking back, would you have rather told him something different? What were you thinking then, and how would your thinking be different now?”
-Telling my relative that his family was still alive was in some ways a mistake and in others the right thing to do. Of course, when my relative asked me this question I did not have much time to think of an appropriate answer, so I told him that his family was fine as it was the first thought that popped into my head. In that very moment, I did not realize how my response would affect him when he found out the truth about his wife and children. Yes, to some degree I do regret having told him that lie, for he had a false sense of hope all throughout his time at the camp, but somewhere in my reply was goodness. Maybe it was sympathy, understanding, compassion, maybe it was even because it was what I would have wanted someone to say to me, but the reason I told my relative that his family was alive was to give him that very sense of hope that kept his spirits up in the camp. What we all needed was someone who believed, who had a reason to survive, to remind us of what was still inside each and every one of our souls. In us all was a person who still wanted to live, a person who wanted hope and the ability to believe. Looking back, I do not think I would have told him something different, because that minor detail from my time under Nazi control just may have saved my life.
In response to Sarah P.'s question-- "(To Elie) Do you believe that you did the right thing by telling your relative that his family was alive? Looking back, would you have rather told him something different? What were you thinking then, and how would your thinking be different now?"
A: Elie here. In the course of us Jews being captured and taken to such camps, many were traumatized. No one had ever undergone such an experience before and none of us Jews really knew what was to come. When I spoke to my distant relative, I lied to him for his own good. In the midst of this chaos, I did not want to depress or worry him further. Times had been hard and worse times would come. It surely would not have helped to know that his family was dead. I believe that my decision was a wise one and I would not rather have told him anything different.
-Christopher Lehman
Elie knew that the place they were going to take him was going to be a horrifying place. He had known since the Hungarian Police shrieked out that all Jews should get out of there homes and go outside. By this time the Jews were restless and uneasy because they had a foresight of what they thought the Hungarian Police were going to say. And ofcourse it was time for the Jews to leave and leave everything behind. And Elie surely didn’t want to leave but he had no other choice. And since they were already going to take him to the horrifying and treacherous place that he knew he was going too he was anxious to know how it would be like. He could picture some things that he thought it would look like, but he just didn’t know exactly how it would look like. He just wanted to get it over with, just wanted to go, just wanted to leave. It was nine o’clock in the morning and it was time for the Jews to leave, people screaming and sobbing frightened by what there was to come. There was no turning back at this point but to push,push yourself until you just can’t anymore and if you just can’t anymore just let your body shrivel up and let yourself die.
Answering Ana H's question of:if the Jews died of natural causes (like sickness) would the Nazis still burn the bodies. The Jews wouldn't die of natural causes. If there were signs of sickness or natural death they would be considered not able to work so they were killed. Most of the time they were burned but some of the time they were buried in huge heaps. So its like a 50/50 chance of them being burned.
In response to Jacob B, ”Why did Elie decide to stay with his dad when he and his sister could have saved their family?”
Ellie didn't know what was going to happen or that it would be the last time he would see his mother and sister. He justed wanted to stick with his father because it gave him a sense of security. They could probably not of saved his mother and his sister though, because the lines were separated by gender. If they tried to not only would they be risking their lives but it would also of been really obvious to the officials. Also at the time they didn't know what was about to happen to them as they had just gotten to the camp. Towards the end of the story Ellie says that his father is the only reason for him wanting to stay alive. Ellie staying with his father was the reason for him still being alive today.
In response to Megan Naughton's question= Elie, how would you feel "free" when your father passed away? He was the only family you had had left.
RESPONSE
Mrs. Naughton,
Don't think that i was completely distraught to lose my sister and mother. On top of that fact losing my father whom i deeply loved couldn't have made anything any better for me. Although he was the only family I had left, he was also an older man, and had a rough time trying to make his life liveable. As my father was being carried of to the crematorium i felt that his soul would be in a better place than this hell on earth. I no longer had to worry about taking care of my father and worrying about his pain and suffering. It was in this aspect that i felt free once my father died.
Journal entry - Chapter 6- While on the march why doesn't anyone want to fall asleep?
I think that its not exactly that they didn't want to fall a sleep its just that they couldn't. Of course they all did want to fall asleep at one point because they were extremely tired. Besides if they were to fall asleep during the march it meant death. Its simple falling a sleep in the freezing weather means plain old DEATH. They would certainly freeze to death because it was extremely cold at the time, but not only would they freeze to death because if they were to instantly sleep they would be stepped on while others were running and they would be trampled and of course that also means death so there was no way out. They did have one thing left which was hope because they knew that they were close to the end. So they must of thought that they had to go on. Hope was the most important thing for them at that point because that was all that was left for them in order to not give up and keep on running. You could see in the book that after they finished the march lots of them fell a sleep and their temperature plummeted and they instantly died.
