Night test

the difference between an autobiography and a memoir

an autobiography covers the author's entire life chronologically, while a memoir focuses on a specific period, theme, or series of related events.

1.      Who was Moshe the Beadle? Why was he important in Wiesel’s life?

Moshe was a poor, kind man who worked at the synagogue. He became Elie’s mentor and taught him about prayer and Jewish mysticism.

1.      Why did Elie’s father refuse to sell his business and move to Palestine?

He said Elie was too young, he was settled in Sighet, and he didn’t believe the danger was serious.

1.      What is the ghetto like?

Small, fenced-off areas where Jewish families were forced to live. Crowded, limited freedom, but people tried to stay hopeful.

1.      Why were Jews at first unconcerned about being placed in the ghettos?

They believed it was temporary and thought things could not get worse. Some even tried to make normal life inside them.

1.      How did the Hungarian police treat the Jews when the time came?

They were rough and harsh, rushing families out of their homes with force.

1.      Did the officers treat the Jewish people as humans? Why or why not?

No. The overcrowded cars, the threats, and the lack of basic care showed they didn’t see them as equals.

1.      After the train moved again, what did they see from the window? What could they smell?

They saw a camp with chimneys and smoke. They smelled something burning and didn’t yet understand what it meant.

1.      What did Madame Schächter foreshadow?

Her “visions of fire” predicted the horrors and destruction they would soon face.

1.      What does it mean that the prisoners “left their illusions behind”?

It means the moment they arrived, they realized the truth: this place was dangerous and life-changing. Their old beliefs about safety were gone.

1.      Why was Elie afraid when he saw the two lines separating men from women and children?

He feared being separated forever from his family.

1.      Why did a prisoner tell Elie and his father to lie about their ages?

To increase their chances of surviving the selection. The “right” ages were more useful to the guards.

1.      What was Dr. Mengele’s role at Auschwitz?

He controlled the selection line deciding who worked and who didn’t.

1.      What was in the lorry that was brought to the fire pit that upset Elie?

The lorry carried innocent victims, which deeply shocked him.

1.      What does Elie learn from others that makes him begin to question God?

He sees suffering all around him and wonders why such cruelty is happening.

1.      Why did they have to give up their clothes and belongings when they entered the camp?

It was part of dehumanizing the prisoners removing identity and control.

1.      How was Elie able to avoid having his gold crown removed at first? What warning did the dentist give him?

He pretended to feel sick. The dentist warned him he would return later.

1.      Why was Elie angry with his father when Idek beat him?

Not truly at his father he was angry at the unfairness of the situation and at himself for not helping.

1.      How did Franek convince Elie to give up his gold crown?

He threatened Elie by picking on his father until Elie gave in.

1.      Why and for whom were the gallows set up the first time?

For a prisoner who had broken camp rules. It was done to intimidate the others.

1. On the last day of the year, how was the way the prisoners looked at Rosh Hashanah different from before?

Before the Holocaust, Rosh Hashanah was a joyful, holy celebration. Now, the prisoners feel anger, bitterness, and confusion. Instead of praising God, many question or resent Him for allowing their suffering.

2. How do Elie’s thoughts show that he is losing faith in God?

Elie refuses to pray and feels God has abandoned the Jews. He believes God is no longer just and questions why innocent people suffer while God remains silent.

4. Rations had become more meager. Is that good or bad? Why?

It is bad because the prisoners were already starving. Less food made them weaker and less likely to survive selections or forced labor.

5. What was Elie’s “inheritance”?

A knife and spoon, given to him by another prisoner who feared death. These objects symbolized survival, not wealth.

6. What was Elie’s father’s fate at the second selection?

He was initially marked for death but survived because the selection list was later cancelled.

7. (VERY IMPORTANT) What does the man mean when he says he has more faith in Hitler than anyone else?

He means that Hitler actually carried out his promises to destroy the Jewish people, while God did not protect them. This statement shows extreme loss of faith and despair, highlighting how deeply the Holocaust shattered religious belief.

10. What was the last act performed by the men an hour before leaving camp? Why?

They prayed, seeking comfort, forgiveness, or hope before facing the unknown.

2. What happened to men underfoot? Why did no one pay attention?

They were trampled or left behind. Everyone was focused on survival and had no strength to help others.

4. What did Elie realize about Rabbi Eliahou’s son?

Elie realized the son had abandoned his father to increase his own chances of survival.

7. Why do you think Juliek played that night?

To express pain, remember beauty, and hold onto his identity one last time.

8. What happened to Elie’s father during the selection, and how did confusion save him?

He was nearly selected as unfit, but the chaos caused records to be lost, allowing him to survive.

