Question

Read this passage.

In this excerpt, Eliezer is in a roofless train car following the deadly forced march out of Buna. Near him a son has beaten his father to death over a piece of bread, and now the son is being attacked.
excerpt from Night by Elie Wiesel
Others joined in. When they withdrew, next to me were two corpses, side by side, the father and the son. I was fifteen years old.
Which statement best describes the effect of Wiesel’s choice to reveal Eliezer's age at the end of the excerpt?
Eliezer’s youth is emphasized throughout Night, so the statement acts as a reinforcement of just how young Eliezer is.

Eliezer’s age acts as a signpost for readers, showing exactly how many months have passed since Eliezer was deported from the ghetto.

The statement shocks readers, who may have forgotten just how young Eliezer was when experiencing the horrors of the concentration camps.

The dead son is close in age to Eliezer, so the statement makes readers sympathize with the dead son.

Answer 1

C. The statement shocks readers, who may have forgotten just how young Eliezer was when experiencing the horrors of the concentration camps.

When the author includes "I was fifteen years old." it creates a suspenseful tone because the author is describing what the main character went through and experienced, and he is describing everything he sees; adding his age at the end shows how young he was when he experienced these things.

Answer 2

Hi!

The answer to this is option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effect of Wiesel’s choice to reveal Eliezer's age at the end of the excerpt is to shock readers, who may have forgotten just how young Eliezer was when experiencing the horrors of the concentration camps. When you are reading about a character witnessing things like "a son beating his father to death", seeing another person attacked, and then having this main character being placed next to two corpses, your mind instantly thinks that the main character must be old enough to witness these things. By highlighting the fact that Elizer is only 15 years old at the end of the horrible events being narrated, the reader has to stop and swallow that all of the horrible things they just read happened to someone who is not old enough to have witnessed. This element of shock is meant to make the readers think about the situation thats being described and empathize with the character.