thesis statement dehumanization night

105 Night by Elie Wiesel : Night Essay Topics & Examples

Night by Elie Wiesel is one of the most powerful books on Holocaust and Nazi German concentration camps. If you’re looking for Night essay topics and tips on how to master your Night essay , you have come to the right place.

✍️ Night Essay: How to Write

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Night’s major themes include faith and dehumanization, but there are many other aspects that you can explore. This article will provide you with topics, samples, and tips on how to write your essay, including Night thesis statement.

This article will show a few essential tips on how to write the paper and provide you with ideas for your Night by Elie Wiesel essay thesis.

Before you start your work on the paper, we’d suggest you to wipe out all the distractions: turn off the phone and TV. Use app- and website-blocking tools to concentrate on your research and writing.

Now, when you’re concentrated enough, check the next steps to write an A+ paper.

• Pick up a topic and narrow it. Read the book and choose a topic that you find interesting. Then narrow it as much as possible. The key idea of this step is the narrower your topic will be, the easier will be your writing process.
• Clarify your ideas and arguments. Think about what you’re going to discuss in your paper. Define key arguments you will use. You can use mindmapping tools that will help you to organize your ideas in a logical flow. Later, this will help you to write a Night essay outline.
• Search for examples and quotes to support your arguments. Research quotes to support your point of view. You can also use examples from other literary masterpieces, especially if you’re writing a compare and contrast essay. Make sure not to use too many citations: use 3 to 5 quotes and examples as evidence. You may also use a quote as an essay hook.
• Create an outline of your paper. Outlining helps you to structure your ideas and arguments. Moreover, a detailed outline makes the writing process much easier.

When writing your essay’s introduction, pay attention to the thesis statement. The function of paper thesis is to state your opinion and give your readers an understanding of what the essay is about. If you’re struggling with your Night thesis statement, check out these examples:

• In Night , Elie Wiesel demonstrates how extreme circumstances challenge a person’s religious beliefs.
• The author shows how dehumanization affected the main character and made him gradually lose his humanity.
• The atrocities suffered by the main character made him lose his childhood in a traumatic way.
• Father and son in “Night”: relationship dynamic.
• Destructive power of family ties in “Night.”
• Analysis of Death March in “Night.”
• “Night’s” ending: is it hopeful?
• Power and violence in Wiesel’s “Night.”
• “Night”: the significance of the title.
• What does Elie Wiesel write about the death of God?

If you’re struggling with a Night theme to choose for your paper, you may find some interesting ideas below:

• Theme of family. Analyze the relations between the father and son. Why it is important to stay with your family, especially during challenging times?
• Theme of faith and God. Analyze, why does the author writes about the death of God? Provide your own reflection on God and faith. What makes people believe in gods even when there is no hope?
• Power and violence. Think, why Germans who had a power made use violence to force Jews into concentration camps. Read the episode about the Death March and explore why German Soldiers never deprived themselves of killing prisoners who could not keep up.

If writing Night by Elie Wiesel Essay is still a challenging process, check our selection of free paper samples and other useful information at IvyPanda to get advice and find an inspiration!