1. After waiting so long in the snow and icy wind, why were the prisoners finally allowed into the blocks?

They were allowed inside only after the SS finished a selection. Once the selection was complete, the remaining prisoners were permitted to enter the barracks.

2. Why does Elie not want his father to sit down?

Elie fears that if his father sits down, he will give up and die. Sitting is a sign of weakness, and weakness often leads to death in the camps.

3. What did Elie do that made him feel “ashamed forever”?

When his father was beaten by an SS officer, Elie did nothing to help or defend him. His silence and fear fill him with lifelong shame.

5. What does the block leader tell Elie about his father? How does Elie feel about this?

The block leader tells Elie that his father is dying and that Elie should stop wasting his energy on him. Elie feels guilt, pain, and inner conflict but continues trying to help his father.

6. As Chlomo lies on his bed near death, what did he feel he needed to tell Elie?

He wanted to thank Elie for staying with him and caring for him, expressing love and gratitude before dying.

8. Is it natural for Elie to feel his father is a burden and to feel relief when he dies? Does this make Elie a bad person? Should he feel guilty?

Yes, it is natural. The camps forced prisoners into impossible situations where survival came first. Feeling relief does not make Elie a bad person; it shows how the Nazis destroyed normal human emotions. Elie’s guilt reflects his humanity, but he should not blame himself.

2. What makes the Jews nervous as the Allies approach the camp? What do they think the Germans will do?

They fear the Germans will kill all the prisoners before the Allies arrive to erase evidence of the camps.

3. What was the result when the resistance acted instead of evacuating?

The camp was bombed, and the Germans fled, leading to the prisoners’ liberation.

4. What was ironic about Elie’s food poisoning after liberation?

After surviving starvation and brutality, Elie almost dies from overeating once food is freely available.

5. What does Elie see in the hospital that stays with him forever?

He sees his reflection in a mirror for the first time since liberation and does not recognize himself—a corpse-like figure staring back.

6. How do the SS strip prisoners of their humanity?

They shave heads, take names and replace them with numbers, starve them, force them into brutal labor, separate families, deny dignity, and treat them as disposable objects instead of people.

7. What is Eliezer’s identity when he leaves the camp?

He is no longer a child or a religious student. He leaves as a survivor, deeply traumatized, carrying loss, memory, and a shattered faith.

1. Why did the train stop in the middle of a deserted field? How did the prisoners react?

The train stopped so the guards could throw out the dead bodies. The prisoners reacted with silence, shock, and exhaustion; death had become normal to them.

2. Why does Elie say “there was no more reason to live, no more reason to struggle” when he wakes up in the cattle car?

He wakes up surrounded by snow, death, and hopelessness. After everything he has suffered, he feels empty and sees no future worth fighting for.

3. What did Elie compare the Germans throwing bread into the wagon to?

He compares it to people feeding animals for entertainment, watching them fight for food.

4. Why does Elie, years later, ask a lady not to throw money to the poor?

Because he remembers how throwing bread caused prisoners to turn violent toward one another, and he believes tossing food or money dehumanizes people.

5. How did Elie again help his father while on the train?

Elie protected his father from being thrown out as a corpse by shouting and hitting those who tried to remove him.

6. What does the son do for bread? Describe the scene Elie witnessed.

A son beats his own father to death for a piece of bread, only to be killed moments later by other prisoners. Elie is horrified by how starvation destroys family bonds.

7. Elie’s father is saved from death twice—how is he saved?

First, Elie saves him by preventing prisoners from throwing him off the train. Second, his father survives because he regains consciousness and clings to life.

8. What does Meir Katz wonder about the Germans? Do you think this is merciful?

He wonders why the Germans do not just kill them all at once instead of prolonging their suffering. Some may see this as merciful, but it also shows how completely the prisoners have lost hope.

9. Of the one hundred who started the journey, how many climbed down at Buchenwald?

Only twelve prisoners survived the journey.

10. What themes are discussed in Chapter 7? What actions support them?

• Dehumanization: Prisoners fight like animals for bread

• Loss of family bonds: Son kills father for food

• Survival instinct: Elie protects his father at all costs

• Cruelty and indifference: Germans treat suffering as entertainment

11. What connections can you make with this chapter?

This chapter connects to earlier scenes of selection and starvation, showing how conditions worsen. It also connects to later chapters where Elie struggles with guilt, survival, and the loss of humanity.

Religion & Faith

explain why this theme is important to the novel. Consider how the theme is portrayed, how it develops, and what it shows the reader.

• At the beginning of the novel, Elie is deeply religious and studies Jewish texts, showing strong faith in God.

