“It was close to midnight.” Sleeping was not an option as everyone awaited Elie’s father’s return. He had returned from his meeting at last, his face covered in doubt. The ghetto was to be liquidated immediately. No one slept that night. Everyone was busy packing and preparing for the day ahead, although their minds couldn’t imagine what was to come. But it was night now, and everything was okay. They could relax for the moment because they knew their safely would last throughout the nighttime.
“Night. No one was praying for the night to pass quickly.” Night was a break could where the Jews could forget the harsh life they would face during the day. Night was a time when Jews could dream and escape reality. It was a break from the running, the exhaustion, and the wrath of the Germans. At night they could lie down, sleep, and rest. They could forget they had gone days without food and ran miles without stopping.
Night brought reassurance of humanity. It allowed the prisoners to remember what it was like to live normal again. The guards weren't bothering them and the war was on hold. At night, they could forget the bad and dream about the good. At night, the war didn't matter. At night, they were okay.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I never thought of the theme of night like this before. This new perspective changes the way I know think about the theme. You used a good example to show this.
I agree and disagree. Night was the time when they can sleep and rest, but also at times they had horrific nights. Nights with pain and suffer, but also nights with relief and rest. Night was a time where they could think about something else than what was happening to them. They could dream and wonder. Night was also a time where their suffering was shoved right into their face. Where they had to run all night, so they feel their misery. Sometimes they almost get killed so they are scared at night. So night can be a time of rest and no thought or a time of misery and suffering.
I feel like there are many ways to connect the physical existence of night to the memoir Night. I can definitely see the connection that you made. Im sure that some of the prisoners saw the time when they got to sleep as an escape from the cruel conditions they were under. I do, however, believe that some of the worst events happened during the night. Elie described his first night as "flames that consumed my faith forever". This alone says a lot about the encampment nights. It gives the prisoners time to not only dream about the good, but to also wallow in the depth of that which was their living hell.
I also agree and disagree. I think that Night was a time when the prisoners' fears were floating about in the camps. "UHJUIO)p"-Fischer. The prisoners were especially scared at night because they dreamed of the future and they contemplated how much longer they would follow their faith and if there was a god watching over them.
Post a Comment