• The Relationship Between Eliezer and His Father Essay Their experience at the concentration camp changes the relationship between son and father, and the despicable treatment by the Nazis helps Eliezer and his father develop a strong connection.
• Understanding of God – “Night” by Elie Wiesel Although Elie questions the whole concept of faith in God, he never stops to ask questions that connect him with God.
• Elizer’s Struggle to Keep Faith in God This was an indication that although his faith had started to change, he still had faith in God. He was able to come out of the holocaust with a stronger faith.
• Night by Elie Wiesel: Eliezer’s Changing Relationship With His Father He began to feel the loss and gripped with fear of losing his father, the forthcoming experiences and need for protection; he clings to his father.
• Conceptual Inconsistency in “Night” by Elie Wiesel For people who have not been completely deprived of their ability to utilize their sense of logic, as a result of being continuously brainwashed by hawks of political correctness, it does not make a whole […]
• Critique of Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust Book “Night” Like many books on the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel’s Night is a dramatic picture of the horror times in the history of humankind and particularly in the history of the Jewish people.
• Night by Elie Wiesel The book notes that when the Jews were forced into the concentration camps, Elie and his family remained calm and obeyed every directive from their oppressors. The author attributed the enmity among the Jews to […]
• Nazi Deception and “Night” by Elie Wiesel Eliezer, the main character of the novel and the prototype of the author, became one of the victims of the Nazi occupation in Europe.
• Wiesel’s Night and Solzhenitsyn’s A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Concentration Camps Comparison Nowadays, it has become a commonplace practice to refer to the novels Night by Elie Wiesel and A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn as such that is concerned with revealing […]
• Contemplation of Indifference in Elie Wiesel’s “Night” The theme of disregard is especially prevalent in the interaction of the Jews on their way to the camps and those that remain in Wiesel’s native Sighet.
• Understanding of God in Eliezer’s “Night” His unshakable and unconditional faith in God is demonstrated at the beginning of the text through his interest in Talmud, and expressing grief over the destruction of the Temple.
• Nazi Deception and the Demoralization and Dehumanization of Eliezer and His Fellow Prisoners The novel describes one of the most horrible periods in the history of humanity. The prisoners of the Nazis little knew about their future and they were likely to deceive themselves.
• “Night” by Elie Wiesel and the Book of Job Comparison Job’s friends tell him that sins caused his sufferings; yet, he refuses to accept it and claims that God still cares for him.
• The Memoir “Night” by Elie Wiesel The incident changed Eliezer’s attitude where the fulfillment of getting the bread at that particular period outweighed the life of his father.
• “Night” by Elie Wiesel: Holocaust and Genocide Given that the events are seen through the eyes of the young person, the major emphasis is placed upon the main character’s perception of the violence and death taking place around him and gradual loss […]
• The Central Themes in “Night” by Elie Wiesel Literature Analysis At the beginning of the novel, we meet Eliezer and his father, the main characters, the destinies of whom we will follow up to the end of the novel.
• The Relation Between Eliezer and His Father in Night by Elie Wiesel Soon after that, the Nazis sent them to Auschwitz, but, because of the hardships of the way, only Eliezer and his father arrived there alive. That is how the author’s attitude to and relations with […]
• The Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel The book is a powerful testimony to the horrors of the holocaust and how people can lose their humanity and innocence.
• Eliezer’s Transformations Throughout Night by Wiesel One of the first stages in the main character’s Eliezer transformation is his childhood and the desire to study Talmud and Kabbalah at a young age.
• The Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel Eliezer is the narrator in the tale and experiences multiple challenges throughout the story. Faith, guilt and inaction, and inhumanity are some of the narratives themes that readers can analyze when focusing on the various […]
• The Narrative of “Night” by Elie Wiesel The recurring themes of Night, by Elie Wiesel reflect the poignant feelings of disgust of writer against mankind and gradually his loss of faith in God, helplessness and hopelessness of a child who entirely disgusts […]
• Holocaust Experience in the Book ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel Eliezer’s depiction in the story as the main character in the story is that of a humble and religious young man.
• The Jewish Holocaust Novel ‘Night’ by Eliezer Wiesel Generally, Eliezer admired the fact that his father was prayerful and he kept his utmost faith in God even in the time of oppression.
• Eliezer’s Faith in God – “Night” by Elie Wiesel Literature Analysis Eliezer’s faith in God changes throughout the book, as Eliezer experiences the challenges of the Holocaust. The events in the book regarding Elizer’s faith are quite sarcastic and dramatic as Eliezer’s faith moves from an […]
• Night by Ellie Wiesel The paper summarizes the reasoning of the writer and goes a notch higher to analyze some of the themes in order to establish the relevance of the book to the modern political environment.
• Eliezer’s Struggle to Keep His Faith in God It was after he joined the camp that his faith decreased as he could not clearly understand why God could not rescue him and others that he deemed to have suffered more than he did, […]
• Eliezer’s Lost Childhood and the Image in the Mirror The author of the book presents his hero in two ways: on the one hand, he depicts the boy, who is full of hopes and expectations; on the other hand, he shows the boy whose […]
• Night by Elie Wiesel: Eliezer’s Relationship With His Father The relationship Eliezer has with his father at the beginning of the story can be compared to the one he has with God soon after the tough experiences and problems at the Nazi concentration camps […]
• Change in Wiesel’s Understanding of God But this did not change the faith he had in God and he continued believing that God was going to safe them. He believed that the Jews were faithful to God but his understanding was […]