• Faith gives Elie a sense of meaning, structure, and hope before the Holocaust begins.

• As Elie witnesses extreme suffering, cruelty, and the murder of innocent people, he begins to question God’s justice and presence.

• Events such as the hanging of the young boy cause Elie to feel that God has abandoned humanity.

• Elie’s prayers turn into anger, doubt, and silence rather than devotion.

• Some prisoners cling to faith, while others lose it completely, showing different responses to suffering.

• This theme is important because it shows how extreme trauma can shatter spiritual beliefs.

• It forces the reader to confront difficult questions about faith, evil, and God’s role in human suffering.

Survival Instincts

explain why this theme is important to the novel. Consider how the theme is portrayed, how it develops, and what it shows the reader.

• The camps force prisoners to focus only on staying alive, often at the expense of morality.

• Hunger and exhaustion push people to selfish actions, such as stealing food or abandoning others.

• Elie struggles internally between caring for his father and protecting himself.

• Some prisoners turn against family members to increase their chances of survival.

• Survival instincts grow stronger as compassion and kindness fade.

• Elie feels shame when he prioritizes his own survival over his father’s needs.

• This theme shows how extreme conditions can reduce people to basic instincts.

• It forces the reader to question what they might do in similar circumstances.

“Here or elsewhere, what did it matter? Die today or tomorrow, or later?” (p. 98)

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

• Shows Eliezer’s numbness toward death and loss of hope.

• Significance: illustrates how prolonged suffering erodes the will to live.

• Connects to the theme of dehumanization and spiritual death in the Holocaust.

“There was no longer any reason to live, any reason to fight” (p. 99)

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

• Shows Eliezer’s psychological collapse and loss of motivation.

• Significance: contrasts his earlier determination to survive.

• Connects to the theme of despair and the erosion of identity in the camps.

“No! I yelled. He’s not dead! Not yet!...breathing faintly” (p. 99)

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

• Shows Eliezer’s desperate attachment to his father.

• Significance: highlights the importance of family bonds as a source of meaning.

• Connects to the theme of love and loyalty as fragile resistance against despair.

“The days resembled the nights, and the nights left in our souls the dregs of their darkness...frozen bodies” (p. 100)

Shows how time lost meaning in the camps.

• Significance: personification of darkness reflects emotional poison and despair.

• Connects to the theme of spiritual decay and monotony of suffering.

“Very close to us stood the tall chimney of the crematorium’s furnace. It no longer impressed us. It barely drew our attention” (104)

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

• Shows how death has become normalized and stripped of shock.

• Significance: the crematorium, once terrifying, is now routine — a sign of emotional numbness.

• Connects to the theme of desensitization and the erosion of human response to horror.

“I could have screamed in anger. To have lived and endured so much; was I going to let my father die now?” (105)

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

• Shows Eliezer’s desperation to keep his father alive despite overwhelming odds.

• Significance: anger reflects his refusal to surrender to despair.

• Connects to the theme of resistance against hopelessness, even when survival seems impossible.

“But my heart was heavy. I was aware that I was doing it grudgingly. Just like Rabbi Eliahu’s son, I had not passed the test” (107)

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

Shows Eliezer’s self-awareness of his moral failure.

• Significance: he compares himself to another son who abandoned his father.

• Connects to the theme of guilt and the collapse of moral values under extreme suffering.

He began talking, faster, afraid of running out of time before he could tell me everything…he no longer wanted to listen to me. He could no longer listen to me

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

Shows Eliezer’s father’s urgency to speak before death.

• Significance: communication becomes a final act of resistance against silence.

• Connects to the theme of memory and testimony, central to Wiesel’s purpose in writing Night.

This was the end! Hitler was about to keep his promise

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

Shows: The prisoners’ belief that extermination was inevitable, even as liberation approached.

• Significance: Highlights the depth of despair and the psychological power of Nazi terror. Hitler’s “promise” refers to his vow to annihilate the Jewish people, showing how close that reality came.

• Connects to: The theme of genocide and the terrifying effectiveness of Nazi propaganda and violence. It underscores the fragility of hope in the camps.

From the depths of the mirror, a corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me

What does this quotation show? Why is it significant? What does it connect to?

Shows: Eliezer’s recognition of his own physical and spiritual devastation after liberation. He sees himself as a “corpse,” symbolizing the death of innocence and humanity.

• Significance: This haunting image is the closing line of the memoir, leaving readers with the lasting impact of trauma. It shows that survival did not mean restoration—he carries the Holocaust within him forever.

• Connects to: The theme of memory and testimony. Wiesel’s purpose in writing Night is to ensure that the “corpse” he saw in the mirror, and the millions who perished, are never forgotten.