Night

Here are many random questions from Night to help you prepare:

Random Questions

  1. What town is Elie from?

    • Sighet.

  2. How old is Elie at the start of the memoir?

    • 12 years old.

  3. Who warns the Jews of Sighet about the Nazis?

    • Moshe the Beadle.

  4. What do the Jews think will happen when they are deported?

    • They think they are being relocated for work.

  5. What do the SS officers say will happen to those who cannot work?

    • They will be sent to the crematorium.

  6. What prayer do prisoners recite as they approach the crematorium?

    • The Kaddish, a prayer for the dead.

  7. How does Elie avoid having his gold crown taken?

    • He pretends to be sick.

  8. What does Franek do to force Elie to give up his gold crown?

    • He beats Elie’s father.

  9. What punishment does Elie receive for seeing Idek with a girl?

    • He is whipped 25 times.

  10. What are the prisoners’ first reactions to Auschwitz?

  • They are shocked by the smoke and stench.

  1. What are the conditions like on the train to Auschwitz?

  • Overcrowded, unsanitary, and filled with fear.

  1. What does Elie dream of after liberation?

  • Bread, not revenge.

  1. What do the Jews leave behind in the ghetto?

  • Their valuables and homes.

  1. Why doesn’t Elie fast on Yom Kippur?

  • He rebels against God and needs his strength to survive.

  1. What does Elie inherit from his father?

  • A knife and a spoon.

  1. How do the prisoners react when one tries to steal soup?

  • They watch in silence, knowing he will be killed.

  1. What happens during the public execution Elie witnesses?

  • A boy is hanged, and the prisoners are deeply affected.

  1. How do prisoners react when bread is thrown into their train car?

  • They fight each other savagely.

  1. What does Elie see in the mirror at the end of the memoir?

  • A corpse-like reflection.

  1. What illness does Elie’s father suffer from?

  • Dysentery.

  1. Why doesn’t Elie help his father when he’s beaten?

  • He is afraid and focused on his survival.

  1. How do the prisoners keep warm during the death march?

  • They huddle together.

  1. What does Elie say about God’s justice during his suffering?

  • He questions and rejects it.

  1. What happens to Elie’s foot?

  • It becomes infected and requires surgery.

  1. What are the last words Elie’s father says?

  • "Eliezer."

  1. Who liberates the camp Elie is in?

  • The American army.

  1. What do the prisoners do immediately after being freed?

  • They look for food.

  1. Why does Elie feel guilty after surviving?

  • He feels he abandoned his father and others.

  1. What symbolizes the inhumanity of the Holocaust in Night?

  • The crematoriums and death marches.

  1. What does Elie say about humanity at the end of the book?

/

  • He struggles to comprehend the cruelty he witnessed.

/Here’s another set of 30 random questions from Night, complete with answers:

Questions and Answers

  1. What religious faith does Elie practice at the start of the book?

    • Judaism.

  2. Who is Elie’s mentor in Kabbalah?

    • Moshe the Beadle.

  3. What year are Elie and his family deported to Auschwitz?

    • 1944.

  4. What symbol are the Jews forced to wear?

    • The yellow Star of David.

  5. What is the first concentration camp Elie and his family are sent to?

    • Auschwitz.

  6. What camp do Elie and his father go to after Auschwitz?

    • Buna.

  7. Why does Elie refuse to give up his shoes in Buna?

    • They are one of his last possessions.

  8. What motivates the prisoners during the death march?

    • Fear of being shot and hope for survival.

  9. How do prisoners prove their usefulness to avoid being killed?

    • By appearing strong and healthy.

  10. Who is Idek, and what does he do to Elie?

  • Idek is a Kapo who beats Elie brutally.

  1. What happens to the young pipel who is executed?

  • He struggles to die because he is too light, leaving the prisoners horrified.

  1. How does Elie lose his faith in God?

  • By witnessing innocent children and others being killed.

  1. Why do prisoners fight each other in cattle cars?

  • Over scraps of bread.

  1. How does Elie describe himself at the end of the book?

  • As a corpse.

  1. What advice is given to the prisoners about the selection process?

  • Move around to appear healthier and avoid being selected.

  1. What work do Elie and his father do at Buna?

  • Sorting electrical parts in a warehouse.

  1. What does Elie’s refusal to fast on Yom Kippur symbolize?

  • His rebellion against God.

  1. Why do prisoners march to Gleiwitz?

  • To evacuate the camp ahead of the advancing Allies.

  1. What emotion does Elie feel most when his father dies?

  • Relief, mixed with guilt.

  1. How does the doctor treat Elie’s infected foot?

  • He performs surgery.

  1. What happens to those who fall during the death march?

  • They are shot.

  1. Why does Elie feel guilt after the Holocaust?

  • For surviving while so many others, including his family, died.

  1. What literary genre is Night?

  • Memoir.

  1. What is the significance of Juliek’s violin?

  • It represents beauty and humanity amidst suffering.

  1. Who does Elie blame for his father’s death?

  • Himself, for not doing more to protect him.

  1. What is the name of the Nazi officer known for cruel selections?

  • Dr. Mengele.

  1. Why is Elie’s family reluctant to leave Sighet when warned?

  • They cannot believe the Nazis will reach them.

  1. What do the Nazis use to deceive the Jews upon arrival at Auschwitz?

  • They tell them they are being relocated and ask them to leave valuables behind.

  1. How does Elie save his father from being thrown off the train?

  • By waking him up and convincing others he is alive.

  1. What do the prisoners chant after liberation?

  • They do not chant but focus on finding food.

Let me know if you need additional questions or a deeper explanation for any of these!