Night Bell-ringer and Journal Entry #3

April 28, 2014

Bell-ringer: You do not have to write the sentences or the definition for each word. Instead, create your own sentences using the underlined words. Each sentence should be at least ten words long.

1.     The dentist needed to extract the infected tooth before replacing it with a gold facsimile.

2.     The sanctity of God is frequently questioned when bad things happen to good people.

3.     Your persistent defiance to authority has not gone unnoticed.

4.     At the 10 year anniversary, the former students reminisced on the good days from high school.

5.     Willful stupidity makes Mr. Spivy absolutely livid.  

Journal Entry #3
Write a response to one of the following prompts. This should be kept separate from your bell-ringers.

Option #1: Eliezer poses a profound question: “How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?” If confronted with this question, how would you answer?

Option #2: Elie tells a lie to his relative, Stein, because he believed it was more helpful to lie than to cause Stein pain with the truth. Is lying ever acceptable? How does one judge when a lie is beneficial? Give an example from your own experience.

 

NIGHT Chap. 2 & 3 Questions

Night: Chapters 2 and 3 Discussion Questions

1.       Describe the conditions in the cattle car. Your description should appeal to all five senses: sight, smell, hear, taste, and touch.

2.       “The train stopped in […] small town on the Czechoslovakian border. […] We realized then that we were not staying in Hungary. Our eyes opened. Too late.” Night, pg. 23
What does Elie mean when he says that their eyes opened? Where did they hope they would be going?

3.       Describe Mrs. Schächter. Describe the progression of treatment towards her by the other Jews. Was their treatment of her justifiable? Describe her son. How does he change?

4.       Do you believe Mrs. Schächter was insane, having a vision of what was to come, or hallucinating? Could there be another explanation?

5.       Describe Elie’s description of being separated from his mother and sisters. Why do you think he only mentions Tzipora by name? He had two other sisters.

6.       On page 31, Elie describes the younger Jews rallying support for a revolt. Who puts an end to these thoughts? Why did they not go through with the idea?

7.       Why does Elie’s father tell his son he wished he had gone with his mother? What would have happened to Elie had he gone with his mother?

8.       Give a description of Elie’s first day in Auschwitz.

9.       Why did Elie lie to Stein? Was his lie justifiable? When did Stein stop visiting?

10.   Elie talks about how his faith and his God were killed the first night in Auschwitz. Even still, he prays, sings hymns, and discusses his faith. How can he talk about losing his faith and still act like he has not lost it?

NIGHT Chap. 1 Questions and Journal Prompts

Night: Chapter 1 Discussion Questions

1.       Try to picture Elie’s childhood. How is his childhood like yours and how is it different?

2.       Why do you believe Wiesel began his story with Moishe the Beadle?

3.       Compare and contrast Moishe before and after his deportation.

4.       What part does religion play in the community? In Elie’s life?

5.       Describe the progression of oppression of the Jews in Sighet. How did they react each time?

6.       Describe Elie’s father. Why do you believe he refused to leave Sighet?

7.       At the bottom of page 12, Wiesel writes “The story he had interrupted would remain unfinished.” How could this be interpreted symbolically to mean more than just the story?

8.       How did the Jews adapt to the ghettos?

9.       Why do you believe no one (except for one) was told where the Jews were being deported?

10.   Describe the significance of the transports being in cattle cars.

Journal Entry #2 (keep separate from your bell-ringers)

Directions: Write about one of the prompts below. No stated minimum; write as much as you can. The topics are open-ended, so you will have the freedom to interpret the topic individually. You may do one of the topics from before (the one you have not done) or the new topic.

Option A—Like any relationship, Elie Wiesel’s relationship with God is fluid—frequently changing. What are your honest thoughts on a higher power? Do not simply regurgitate what you have learned from your parents or church—write about your honest thoughts.

Option B—Hope and fear are two of the strongest forces in this world. A leader can manipulate followers by using these two forces. People have acted in remarkable ways because of fear and/or hope. Of the two, which do you think is more powerful?

Option C—Like any teenager, the speaker’s relationships with each of his parents are complex.

Choose one of your parents and discuss the complexity of your relationship with him/her. Maybe the expectations that are set for you are too high; perhaps this parent is absent or uninvolved with your life. Hopefully, there are some positive aspects of the relationship.