Question

Reread the following passage from Night.

"Three days later, a new decree (ruling): every Jew had to wear the yellow star. Some prominent members of the community came to consult with my father, who had connections at the upper levels of the Hungarian police; they wanted to know what he thought of the situation. My father’s view was that it was not all bleak, or perhaps he just did not want to discourage the others, to throw salt on their wounds:‘The yellow star? So what? It’s not letha"(Poor Father! Of what then did you die?)

What does "The yellow star" symbolize?
What idea or deeper meaning does the symbol represent?

Answer 1

The 'yellow star' in 'Night' symbolizes stigmatization and dehumanization of Jews during the Holocaust, representing more than just a cloth emblem but a prelude to the community's suffering and persecution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage from Night you're referring to discusses the decree that required Jews to wear a yellow star, symbolically representing the stigmatization and dehumanization of Jewish people under Nazi rule. It served as a visual marker singling out Jews from the rest of the population, ultimately aiding in their segregation and persecution. In the context of the passage from Night, the yellow star is trivialized by Elie Wiesel's father as 'not lethal', a statement followed by a remark that reflects the tragic irony of the situation ('Poor Father! Of what then did you die?'), suggesting the deeper, deadly implications of this imposed symbol.