• Wiesel’s Changing Understanding of God The faith that Wiesel had in God was enormous, in spite of the increasing abuse and hatred that the Nazis had for the Jews.
• Comparison of Night by Elie Weisel and Cry of the Beloved Country by Paton Wiesel was brought up in the mountains of the present day Romania and in 1944, at fifteen years old, his family was captured as part of a mission by the Germans to torture the Jews.
• The Importance of Maintaining Faith and Goal to Endure and Overcome Situation in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Terrifying Encounters of the “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Examples of Extreme Dehumanization and Genocide Portrayed in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Dehumanizing Sufferings During the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Meaning of the Poem in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• Violations of Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• The Symbol of Fire During the Holocaust in the Novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Power of the Nazis, Death, Loss of Humanity and of Faith in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Portrayal of the Hard Life in a Concentration Camp in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• Reliability of Testimonies of the Holocaust Survivors: Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and Binjamin Wilkomirski’s “Fragments”
• The Theme of Peer Pressure in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Father-Son Relationship Theme in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Transformation of Eliezer’s Relationship With God in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Survival of the Jewish People in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Inhumanity of the Genocide During the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Psychological Transformation of Holocaust Victims Caused by the Fight to Survive in Two Novels: Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and Art Spiegelman’s “Maus”
• The Experiences at the Nazi Death Camp as Described in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• The Life Journey of Elie From Schoolboy to Corpse in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Importance of Studying the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Heartbreaking Stories and Memories of Holocaust Survivors in Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and John Chua’s “Marion’s Triumph”
• The Lose of Faith in God in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Transformation of Eliezer’s Personality Throughout the “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Significance of Family Ties in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Human History and the Desire for the Agony in the Novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• Theme of Self Respect in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Horrors of Genocide: “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Loss of Faith in Humanity in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Role of Spirituality and Religion in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Theme of Darkness in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The True Picture of the Holocaust in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• The Three Levels of Racism in the Holocaust in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Use of Literary Techniques in Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• The Genocide and the Holocaust of “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Issues of the World War Two as Portrayed in the Novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Role of Religion in James McBride’s “Color of Water” and Elie Wiesel’s “Night”
• The Creation of Suspense in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Significance of “Night” by Elie Wiesel for the Audience of the 21st Century
• The Frightened and Lonely Attitude of the Speaker in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Struggle of the Holocaust Survivor in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Unique Perspective of Elie on Human Rights Due to His Holocaust Experiences in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• The Value of Time in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• A Life After the Concentration Camp in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
• What Was Hitler’s Reasoning for His War on Jews in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Are the Imagery and Literary Devices in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• How Life Through the Holocaust Is Imaged in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• Does the Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel Lead to Hope or Despair?
• What Psychological Changes in Victims Are Showed in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Is the Most Devastating Choice Made in the Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• How Trauma, Memory, and Timelessness Are Illustrated in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Is the Historical Context of “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• How Can Reading “Night” by Elie Wiesel Change Views on the Holocaust?
• How Does “Night” by Elie Wiesel Contribute to Modern Society?
• What Does the Title “Night” by Elie Wiesel Evoke?
• What Is the Thematic Message of “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• Why Is Contextual Knowledge Important When Reading “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Is the Overriding Tone of the Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Are a Few Examples of a Thesis Sentence About “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• Can Death Be a Motif in the Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• How Does Symbolism in “Night” by Elie Wiesel Further the Authorial Message?
• What Does Elie Mean by the Ordinary World in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• Why Is Juliek’s Violin So Important in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Are the Examples of Perseverance in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• Is Survival Selfish in the Book “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Is the Desire for the Agony in the Novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Is Elie’s Relationship With God in the “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Are the Experiences That Can Change a Person’s Life in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
• What Are Some Examples of Dehumanization in “Night” by Elie Wiesel?
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Examples of Dehumanization in ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel

