Night Closing Discussion

							                                          Night Closing Discussion

Note: You are not required to answer these questions in preparation for our discussion; however, since
we will be discussing some or all of these questions for a grade, it might be in your interests to at least
brainstorm rough responses. Remember that specificity is a must in literary analysis!

1. The memoir deals with the changes in Elie’s life in three areas: his religious beliefs, his social
relationships, and his personality. Examine how Elie changes in each of these areas and, drawing from
specific episodes, explain why he changes.

2. How does Wiesel demonstrate the dark side of human nature, in both the German soldiers and the
Jewish prisoners? Describe the rhetorical and narrative techniques that he uses.

3. Elie Wiesel’s story does not focus solely on the negative images of the concentration camp. At certain
points in the memoir, he writes about events that gave him hope. Chronicle both the events and
emotions that led Elie to wish for death and those that encouraged him to keep fighting to live.

4. Wiesel describes people who give up hope during their time in the concentration camp. Find
examples of passages that illustrate the reasons why people choose to lose hope. Why are some people
able to persevere and others not?

5. The title of this novel alludes to one of the themes present in the memoir. Trace scenes of darkness
and light. Note the conflicts and emotions that are developed in each scene. Explain how the title relates
to these scenes and how it functions as a theme.

6. The novel concludes with Elie looking into a mirror and stating that “a corpse stared back” at him.
Why does Wiesel end his memoir in this fashion? Given Wiesel’s desire to “keep memory alive” of the
Holocaust, how does the ending accomplish that feat? How does Wiesel seem to want readers to
remember the Holocaust?

7. Besides the obvious “so that it never happens again” response, why should we continue to study the
Holocaust? You might consider everything we read and consulted during this unit, including not only
“Keep Memory Alive” but also “The Jewbird,” “What’s In a Name?” and the introductory web quest.