Night

I think that Weisel does a great job illustrating the dehumanization that went on in the concentration camps. For example, on page 41 (well, of my book, at least), after a Pole gives instructions about the block where they will be living, Wiesel writes “Those were the first human words.” Instances such as this show how even a few lines about how not to despair (from someone that was more allied with their enemy than with them) were more validating to the prisoners as people than anything prior to this point. This separation demonstrates how the Nazis viewed their prisoners and how the prisoners saw themselves within the confines of the camp. Overall, Weisel’s descriptions and commentary paint a very dreary, depressing, and, ultimately, moving image of life as a Jew within German concentration camps.

I read Weisel’s introduction as well. Within his introduction, Weisel discusses how he chose to use fewer words to describe some things rather than go overboard with descriptions. Specifically, he said, “I was more afraid of having too much than too little” (x). In regards to literary aspects of Night, I think that Weisel’s decision to do this was a superb choice because, while his descriptions may be shorter, they are much more vivid within the reader’s imagination owing to their brevity. This also allows Weisel to contrast some things. For example, I think it was Auschwitz that he provided a brief description of the place (that made the depressive nature of it very clear) and then added like two sentences about how it was a warm, sunny day. Through writing mechanisms such as this, Weisel is able to show how the prisoners viewed the place and situation they were in, and then (because of the brief “happy” descriptions he provides afterwards) show how others, such as people not in concentration camps, would be viewing the day. In other words, Weisel does a spectacular job at showing the contrast between what it meant to be a prison and what it meant to not be one.