'Night', by Elie Wiesel, describes the protagonist's horrifying tale of experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. Till date, these events remain one of the most shocking cases of dehumanization, that has ashamed all of mankind. This article speaks about the examples of dehumanization in this book.

‘Night’, by Elie Wiesel, describes the protagonist’s horrifying tale of experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. Till date, these events remain one of the most shocking cases of dehumanization, that has ashamed all of mankind. This article speaks about the examples of dehumanization in this book.

Humankind thrives on coexistence. Man is a social animal, and in order to survive, we depend on each other. As humans, our basic right is to be free and live a life as per our choice. But what if some section of people believe themselves to be superficial, and others not even fit to be called humans? History has many such tales to cite. However, one of the most horrifying tales is the atrocities carried out against the Jews, besides others, in the Nazi concentration camps run by the Germans. Elie Weasel was one of the survivors of the most horrifying chapters in the history of mankind – most gory cases of dehumanization. The details of the dehumanization process described in the book will give anyone goose bumps. In this book, titled ‘ Night ‘, he has described his experiences with his father at the concentration camps, where they were forced to work as laborers, with complete denial of basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter.

The protagonist, Eliezer, as a young teenager, was a person with utmost religious faith. After the rise of the Nazis, the Jews in his town were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was separated from his mother and sisters. Throughout the torture carried out in the camp, he survived with his father. However, he was completely transformed as a person. His belief in God and humanity was shattered as he lived through those horrifying experiences.

The highest level of dehumanization happens when, in a bid to survive, the Jews forget their relationships, just to save themselves. In an instance, he sees a son fleeing from his father so that he can survive. The protagonist too lives with this guilt for the rest of his life, stating that he did not protect him when he was killed due to his sickness.

The Jews left all disregard for themselves, and started treating each other like animals. Even the dead were disrespected, and were stripped off their clothes, in order to cover the bodies of the living, leaving the dead in the snow.

The dehumanization process not only affected them physically, but also psychologically. They were made to believe that they were nothing more than animals, and were mistreated in the cruelest forms possible. Those who were unfit were killed immediately without having any second thought. The only escape to this suffering was death. So deep was the hatred in the minds of the Germans against the Jews, that they had no existence as human beings. Their life had been reduced to mere a bowl of soup and a piece of bread. The world can identify the Holocaust as one of the most gruesome killings in the history of mankind. Like Elie Weasel, some were fortunate enough to tell the tale, to bear testimony of a deep pain in the hearts of many who lost their dear ones. Such cruelty and deep hatred is something that will remain to be a blot in the history of mankind, forever.

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Themes and Analysis

By elie wiesel.

'Night' is a short and incredibly impactful novel that uses direct language and avoids metaphors and other figures of speech to tell its story.

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

Wiesel depicts his experiences in the Holocaust through the eyes of Eliezer who conveys the terrors of what he endured and saw. Readers will likely note reoccurring themes of faith, silence, and inhumanity, as well as symbols that include corpses, fire, and night. 

Night Themes 

Faith .

Throughout the novel, Elie is forced to question his faith in God. When God does not step in and stop the horrors around him, Elie has to consider that his faith may have been wrong all along. He learned that God demands sacrifice but is, in the end, compassionate and loving, that’s far from what he learned firsthand during his experiences in the novel, Night . Despite the fact that Eliezer says he’s lost his faith several times, Wiesel includes religious allusions and figurative language that suggest that that’s not completely true. By the end of the novel, while his understanding of the world and religion has shifted, he’s not completely without faith. 

Silence/Indifference 

This is one of the primary themes in the novel, and one that can be found in Wiesel’s other works as well as lectures. Elie is constantly bothered by the silence of God and the silence of other men and women in Europe throughout the novel.

There are numerous examples of indifference throughout the novel. Elie notes the village’s indifferent reaction when Moishe returns with news of what he’s seen, the German people’s ability to ignore what’s going on right in front of their faces, and of course, the Nazi soldier’s indifference to the lives they were destroying. One of the most telling scenes comes towards the end of the novel when the prisoners are running toward Gleiwitz and are being shot down by guards if they paused for even a moment. 

Inhumanity 

Indifference and silence go hand in hand with inhumanity in Night. It’s impossible to read this novel and not walk away feeling horrified by the inhuman practices promoted and carried out by the Nazi regime. Eliezer has trouble making sense of the world after seeing some of the terrible things that happened inside and outside the camps. One such scene comes after he’s arrived with his father and they walk past a pit in which S.S. soldiers are burning the bodies of children.

Additionally, the prisoner on prisoner violence and hate is another aspect of the inhuman environment Eliezer had to endure. The men in his camps were so desperate they turned on one another, even sons on fathers. This is seen quite clearly at the end of the novel when the prisoners beat Eliezer’s father and effectively end his life. 