Ana H. said.....
In Response to Lauryn Merfeld's Question-- "Why did Germans take away and kill the children as well?The children were innocent. They barely even knew what religion was, let alone their own religious beliefs. why take the children?
A. Well, there are many reasons that the Germans took the children, but they didn't murder all of them. Sometimes they would take the children who would look healthier and perform experiments. The other children that they wouldn't use would be sent to die. The reason for that would be because the children wouldn't be able to work as much as the adults.They would be considered a burden. Keeping the children would also interfere with the idea of Social Darwinism(survival of the fittest)the Germans depicted because parents would naturally want to protect their children, and so they would give their children their own rations of food, and so the adults would't be able to work as well. The children would also be held for torture sometimes so the parents or adults would give away any information they were keeping. All in all, most of the children died, weather it was the experiments, weakness, torture, or to keep order in the idea of Darwin, and there really wasn't anyway anyone could have saved them.
In response to Jacob B. question-Dear Elie, "Why do you chose to stay with his father when he could go with his mom and other family?"
Answer: I chose to stay with my father to help my father. I knew that he would age and I wanted to makesure of my best ability to take care of my father. Just as a father and his son have a special relationship, so did my father and I. I didn't think that my father should go alone, so, I went with him. Another reason is that he may go insane without anyone he knew, he wouldn't have known if any of my family was okay. Overall, I did it because I have a personal responsibity to my father, and I wanted to makesure that he thrived as well as he could.
-Elie Wiesel
Mimi's Question: When all the people got on the train and left, how were (the other people in the town) so calm about it? Did they forget about them? First off at the time people had no idea what the germans were doing to the jews. Also at that time people didn't like the jews. Last, when the jews were put into the ghettos I believe that the other people in the town didn't know that they had left from the ghettos.
Anna H. asks “why did Eliezer’s dad hold him back if he knew he was going to die anyway? Was he really hallucinating about being hit?” Well Anna one possibility is that Eliezer’s dad was truly scared of death as were the others. When you are scared of dying you do anything you can to survive even if it means bringing someone else down with you. The other reason would be that his dad knew that the only way Eliezer would stay sane and alive would be to have something worth living for. The two options describe two different point of views on what could of happened but if you were to simplify it the explanation would be that either Eliezer’s dad was very scared or very smart and wise. The answer to your other question about Eliezer’s dad hallucinating is that he definitely could have because his body hurt so much that it felt like a fist was always hitting him and because of the lack of water he could have been hallucinating people by dehydration. The other side is that he was getting beat up because he was old and easy to steal from. If I had to give a strong answer about both I would say that he was scarred about dying so he did everything he could to survive and that he was hallucinating because he only drank a very little amount of water and really didn’t eat or have food to steal. Written by Jordan A.
In Response to Russell P.'s question- "Why was Elie worried about the violin and was looking for it?"
A: Elie was worried about the violin because after the cold, harsh run he heard the violin playing and it reminded him of one of his "partners" at Auschwitz. It reminded him of Juliek who could play the violin. When they arrived everyone tried to rush into the barracks to seek warmth and Elie was trampled and fell on top of Juliek, and after they were able to get up he played his violin. It soothed and made him fall asleep; when he woke up, the violin and Juliek were gone. He tried looking for the violin and was worried Juliek was dead because he found the violin broken. In summary, Elie was worried, since the violin was broken, that Juliek was murdered (violently).
"In the march why didn't anyone want to fall asleep?"
Nobody wanted to fall asleep because the soldiers would simply kill anyone who couldn't keep up. The soldiers weren't the only reason some of the prisoners died. Zalman, Eliezer's friend, got a cramp and he fell and got trampled to death by the other prisoners. If anyone fell, couldn't keep up, or fell asleep, they would simply die. Even though everyone was very tired, they didn't rest until the soldiers told them they could rest.
In response to Russell P…
Elie wasn’t really worried or looking for the violin, it was more remembering Juliek playing. He felt that Juliek was playing his whole being over the strings. Juliek’s unfulfilled hopes, charred past and extinguished future. Elie also mentioned that he would play what he would never play again, meaning that he was playing one of his last songs to his audience of the dead and dying. It was a beautiful sound, he said, but in silence saying farewell to the audience of the dead and dying.
