Night: Week of 3/30

Focus Question: How do Elie's experiences during the Holocaust change him as a person?
Significant character changes and focus on important aspects, such as: his personality, morality, beliefs or values.
At least two major changes, and 'prove' using textual evidence and interpretation, how Eliezer transforms by the end of his memoir. Please use TIQA as your tool for organization.

Throughout Night I have an exponential amount of character change, as shown through Elie. At every constant turn of a page I must quickly remind myself that Elie is a real person. The problem is that things such as his faith and religion seem to buckle under the pressure he is placed. Throughout the beginning we are introduced to devout and faithful young boy prepared to learn about his religion. We see this when we are first introduced both Moshe the Beadle and Elie, “Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did breathe?” (Wiesel 4.) Elie's thoughts and conversation with Moshe allow us to see the fact that Elie truly cared about his religion. Wiesel, at the time, was ready and prepared to ignore his father's pleads to pursue one of the things he was completely sure of, his faith. Despite this, we see that once he arrives to Auschwitz, his faith dwindles. For the first time in his life, Ellie has experienced the true cruelty, in an area in which it is believed no god chooses to interfere. Upon his arrival in Auschwitz, Elie is quick to understand his surroundings, and once he does he states, "Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes," (Wiesel 34.) The possibility that in what seems to be less than an hour after arriving in Auschwitz he is willing to doubt all he has known, is astonishing. This effect later on snowballs to a point in which he no longer accepts to fast or believe that his God is willing to do anything for him. Elie elaborates further on this point as he states, "And then, there was no longer an reason for me to fast. I no longer accepted God's silence," (69.) A certain sadness continues to fill the words of Wiesel as he speaks about God in this section, one of the last sections in which he truly address his God. After this, it seems that the sorrow of losing his father has damaged him beyond repair.

Night also progresses as we see the great change in Elie's willingness to vocalize his displeasure towards his situation. In the beginning, we find that he is stunned as to the world he is currently living in. The idea of his home being taken over is something that he never previously thought of. Despite being a relatively obedient son, Elie, (along with other prominent members of the community) at first, questioned his father on the events that occurred. We find that, "the community came to consult with my father..." and later on mentioning that, "wanted to know what her thought of the situation," (Wiesel 11.) This displays that at the beginning people, including Elie, were truly willing to speak of their discomfort. Despite this, as Elie continues on explaining his life we find that once Auschwitz the vocalizing of discontent changes thoroughly. As Elie experiences life in the camp witnesses his father being beaten, after seeing this, he states, "I had watched it all happening without moving. I kept silent," (54.) This situation is dramatically different, in respects to Elie's reaction, from when Wiesel's father was previously beaten, in which he stated, "“I stood petrified. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent,”
 (39.) It seems that as we continue on throughout the story that as the silence of characters continues on so does the indifference of the people in the camps (including Elie.) This ever present silence continues between Elie and his father seeing as when the elder Wiesel lay on his death bed, Elie did nothing. His father yet again was violently attacked by an officer while at Buchenwald, but Elie stayed silent, “He had called out to me and I had not answered,” (Wiesel 112.) Throughout the story there is an apparent difference in the manner people stand up one another. In the beginning all seems bright & hopeful and will to advocate for others is strong but suddenly others no longer matter and silence rises as they fight for survival.

"At Terezin" by Teddy Butterfly Project

Comments: Gabe, Jenna, Citlalli

Night: Week of 3/23

Write a letter from the main character to someone else from the story.

Dear Moishe,

How I regret not listening to you. It seems that if I were to listen to you and to your words I would not be where I currently am. I doubt that any place you were sent to compared to Auschwitz. The place lurks with the smell of the dead and their faces curling into the smoke. It seems very difficult to turn anywhere without finding what should not be found. I am frieghtened to say I will no longer find happiness, not in this life.

Father believes we will be fine. He thinks that what we have gone through is no problem in comparison that of others. I now find myself confused on what to do and how to do so. I can longer tell the diffferenve between the two ideas, at least not now. Moishe, it seems all I canask now is that you were taken  granted for as we ignored you we didn't believe. It was a great change from one end to the other especially when you pain was not noticed by others.

I have yet to uderstand how this all work . It may be the simple minded father wjo I feel has lost his way. In truth, I've no idea what I can do for myself, for my famiy. You see Moshe, I have seen them attack and abuse my fathers but others as well . The Nazis seem to understand that to make a person lose, you must find something dear to them. They play this card day by day, week by week. I grew sick and lone of tired of this idea. Moishe, I truly need your help.

Sincerely,
Elie Wiesel

Holocaust AoW Impressions: 3/23

Different to any gallery walks previously done, today has definitely been one of the most enlightening. We have viewed topics such as the stories of Holocaust survivors, the lives of former S.S. officers, the establishing of Holocaust Remembrance days, and the manner in which literature has connected to history. This week we have connected both the scientific and the beliefs of survivors. We have also viewed the silver linings in the darkest of time but the tragedy in beauty as well. It may easily be stated that the Holocaust is a genocide that not only had a great impact but continues to have one up until today and continuing on. 

As we discover the horrors of Nazi experiments we are informed of the fact that in certain camps with experiments on babies, "The butt of guns were used to kill babies, with a blow to the head," (Information courtesy of Bela.) Not only this but the "Germans experimented on women to find cures for German soldiers," (from Marisa's AoW.) The Nazis at the time took a scientific interest in those placed in camps, viewing them as guinea pigs that they could experiment on. It was truly something that several would have found to be traumatizing and completely life changing. At times I find a certain difficulty when trying to understand the matter, it's surprising that so much hate and evil could exist at once. To only further my surprise I learned that directly after WWII it was estimated that 7,000 concentration camps/ghettos existed. As of the year 2013, we are aware that 42, 500 camps existed all together, 1,150 of which were Jewish Ghettos. 

Berlin Memorial Reflection

Berlin Memorial Reflection

1- What did you learn?
Today I have learned the extent in which the Nazi party truly went to attack Jews. I have been able to see the evil in humans goes beyond that of concentration camps and ghettos. The evil at the time began in the idea that dehumanization was the correct thing to do. The thought in which the "best possible thing to do" was to take away their daily rights of humans such as being a part of a community. Jewish people were no longer allowed to do things such as go to the movies or join certain clubs due to their heritage. I have learned that what was then at the time, the decrees, was done in a methodical manner so that the change was gradual and unnoticed.

2- Why do you think this monument was built?
This monument allows us to remember these mistakes as we declared such laws. The Berlin Memorial monument is the best reminder of our past mistakes as we continue to move forward with improvement but never forget our previous failures as human beings. As it is with other monuments it also allows to commemorate those who have been wronged and those who have been hurt.

3- What did you notice about the number of laws passed in certain years?
Throughout the activity I noticed large between the time in which laws were decreed. For example, in the year 1933, a large amount of laws against Jews were placed. Along with this, several of the first laws decreed prohibited several luxuries, not necessarily things that were needed in order to survive. For some time, between 1933-1938, some laws were decreed but not many. It was yet again in the year 1938 were several laws were decreed in order to take away all basic human necessities from Jewish people.

4- Which restrictions do you think you would have the most trouble dealing with and why?
I feel that the restriction that I would have the most trouble dealing with would be the expelling of all Jewish children from public schools. Despite the fact that schooling is not a necessity for survival, personally, I feel that education has always taken a large role in my life. I feel that without my education several of the things that have made me, "me," would not be the same. It is also one of the things in which you do not realize the true valued of until it is taken away.