Analysis of Key Moments in Night

• Elie studies with Moishe the Beadle. Moishe is expelled from Sighet. 
• Moishe returns and tells everyone what he saw and experienced. 
• German soldiers come to Sighet and place restrictions of Jews living there. 
• Eliezer and his family are moved into a ghetto
• Eliezer and his family are transported to Birkenau on cattle cars. 
• Elie is separated from his mother and sisters . 
• The men are taken to Auschwitz. 
• Elie is given number r A-7713. 
• Everyone goes to Buna. 
• Elie is beaten and has his gold crown removed. 
• Elie watches a young boy executed. 
• Elie’s father barely passes inspection. 
• The death march begins from Buna to an abandoned village and then Gleiwitz. 
• Everyone gets on a train to Buchenwald and very few survive the journey. 
• Elie’s father dies of dysentery and a beating from the other men. 
• Elie is liberated from the camp. 

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language in Night

Throughout Night, Wiesel writes about Elie’s experiences in a detached tone. He uses short sentences and clear words to report on what Elie saw and what he felt. Wiesel was trying to put his experiences into words, in a way that accurately represented them but allowed him to keep some distance from the character of Eliezer. The text is sparse, with very few complex passages or examples of figurative language. Elie Wiesel chose to speak directly to the reader in a way that could not be misunderstood.

Often, Wiesel does take a step back from a terrible scene, talking around it rather than directly describing it. For example, when he speaks about an S.S. guard shooting a prisoner. 

The tone in the novel is serious throughout . There are no light or happy moments. Even when the novel concludes and the camp has been liberated, Elie concludes the novel with a striking scene of loss and sorrow with Eliezer standing in front of a mirror. 

Analysis of Symbols in Night

Night .

One of the most obvious and important symbols in the novel is night. By naming the novel “night” and pushing themes of religious doubt, it’s important to consider Genesis and the passages regarding God’s creation of the earth. First, the Bile says, there was “darkness upon the face of the deep.” It’s this darkness, with the absence of God, that Eliezer lives through. Light is absent from some of the most important scenes in the novel, such as when Eliezer’s father is talking to him about the deportation of the Jews and when they arrive at Birkenau/Auschwitz. 

Fire is a symbol of death and destruction in Night. It is used by the Nazis to destroy evidence of their genocide. It first appears in a horrifying passage when Madame Schächter cries out “ Fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere ,” when the train arrives in Birkenau. When the train pulls in, Eliezer can smell burning flesh immediately. This is something that haunts the rest of the novel. The fire is an ever-present reminder of the deaths waiting for those able to escape the initial threat of the crematorium. 

Corpses 

Corpses appear throughout the novel, bringing into the light the true extent of the horrors the Nazi regime perpetrated on the Jewish people. Eliezer is forced to witness deaths and sees piles of bodies. The image of a corpse also appears at the end of the novel when Eliezer looks at himself in the mirror and thinks that he looks more than a corpse than he does a living person. It’s a symbol for the death of who he was, the strength of his faith, and the loss of the 11 million who did in the Holocaust . 

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About Emma Baldwin

Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.

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Elie Wiesel

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

One of the legacies of the Holocaust is the sheer scale of one group of people's inhumanity towards other groups of people. In the case of the Jews, the German government and German society attempted to redefine them as sub-human, and then as creatures who deserved to die.

But Night doesn't just focus on the Nazis and their seemingly endless diabolical behavior (concentration camp doctors—those who swear an oath to do no harm—are some of the worst offenders imaginable). The book also looks at what it is like for an adolescent to live in a situation where he and those around him are no longer treated as humans. The loss of humanity among the victims leads to all kinds of cruelty and callousness among the prisoners as they struggle to survive—prisoners are vicious towards each other, those with small powers abuse them, children abandon parents, starving people kill each other for scraps of food. In the cattle car on the way to Auschwitz, people strike a woman to keep her quiet, something they never would have done in the village. As Eliezer 's father lies in his sickbed, near death, other invalids beat him up because he smells bad. Through Night , Elie Wiesel makes the point that when people are treated as subhuman and are subjected to the constant threat of death, they may lose the ability to act like a decent person—even towards others in the same situation. Empathy is one of the finest human qualities, but it can be crushed.