In response to Annabelle’s question: If I could go back and choose to just jump into an electric fence instead of going through all the labor and camps, I wouldn’t have jumped into the fence. I would still have chosen to live on through the starvation and the seemingly endless work in the labor camps. Some people might call me crazy for still choosing to live through the camps, but I believe that after Night was published, my story affected the many people that have bought it and read it. My story gives a first person account of the horrors and tragedies that occurred in these death and labor camps. I am also really glad I endured the camps because now with my story of survival, everyone truly knows what really happened in the camps. Not everyone after the end of World War ll knew about what went on in the camps and how many thousands of people the Germans killed. But now that Night is published and is a book on Oprah’s book club list, I am very fortunate that I survived the camps and was able to uncover the truth about the holocaust to people of all ages.
By Lauryn M.
Why did Germans take away and kill the children as well? The children were innocent. They barely knew what religion was, let alone their own religious beliefs. Why take the children?
By Megan N.
The reason why the Nazis’ took and killed the children was mainly to eliminate the Jewish race. In order to continue a religion or race you need children to keep it moving forward. The Nazis’ killed the children so there would no longer be a Jewish race. The reason why the Germans kept the men was because they were stronger and more capable to perform hard labor. I personally believe that this concept is unacceptable and completely inhumane. Children no matter what race or religion have little choice in their family’s beliefs. I am just answering this question from a Nazis’ perspective.
Why couldn't you look in mirror during the camps?
Jews in concentration camps could not look at themselves in mirrors because there were none. First off, the Germans weren't willing to spend money on mirrors because they really didn't need to. After all, it was a concentration camp. Also, mirrors can be somewhat expensive to make, as they require a layer of tin and silver. Second, prisoners looked extremely gaunt and distressed. The Germans didn't want them to see how bad they really looked.
In response to Micah S.'s question-- "Why do you think the man attempting to eat the soup be he stuck his head in it?"
A. I believe that the reason the man screamed and stuck it into the bowl was because of what he saw. His reflection in the soup probably frightened him because his face has changed so much. If you take all the factors into consideration, it most likely did scared him. He has barely eaten, he works a lot, he doesn't get to wash off regularly and they didn't have mirrors so it is the first time he's seen himself in a while.
In response to Christopher O’s Question,
(To Ellie) Why couldn’t you look in a mirror during the camps?
There could be several reasons why Ellie could look at mirrors during the camp. One reason could be that at the camps didn’t have mirrors available for prisoners. Another reason is that Ellie went through many terrible things and had to do many terrible things, which he never forgave himself for and he could never forgive himself for one quote was, “And that look never left me.” Also one reason could be that in the camps they starved and overworked the prisoners so the prisoners looked like the living dead, and even though Ellie knew he looked Ellie didn’t want to see himself like this. Lastly from the beginning of the Holocaust to the end, Ellie lost all of his innocence and didn’t want to see what become of him. Truly, I would not be able to answer this question correctly because this wasn’t my story and I did not go through what Ellie had too; but I can try to put myself in his place and mind set and answer the question as best as possible.
In response to Juan T.’s question of “Why would you want to leave? Didn't you know that where you were going was not a pleasant place?”
A. The answer to your question is on pg. 19-21. It states that Ellie was impatiently waiting to get out of the heat. They were waiting to get out of the large ghetto and into the smaller ghetto. They were not heading to the concentration camps yet so their fate was not unpleasant yet. Also on pg. 21 it states that all of the Jews had the same fate, “still unknown.” So even if they thought about escape they hadn't thought that their fate would be pain, suffering, and death. Also if they did try to escape they knew that they would be shot or beaten immediately. Finally if a Jew went missing then the Germans would either hunt him down or killed the remaining Jews.
In Response to Micah's question- "Why do you think the man attempting to eat the soup screamed before he stuck his head in it?" Great question Micah.
Answer- All of the camps in Buna and Germany not only inflicted a lot of physical pain, but mental. As you have seen in the book, there have been cases Elie has seen of people going mad (Hallucinations, Manic Periods, (etc.). Being separated from your family, having to work endless hours with no knowledge on what time it is, and knowing that you are helping build a society full of evil, can all take a toll on you mentally. Many of the prisoners had similar cases like this. The man stuck his head in the soup because of the pain and agony he was facing at the camps. It could have been family loss, anxiety, or just the general pain of work and labor. On the other hand, it could’ve been that he was just extremely hungry, but I’m going off of what I think, and what the most probable scenario was. What he did was just another example of a Jewish prisoner not coping well mentally with what the SS soldiers threw at him (along with many others who couldn’t).
In reply to an Anonymous Author’s question - How and why did the Jewish people keep their faith under such awful conditions? The Jewish holy days were still observed.
The Jewish people kept their religion close because it was one of the only things they had left besides each other. The Jewish religion is different than most religions, because events that occur outside of their religious life do not change how they feel about God. They did not blame God for what was happening to them. The Jewish people, during the Holocaust, kept a very defined line between what others (The Nazis) wanted them to think, versus what they knew to be true, and therefore they kept believing.
