Aubree Hansen
Hour 6
Ms. Fincher
Characterization and Theme Essay
Popular radical feminist Audre Lorde once said, “I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We 've been taught that silence would save us, but it won 't.” Lorde never stopped being an activist though she had every reason to be silenced. These reasons included being black, female, and gay. This quote can be applied directly to “Night”, a memoir by Elie Wiesel at the time of the Holocaust. Unlike Lorde, who spoke out to make a difference, Elie and the other Jews of Sighet stayed silent to their oppressors and were therefore effectively opressed. The traumatic …show more content…
This is portrayed when Elie thought, “I no longer believed that he could still elude death” (108). Elie’s father, Shlomo Wiesel, was growing very ill and began to accept the coming of his inevitable death. Elie was previously in denial of the severity of his father’s condition, but now was coming to his senses.Though his father still suffered, both Elie and his father were prepared for his passing. Though if Elie had decided to speak out and continue to motivate his father to live, there was a slight possibility that his father’s life could have been extended. One result of Elie’s father’s life being extended may have been getting good medical treatment after liberation and choose to continue living. Instead, Elie stayed quiet about his father’s overwhelming desire to “rest”, and rest he eventually did because of this silence. Therefore, because Elie’s silence could not change his father’s lack of will to live, Elie’s thoughts reveal that silence halts …show more content…
After he and his community are thoroughly dehumanized, Elie ponder his situation from the inside of a cattle car. “We were incapable of thinking… We no longer clung to anything” (36). They had lost so much human quality in such a short time that they felt completely detached from their bodies. Now, had Elie and other able-bodied citizens rebelled against the dehumanization occurring in Sighet, the situation at this point in the novel could have been altered. It is not guaranteed that the Jews would still be free, but they would still be left with their pride and humanity. As they stayed silent while the Nazis were oppressing them, they were stripped of all their basics needs, belongings, and eventually each other. This ultimately led to the Jews slipping into a state of mind similar to that of an animal, where surviving was top priority and human values came only after one was fully satisfied. The Jews were thoroughly dehumanized by the Nazis and let themselves be dehumanized so severely as a result of their continued silence. Therefore, the actions of Elie of those around him reveal that silence halts
Hour 6
Ms. Fincher
Characterization and Theme Essay
Popular radical feminist Audre Lorde once said, “I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We 've been taught that silence would save us, but it won 't.” Lorde never stopped being an activist though she had every reason to be silenced. These reasons included being black, female, and gay. This quote can be applied directly to “Night”, a memoir by Elie Wiesel at the time of the Holocaust. Unlike Lorde, who spoke out to make a difference, Elie and the other Jews of Sighet stayed silent to their oppressors and were therefore effectively opressed. The traumatic …show more content…
This is portrayed when Elie thought, “I no longer believed that he could still elude death” (108). Elie’s father, Shlomo Wiesel, was growing very ill and began to accept the coming of his inevitable death. Elie was previously in denial of the severity of his father’s condition, but now was coming to his senses.Though his father still suffered, both Elie and his father were prepared for his passing. Though if Elie had decided to speak out and continue to motivate his father to live, there was a slight possibility that his father’s life could have been extended. One result of Elie’s father’s life being extended may have been getting good medical treatment after liberation and choose to continue living. Instead, Elie stayed quiet about his father’s overwhelming desire to “rest”, and rest he eventually did because of this silence. Therefore, because Elie’s silence could not change his father’s lack of will to live, Elie’s thoughts reveal that silence halts …show more content…
After he and his community are thoroughly dehumanized, Elie ponder his situation from the inside of a cattle car. “We were incapable of thinking… We no longer clung to anything” (36). They had lost so much human quality in such a short time that they felt completely detached from their bodies. Now, had Elie and other able-bodied citizens rebelled against the dehumanization occurring in Sighet, the situation at this point in the novel could have been altered. It is not guaranteed that the Jews would still be free, but they would still be left with their pride and humanity. As they stayed silent while the Nazis were oppressing them, they were stripped of all their basics needs, belongings, and eventually each other. This ultimately led to the Jews slipping into a state of mind similar to that of an animal, where surviving was top priority and human values came only after one was fully satisfied. The Jews were thoroughly dehumanized by the Nazis and let themselves be dehumanized so severely as a result of their continued silence. Therefore, the actions of Elie of those around him reveal that silence halts