Inhumanity ThemeTracker

Inhumanity Quotes in Night

Night Themes

Themes are overarching ideas and beliefs that the writers express in their texts, including poetry, fiction , and plays.  Themes make the story appealing and persuasive and help readers to understand the hidden messages in a story or poem . Themes in Night , a masterpiece of Elie Wiesel , are diverse. They present question a man’s faith, show the effects of cruelty and hatred, along with the dark sides of human nature.  Some of the major themes in Night have been discussed below.

Themes in Night

Cruelty in the Holocaust

The Night demonstrates terribly cruel acts by the Nazis against the Jews, also known as The Holocaust. Elie’s family is in Sighet. They are ordered to move in segregated places and are forced to board a train to Auschwitz. Cruelty can be assessed from the fact that various people have already foreseen their deaths. For example, Madam Schachter starts screaming at the top of her voice and imagining that there is a fire. Moishe of Beadle also warns the people that they would be driven to their deaths, yet nobody believes him. Eliezer later remembers that people often took him as a lunatic. Elie, who is in his teens during these events, witnesses his family’s death and the horrors of the concentration camps. Eliezer questions his faith when he sees a young boy hanging on the gallows.

Humanity is absent from the main storyline. However, it can be considered as an overarching theme . Most of the characters treat each other with prejudice and inhumanity. Amidst this chaos, however, readers will find a few exceptions. For example, a veteran prisoner advises Eliezer that he should forget his father, or else he would lose his own life. He says, “You cannot think of others.” Eliezer feels that he had lost his humanity. He understands the circumstances and doesn’t condemn Rabbi’s son for leaving his father to die. Instead, he blames himself for his father’s death. Due to fear, Elie loses a sense of humanity and kindness when he does not give water to his father. He thinks by doing so, he’ll be killed by the Germans.

Faith in God is another major theme of the novel . When Eliezer in Sighet, his primary concern is the study of his religion, Judaism, and the purpose of life on this earth. He used to take an interest in religion and religious studies. Once he enters the concentration camp, he begins to doubt the existence of God. He often thinks that if such a great power existed, God wouldn’t allow such events, and also protect the chosen people. As the internal battle for the faith continues, he believes that “man is stronger, greater than God.” In fact, most inmates of the camp face the same dilemma about God’s existence.

Families were broken during the mayhem of transportation to the concentration camps to Auschwitz and other camps. Eliezer, for example, gets separated from his mother and sisters. During the camp, his relationship with his father turns cold. Because whenever Germans see such sympathies or efforts to support one another, they would kill them. Another such family relation is witnessed through the son of Rabi Eliahu, who gets separated from him. When he sees that he is unable to support his father, he leaves him and moves on. However, Eliezer prays to God that such a time should not come for him. However, Elie’s father dies, and Elie tries to suppress the loss.

Silence and suppression is another major theme of the novel. Eliezer observes that it is strange that despite warnings from Moishe the Beadle and Madam Sachachet, the Jews did not try to flee. There is a lack of voice even in Auschwitz and other camps. The most prominent silence is the silence of God. Though people cried out for Him, there was no answer. A prisoner asks it clearly “Where is God?” The play of Beethoven by Juliek amid death is a reminder that the people are alive and that they can speak. The rest is all silence.

Faith in God

Elie Wiesel had seen very religious people going to the death chambers with blank faces. He sees the Germans putting the little and innocent children to gas chambers or sending them to gallows. It is obvious that every person will question the very existence of God crying, ‘Where is God?’ Elie becomes numb and loses faith in God as he thinks that he may never believe in God. Therefore, the theme of faith in God also goes with the other thematic ideas like faith.

The theme of loyalty is closely tied to the theme of humanity. In fact, this loyalty sets human beings apart from other social creatures. Elie Wiesel proves his loyalty through his own relationships and the relationship of the son of the Rabbi. At first, he thinks that he is more loyal to his father and accompanies him on every stage of their lives. However, as he gives in to the fear of survival, he becomes numb and silent during the last stages of his father’s life. He doesn’t give him because of the fear of death, either of his own or of his father. Secondly, when Rabbi’s son, helplessly watches his father be crushed during the march, he prays that he does not face the same situation.