In response to Megan Naughtons question-- "Elie, how did you feel "free" when your father passed away? He was the only family you had left.
A. I felt like It kind of took a burden off my shoulders and gave me some more leeway with my decisions. Even though I wanted my father to live I was having double living myself and I couldn't believe what I had to go through in yet father having to do the same. I personally think that it was better for him to die because now he can live in peace with the Jewish gods.
In response to Russell P…
Elie wasn’t really worried or looking for the violin, it was more remembering Juliek playing. He felt that Juliek was playing his whole being over the strings. Juliek’s unfulfilled hopes, charred past and extinguished future. Elie also mentioned that he would play what he would never play again, meaning that he was playing one of his last songs to his audience of the dead and dying. It was a beautiful sound, he said, but in silence. Juliek was saying farewell to the suffering men and boys he had spent the last years of his life with, though he did not know them. He was using the art of music to describe his feelings and regrets, of what had happened even though this was not his fault. Through his music he made the deaths of many not so painful. His music was also his last sound, what he loved was the last thing he heard.
In response to Lauryn M.'s question - "At the end of the book, why didn't the Jews want revenge?"
A. When they were freed, the Jewish people were hungry so all they wanted was food. However, after being fed and leaving, the reason many didn't want revenge was because at the time they were released from the Buchenwald Camp, it was about one month before the end of the war in Europe. It was apparent that the Nazis had began to lose control over Germany and slowly more and more camps were liberated. Also, during and after being set free, they didn't want revenge as much as they wanted to bring the Nazis to justice. People such as Simon Wiesenthal or Tuviah Friedman would go and hunt down Nazis and take them to courts so they can be prosecuted. These people would and still do bring them in to have them punished for their war crimes and so justice could finally be served.
-Matthew B. 8B
In response to the question from chapter 6- Why were the Jews not allowed to bend down to eat snow?
A. The SS officers make the prisoners run through the snow, and they shoot those who fall behind. I think they weren´t allowed because the officers could get confused if someone was dead, or they could be faking their death so they don´t have to run. The Jews were scared of falling asleep on the snow because all the people that were shoot were lying on the snow.
In response to Jacob B and Matthew B’s question- How was Mrs. Schachtner able to predict the fire?
A. I think Mrs. Schachtner was able to predict the fires through visions she received. She was extremely dehydrated and under fed, so that was quite possibly a factor in the screaming. I think may have been a messenger to warn the other people about the horrors of the concentration camps. Obviously the other people, including the author, thought she had gone mad and was seeing false images, but I think this goes much deeper. God could’ve very well sent her himself for the purpose of a forewarning for the others that was soon ignored. All the others considered her mad, but didn’t people consider Jesus mad? She is another example of a prophet that was ignored because her ideas were just unfathomable. The Jews couldn’t quite understand what the Nazi’s were doing until they experienced it themselves, which was when they realized Mrs. Schachtner was right, but by then it was too late.
In response to Caden J’s question.” Elie, how did you not believe Moishe the Beadle’s stories even though he was your friend and you trusted each other?” Elie did not believe Moshe the Beadle’s questions a couple reasons. When the people on the train, (including Elie and his father) were beginning to lose faith in god and in themselves. Elie found it hard to believe Moshe the Beadle’s rituals because Elie himself was losing trust in god, asking where he went and why he had sent them down this path. Elie wasn't convinced that god was with them on the journey through the holocaust. Elie was a friend, and trusted Moshe the Beadle but in these circumstances Elie found it really difficult to find faith in god within himself. Later on In the book, Elie realized that god and his father was all he had left.
Daniel Durazo said......
In response to Ana Hidalgo's Question--Why wouldn't they give them any food? If the Jews have to work, they need stamina from the food. What was the point of not feeding them?
They didn't feed them because they have so many other people they don't care if a some die. There are others and they can get more people. Also they didn't feed them as a punishment. They chose specific people in the camps to work and the ones that didn't work got tortured or killed. They obviously fed the ones who work but they didn't really feed them that much, they got fed really little.
What did the Jewish people mean by "Hitler kept his promise to the Jews"?
The promise Hitler made was one that stated the Jews would pay for "ruining" Germany. Although this promise was made to the German citizens, it was indirectly made to the Jews. When the Jew said Hitler kept his promise, he did! He made the Jewish people suffering for the Jews being present in Germany, which in turn, looks like "ruining" Germany to Hitler.
In response to Ana H,
Eliezar's father held him back because he wanted to show Eliezar that he needed to have faith in what is to come. He needs to worry about himself and not his father. He really needed to start moving on without his father. His father was going to be gone forever so he needs to stop caring for him and just leave him be. That is why he held him back.
Sam O.
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