Answer: Elie Wiesel's book, "Night," is a haunting memoir that chronicles his experiences as a young boy during the Holocaust. The book is a testament to the atrocities of the Holocaust and serves as a reminder of the importance of remembrance and bearing witness to historical events. The title, "Night," is a fitting name for the book, as it symbolizes the darkness and despair that engulfed Wiesel's life during the Holocaust. The significance of night in the novel is multifold, representing the loss of identity, crisis of faith, inhumanity, and the relationship between a father and son.
One of the major themes of the book is the loss of identity. During the Holocaust, Jews were stripped of their identity and reduced to mere numbers. In the book, Wiesel writes about the moment when he and his father are stripped of their clothes and are forced to shave their heads, "We no longer had any name. In one instant, I had ceased to be my father's son." (Wiesel 29). This passage highlights the moment when Wiesel realizes that he has lost his identity as a son and is reduced to a mere number. The loss of identity is also evident when Wiesel is forced to wear the same striped uniform as everyone else, which strips him of his individuality and makes him indistinguishable from the other prisoners. The loss of identity is a theme that is not unique to the Holocaust and can be seen in the larger world around us. For example, refugees who are forced to flee their homes due to war or persecution often face a loss of identity, as they are forced to leave behind their homes, possessions, and sometimes even their families.
Another theme that is prominent in the book is the crisis of faith. Wiesel writes about his struggle to believe in God in the face of inhumanity and overwhelming tragedy. In the book, Wiesel writes about the moment when he witnesses the hanging of a young boy, "For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished." (Wiesel 62). This passage highlights the moment when Wiesel questions God's existence and his role in the face of such inhumanity. Wiesel's crisis of faith is not unique to the Holocaust and can be seen in the larger world around us. For example, many people struggle to reconcile their faith with the injustices and tragedies that occur in the world, such as natural disasters, acts of violence, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Inhumanity is another prominent theme in the book. The Holocaust was a period of extreme inhumanity, where humans were stretched to their limits through suffering and lost their humanity. In the book, Wiesel writes about the moment when he witnesses the death of his father, "I woke up at dawn on January 29. In my father's place lay another sick person. They must have taken him away before daybreak and carried him to the crematorium." (Wiesel 113). This passage highlights the moment when Wiesel's father is taken away and cremated, reducing him to nothing more than a pile of ashes. This inhumanity is not unique to the Holocaust and can be seen in the larger world around us. For example, wars, genocides, and acts of violence are all examples of inhumanity that occur around the world.
Finally, the relationship between a father and son is another prominent theme in the book. Throughout the book, Wiesel writes about his love for his father and the moments when he tries to protect him. In the book,