Insight into Human Nature

Understanding human nature, its unpredictability is another major theme of the novel. According to the author, human beings neither good nor bad. However, when they feel superior to their race and religion, they become cruel and kill people without any remorse. Even sometimes close and blood relatives ignore each other such as the son of Rabbi and Elie ignoring their fathers. Also, people stop believing in religion or the existence of God when they are desperate for safety.

Dignity or dignity of human life is another minor theme of the novel. However, the readers will only notice a loss of dignity such as Madam Schachter and Moise the Beadle. Under the Nazi regime, Jewish people were stripped of dignity and massacred in the most inhuman manner. The author’s story of survival is one of the million examples of people who lost their dignity before losing their lives.

Freedom from Oppression

Freedom from the oppression of the German occupation forces came after millions of Jews were slaughtered. During the marching or changing camps, Elie feels that his father has rather become a burden on him. Every prisoner wanted to be free from physical and mental torture in the concentration camps.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Night — Themes Of Dehumanization And Despondency In Night

Themes of Dehumanization and Despondency in Night

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Night by Elie Wiesel: Themes

Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night explores many critical issues that occurred during World War II. Night themes play a crucial role for the readers since they help to comprehend the book’s main idea.

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Willing to investigate themes in Night by Elie Wiesel? Read the following article and find a lot of useful information—with quotes!

Faith Theme

Dehumanization theme.

The memoir Night by Elie Wiesel has themes that impress the readers with their versatility and deep meaning. With the plot progress, the author discovers the cental issues from different perfectives. Among all the themes in the book Night , the subject of faith takes the leading role. Moreover, it demonstrates the main character’s transformation throughout the entire story.

At the beginning of the book, Eliezer is a profoundly religious 12 years old boy from a Jews family. He spends days studying Thamud texts and bible verses. During the nights, he prays at the synagogue in Sighet.

Eliezer is very dedicated to God and is passionate about Jewish mysticism – a belief that everything in the world is based on holiness and divine power. Eliezer believes that God is everywhere. Also, he thinks that the Lord is compassionate. Consequently, the world is a place full of kindness by its nature.

Seeking to learn religion more, the boy starts exploring faith with a teacher – Moché the Beadle . He plays an essential role in the formation of Eliezer’s worldview and values.

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Despite being too religious, Eliezer’s faith starts faltering as soon as he arrives at the concentration camp. Here, he witnesses a sequence of immoral actions that provokes an internal conflict inside him. He still tries to maintain faith in God. Eliezer, as may other prisoners, believes that the concentration camp is God’s test. To get a better life, he is supposed to overcome all the obstacles the Lord sends to him. Yet, the horrific and inhuman actions made my Nazi gradually destroy Eliezer’s belief in God’s kind heart.

The internal Eliezer’s conflict in Night by Elie Wiesel reaches its peak when the boy witnesses the hanging of the “ sad-eyed angel .” This is a terrifying event when the SS officer sentences to death a young prisoner. What’s more, the officer makes the rest of the convicts observe the boy’s painful death in complete silence. At that moment, Eliezer questions the Lord’s kindness. He is no longer a dedicated God’s follower. Moreover, faith makes him frustrated rather than motivated and inspired.

Overall, it would be wrong to assume that Eliezer loses his faith in God. He still believes in divine power. However, the main character questions God’s kindheartedness. Here is where a more complex conflict in Night arises. Eliezer assumes that everything happens for a reason and by God’s will. Yet, he sees a real hell on earth , and he cannot understand how God allowed this. All of these thoughts cause a real cognitive dissonance inside Eliezer’s mind. So, he transforms his worldview to a great extent.

Ultimately, the main character does not lose faith in God, even if it might seem so. He is trying to figure out why God acts inhumanely and allows such chaos on earth . He loses his faith in the goodness of God. Yet, he still believes in divine powers and the Lord’s existence.

Seeking to investigate the theme of faith on a deeper level? See our Night quotes about faith to learn more.

