Night Study Guide Questions

Describe Moshe, the Beadle

A homeless man that excels in being invisible in the town, and also is very awkward.

Who is the narrator?

Elie Wiesel (in the 1st person)

What is Elie Wiesel's hometown and what country?

Sighet, Transylvania

What year does Elie's story begin and how old is he?

1941 and he is thirteen

Why did Elie pray? and why did cry?

He didn't know why he prayed or why he cries

Upon his return, what story did Moshe tell?

That Jews were being taken by the Gestapo, digging their own graves, then being killed.

Why didn't people believe him?

That he was making it up to receive pity

What world-known leader are the Jews afraid of and why?

Hitler, because he wants total genocide of the Jews

List the rules the Jews are made to abide by.

-no longer allowed to own valuables

-have to wear the yellow star

-not allowed to attend the synagogue

-no travel by rail

-curfew at six

What is a ghetto?

A fenced off area of a town, mainly to contain the Jews

Why did the citizens resist the truth, even when it was in front of them?

Too horrible to imagine

What are the feeling of the Jews as they experience deportation?

Saddness

Describe the conditions in the train.

Small train car, filled with eighty people per car. They were caged in and given little food and water to last the trip.

Under whose authority are the Jews as they are transported out of Hungary?

The German Army

Explain, "our eyes were opened, but too late." Where was the train at this point?

The train was Nazi controlled country, that made them realize that they couldn't escape what was to come

What is to happen to anyone who keeps anything valuable in his possession?

They will be shot on the spot

What was foreshadowed by Madame Schacter's nightmare?

The fires seen in concentration camps

What did some passengers do to quiet Madame Schacter?

-Place a cool rag on her

-tie and gag her

-beat her

Where did the train finally stop?

Auschwitz-Birkenau

What is Elie's one thought as the Jews are separated?

To not lose his father and be alone

What can you say about the faith of the older Jewish prisoners?

They are holding on

When questioned by the S.S. officer, why did Elie lie about his age and occupation?

To look like he was a able working man and able to avoid sudden death

What was the first horrifying sight that Elie at first disbelieved?

Children being thrown into a fire pit.

Explain what Elie meant by, "Never shall I forget these flames which consumed my faith forever"

His faith was gone

How had Elie changed in a short time?

-He gave up his beliefs

-Willing to commit suicide

-Lied about who he was

What are the prisoners made to do as they entered the barracks?

They were ordered to striped down naked but to keep their belts and shoes

Who are the Kapos?

prisoner functionaries, assigned by the S.S. guard to supervise

What happens to the prisoner the next morning?

They are shaved

What changed does Elie state has taken place within him?

He is only a shell

Why was it lucky that Elie's shoes were covered with mud?

They would be taken away from him, by force or submission

Where does the SS officer say that they are? What does he say their choice is?

They are in Auschwitz, and their choices are work or crematorium

What does the Kapos do to Elie's father?

Slap him in the face

What is Elie's first impression of Auschwitz?

Better than Birkenau

What is the compulsory formality at all of the concentration camps?

Welcomed

What sort of identification was used on the prisoner?

Tattooed numbers

What were the rations at each meal?

Black coffee, soup, then bread.

Why does Elie lie to Stein about his family?

He didn't want to bring his spirit down anymore or to possibly devastate him

Why was the prisoner in charge removed from the position?

He was judged too humane

Where was Elie and his father taken to after Auschwitz?

Buna

What were the objectives of the medical examinations?

to see who was healthy

Why were the Jewish musicians allowed to play music by Beethoven?

It was German music

Describe one of Idek's bouts of madness.

He beats his victims and takes silence as defiance

How did Elie avoid losing his gold crown?

Saying he wasn't feeling well

Whom did Elie meet years later on the Paris Metro?

The French girl

What happed when Elie refused to give his crown to Franek? what was the end result?

Tormenting his father on a daily basis, in the end it was dug out with a rusty spoon.

Describe the scene with soup cauldrons.

They were sitting unguarded and one went for them, but shot in the end

During a hanging, what did Juliek whisper to Elie? What does this suggest?

food is more important than a life

During one hanging, Elie and the other prisoners cried. What made this hanging different from others?

It was a young boy and he was still alive after they pulled the lever

Why didn't Elie fast on Yom Kippur?

His father had forbid it

Describe the selection process.

SS would look over the prisoners, writing down numbers.

What advice was Elie given to pass the selection process?

Get some color into his skin by running

How did Elie's father react when he learned his name had been written down?

He was calm

What has begun to happen to the faith of some of the Jews?

They began to lose faith and give up

What did Akiba Drumer ask the others to do for him? did they do it?

Say Kaddish for him, which they did not do.

Why was Elie placed in the hospital?

His foot began to swell

What is Elie's reoccurring thought?

To not be separated from his father

Why was the camp evacuated? what happens to those who stay behind?

Battlefront coming closer to camp, Later rescued in two days

What happened to anyone who could not keep up with the march?

They would be shot

What keeps Elie going during the evacuation?

by putting one foot in front of the other

How did Zalman die?

Trampled

What does Rabbi Eliahou's son do? How does Elie respond?

His son abandoned him, He took a vow to have the strength to never do this

What was Juliek's last act?

Playing Beethoven

What is the physical condition of Elie after covering 42 miles by foot?

Dirty, hungry, and thirsty

How did Elie help his father when the selection was made?

Caused a distraction

How old is Elie at the time of the evacuation when the prisoner traveled for ten days?

sixteen

How did Elie again help his father when they were on the train?

By slapping him in the face to keep him from the gravediggers

How many got out of the wagon? where had they arrived?

twelve left to be welcomed by Buchenwald

What is the familiar fear Elie feels when they arrive at Buchenwald?

Not separated from his father.

What is Elie's father's condition and spirit and Buchenwald?

Dysentery and spirit broken.

What is Elie's thought that he is ashamed of later?

That he only cared about his own well being

What happens to Elie's father?

Taken to the crematorium

While awaiting evacuation, how long does Elie go without food?

six days

What happened on April 5th?

the camp was liquidated

What was the resistance movement? What did they do?

Troops that came to rescue the prisoners, They fought for the prisoners and fed the prisoners.

What did prisoners do when they were freed?

Attack the provisions

Do the released prisoner think of revenge?

No