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Night Research Paper

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Johnny Liu Ms. Theobald World Literature Honors 1 March 2024 Themes in Night and in Survivor Stories Every person carries a story within them, shaped by their experiences and actions. While some stories are full of success and positivity, others are marked by trauma and hardship. During the Holocaust, there were many instances of negative experiences. One such example of this is the traumatic story of Eliezer in the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel. In the memoir, we explore the story of Eliezer, a Jew surviving the Holocaust. Along with other Holocaust survivors, he experiences many traumatic events such as the death of his dad and having to endure the horrific conditions of the concentration camps. These experiences are displayed by the many themes …show more content…

For example, this theme was shown when other inmates had taken advantage over Eliezer's weakened and helpless dad. When Eliezer talked to his dad after he saw his worsened condition, he confessed that “‘They threw themselves at me. They snatched it from me, my bread.And they beat me. Again.’” (Wiesel 110). This quote illustrates the theme of betrayal due to personal gain by portraying the brutal reality of life in the concentration camps. The prisoners are driven to betray their own campmates to survive, hindering other inmates' chances of survival in the process. Another instance of the theme of betrayal due to personal gain occurring resonates with the experiences of Gerald Szcames. “One day, his grandfather removed the rope that was holding up his pants and used it to hang Gerald from a tree. His mother cut him down. Another time, his uncle kicked him into a well. Gerald grabbed onto a tree root, and his mother pulled him out“ (Fax 1). Gerald's grandfather and uncle, driven by their own selfish motives influenced by the circumstances of survival, betray Gerald and through violent actions, try to kill

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