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Losing Faith Quotes in Night

• “I was almost thirteen and deeply observant. By day I studied Talmud and by night I would run to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the Temple.”  ( Night , p. 3)  
• “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.”  ( Night , Foreword)  
• “Some talked of God, of his mysterious ways, of the sins of the Jewish people, and of their future deliverance. But I had ceased to pray. How I sympathized with Job! I did not deny God’s existence, but I doubted his absolute justice.”  ( Night , p. 45) 
• “Yes, man is very strong, greater than God. When You were deceived by Adam and Eve, You drove them out of Paradise. When Noah’s generation displeased You, You brought down the Flood… But these men here, whom You have betrayed, whom You have allowed to be tortured, slaughtered, gassed, burned, what do they do? They pray before You! They praise your name!”  ( Night , p. 67)    
• “But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long. In the midst of these men assembled for prayer, I felt like an observer, a stranger.”  ( Night , p. 68)   

One of the central themes of Night is dehumanization. Describing the horrifying events of the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel demonstrates how people can be inhuman. Humans are cruel toward others throughout the book.

The most violent characters of the book are Nazi officers and SS doctors. They are too brainwashed, so they believe some nations (like Jews) are supposed to be exterminated. Nazis mistreat the imprisoned Jews. They keep the prisoners in inhumane conditions, regularly beat and mock them. The imprisoned don’t get enough food and work for long hours without rest. The Nazis’ attitude towards Jews notably shifts Eliezer’s worldview.

One of the graphic displays of violence in Night is the teenager’s execution. The cruel SS officer made the other prisoners observe the painful death of the boy. After witnessing this torture, the central character starts questioning God’s humanity and kindness.

Nevertheless, Nazis are not the only agents of inhumanity in Night . Living in horrible conditions, the fellow prisoners gradually start losing their minds and become violent. Cruelty breeds cruelty. So, Jews lose their sense of compassion and benevolence.

Always facing the acts of blatant dehumanization, the prisoners become cold and rude towards each other. The horrible living conditions and constant tortures make them forget about true human feelings. Horrified, pressured, and exhausted, people prioritize their interests. The only thing they genuinely desire is to stay alive. Hence, the prisoners tend to leave their relatives to deal with their problems by themselves. Sometimes, Jews even fight and kill each other to get more food or water. Under such circumstances, people tend to become selfish. That’s a natural reaction provoked by the instinct for self-preservation.

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Eliezer keeps believing in the significance of family ties as long as he is capable of doing this. He remains loyal to his father till the very end. Once Eliezer witnesses how another prisoner abandons his father, he becomes too frustrated. At that moment, the main character swears that he will never do the same to his dad. Yet, later, Eliezer finds out that it was just a self-deception. In his desperate attempts to support his weakened father, he feels that his dad became a burden for him. Eliezer is trying to convince himself that he is still faithful to his parent. Sadly, that’s a lie. That’s how deception dehumanizes Eliezer’s personality.

Overall, dehumanization is one of the leading themes in Night by Elie Wiesel. The reader can trace its development throughout the entire book. The Nazis are the key agents of inhumanity in the memoir. Yet, under physical and mental pressure, the prisoners lose their goodwill as well. Even faithful and caring Eliezer becomes coldhearted by the end of the book.

Dehumanization Quotes in Night

• “He seemed to be telling the truth. Not far from us, flames, huge flames, were rising from a ditch. Something was being burned there. A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this, with my own e y e s … children thrown into the flames.” ( Night , p. 32) 
• “Remember it always, let it be graven in your memories. You are in Auschwitz. And Auschwitz is not a convalescent home. It is a concentration camp. Here, you must work. If you don’t you will go straight to the chimney. To the crematorium. Work or crematorium—the choice is yours.”  ( Night , p. 38) 
• “Two SS were headed toward the solitary confinement cell. They came back, the condemned man between them. He was a young boy from Warsaw. […] I heard the pounding of my heart. The thousands of people who died daily in Auschwitz and Birkenau, in the crematoria, no longer troubled me. But this boy, leaning against his gallows, upset me deeply. […] The hangman put the rope around his neck. […] Then the entire camp, block after block, filed past the hanged boy and stared at his extinguished eyes, the tongue hanging from his gaping mouth. The Kapos forced everyone to look him squarely in the face.”  ( Night , p. 62) 
• “The night was pitch-black. From time to time, a shot exploded in the darkness. They had orders to shoot anyone who could not sustain the pace. Their fingers on the triggers, they did not deprive themselves of the pleasure. If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog.”  ( Night , p. 85) 
• “Listen to me, kid. Don’t forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is every man for himself, and you cannot think of others. Not even your father. In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.”  ( Night , p. 110) 
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The Theme Of Dehumanization In Elie Wiesel's Night

• Category: History , Environment
• Topic: Elie Wiesel , Night

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