Theme and Symbols in Night by Elie Wiesel

" 'Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!' Some pressed against the bars to see. There was nothing. Only the darkness of night. " pg 25

When this quote was said you could tell the eagarness in the people to see the flames, and the dissapointment in them when there wasn't any flames. I think here the flames represented hope, or the positive in hard situations. Everyone wanted to see the flames, as if they had never seen fire before. Not to mention, at times of war, or the transportation to their death, possibly, the flames couldn't have been anything good.

" 'For God's sake, where is God?' " (pg. 65)

"Some men spoke of God... As for me, I had ceased to pray... I was not denying His existence, but i doubted His absolute justice. (pg. 45)

After the prisoners watched the hanging of another prisoner, not only Elie, but other people in the camp were having a hard time with maintaining faith. I think this affected Elie because he felt like an outcast with his views, and beliefs in a mostly Jewish camp, but now after other people are expressing the same ideas he doesnt feel like he is an outcast anymore.

As you can see, from the first quote this is a large change from chapter one. Instead of praying for a way out of the situation he has completely disreguarded the fact that God was going to help. In this quote it states how he is not denying the existence of God, but the ideas he had of God, specifically the absolute justice of Him, was not what he had previously believed because he felt the situation he was in was completley unfair and ithers did not have to go through this.

Symbol

Theme

" Families would not be separated...young would work in factories. The old and sick would find work in the fields...we gave thanks to God." (pg. 27)

Elie's struggle to maintain faith in a benevolent God

" 'I have more faith in Hitler than anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, ..., to the jewish people' " (pg. 81)

Fire

I think this shows the extremities of Elies loss in faith. Not only does Elie state that God has not kept his promises, he states how Hitler is the inly person who has truthfully done so. I think this show the biggest change in Elie because, obviously, during World War 2 Hitler was the most hated person from Europe all the way to America. I don't think he was saying Hitler was better than God, he is just stating how he the only peron who is currenly keeping his promises to Elie which is a really large issue.

I think this is an interesting quote looking back on the book because it was one of the things that Elie did give God credit for. Je did not blame God fir the situation he was in, but thanked Him for the light that was given in such a dark time.

" 'She is hallucinating because she is thirsty, poor woman... That's why she speaks of the flames devouring her...' " (pg.25)

" 'And the flames, do you see them?' (Yes, we saw the flames) 'Over there... will be your grave... You will be burned!' " (pg. 31)

"'I pray to the God within me for the strength to ask Him the real questions'" (pg.5)

This quote may only come a few paragraphs after thr last but here i think the meaning changes to dissapiontment. since there were no flames previously, and everyone on the cattle cars were deprived of food and basic necessities, at this point everything was a dissapointment.

When this scene happened i think everything became real for the people. How the fire was now something to fear and their lives were at risk. I also think this moment was a turning point in the book, because they had gotten to one of the first "stops" and they had a real fear of the unknowing

In the first chapter of this book we get real insight into Elie's faith. This was just one of the many quotes that showed the interest Elie had in God, and how he rally wanted to continue in his faith. we see this change very slowly but very evidently in the book over time

Themes and Symbols in Night by Elie Wiesel