Term Paper on "Night by Elie Weisel"

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[EXCERPT] . . . .

Night by Elie Weisel

Elie Weisel's "Night" is the story of a young Jewish boy caught up in the Holocaust during World War II in Europe. He spent time in the concentration camps Auschwitz and Buchenwald, and was only 16 when the Americans liberated the camps in 1945. He lost his entire family to the camps, and the book is the story of his life during that time. His credentials to write this story are impeccable, since he survived the experience and decided to share the horror of his experience with others, so they would know first hand just what the Nazis did during the Holocaust. The book was first published in 1955, ten years after the war ended.

Another theme of the book is Weisel's loss of his faith in God after he and his family were shipped off to the camps. Before his ordeal, he had a strong faith in God, but he lost it after seeing the inhumanity and suffering around him. He writes, "I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes were open and I was alone - terribly alone in a world without God and without man" (Weisel 65). He continues this theme throughout the book, and actually ends it with the sentence, "From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back at me. The look in his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me" (Weisel 109). It is quite clear this theme holds true throughout his life, and he makes his arguments forcefully and with great emotion. This is a man who has lived through Hell and now must keep those memories inside his mind for the rest of his life, and these are terrible images to bear.

For example, on his first night in the camp, he smells the definite scent of burning flesh. He starts to see people disappear, never t

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o return, and he begins to question his life, his faith, and the motives of others. He writes, "Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky" (Weisel 32). He discovered he was there only to work, because he was strong and young, and he learned to face death in the face every day. It is a terrible lesson for a young boy to learn, and saddest thing is, he will have to live with those lessons the rest of his life.

The story does not depend on sources, other than the author's own experiences, which is all in needs to be powerful and arresting. It is a true story because the author says it is, but it is clear that the author experienced these things, no one could possibly make up the horrors that he lived with every day. For example, he writes of a young boy hanged for collaborating against the Nazis. He recounts, "For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face" (Weisel 62).

The only flaw with this book is the graphic accounts of thee way Nazis treated their prisoners. They were cruel, inhumane, and disgusting, and it is difficult to read about all the different things the… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Night by Elie Weisel" Assignment:

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Below i have listed the 8 book choices. please pick any one book from list.

Book Choices for Paper

1.Silbey, War of Frontier and Empire: The Philippine-American War, 1898-1902

Book examines White Man's Burden and Imperialism of the United States at the turn of the century.

2.Wiesel, Night

Story based on the events of World War II leading up to the Halocaust.

3.Schrecker, The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents

Explores the hysteria of 40s and 50s; students will be required to incorporate information from the documents as well.

4.Beals, Warriors Don't Cry

From a female perspective, this book looks at desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas during the Civil Rights Movement.

5.Madison, A Lynching in the Heartland

This book focuses on the violent aspects of racism during the 50s and 60s.

6.Daniels, Prisoners Without Trial: Japanese Americans in World War II

This book is looking at xenophobia (fear of the other) following the attack at Pearl Harbor.

7.Quirk, An Affair of Honor: Woodrow Wilson and the Occupation of Veracruz

This book examines U.S. foriegn policy and Mexico during the Mexican Revolution

8. Messiah of the Masses: Huey P. Long and the Great Depression

Book Review Guidelines

1. Who is the author? What are his/her credentials?

*****¢ What makes this author credible, are they a professor or government official, or is the author also the main subject of the book?

1. When was the book published?

2. What is the time frame or setting in the book?

3. Can you identify the thesis, if so what is it?

*****¢ What is the author*****s argument or agenda? Why is the author writing the book or telling the story?

*****¢ Do you believe the argument?

4. What sources does the author depend upon most?

*****¢ Are they primary sources, secondary sources?

*****¢ If there are not sources listed then do you know if the story is fact or fiction?

5. Was this book an interesting read?

*****¢ If not, where could the author improve?

*****¢ Any significant flaws with the book?

*****¢ What did you really like about the book?

6. Does the book reflect ideas that we have learned in class?

*****¢ How does it fit into the course?

*****¢ Did you come across information that was new and should be worked into the lecture material?

Meets length requirements

Works cited page complete with proper requirements and also cite the editor name as well.

Page references used within paper to corroborate argument, evidence, or examples.

*****“ Flawless grammar and punctuation. Please include page reference where possible, like that ( author 250).

And also please don*****t use any American Literature Book. Use a single book means whatever book you choose from list, just pick a single book published, not from American Literature which also include several other stories, you know what I mean right.

no outside source, just use book.

Preferred *****s Username: *****

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