Into the Dark: Into the Dark: Mini-Mini-NightNight Review Review

FeracoFeraco

English 9English 9

3 June 20093 June 2009

TermsTerms Beadle – a caretaker or “man Beadle – a caretaker or “man

of all work” in a synagogueof all work” in a synagogue Important Because: Moche! Important Because: Moche! Cabbala – Jewish mysticism. Cabbala – Jewish mysticism.

Followers believe that every Followers believe that every aspect of the Torah has aspect of the Torah has hidden meanings that link the hidden meanings that link the spiritual world to everyday spiritual world to everyday life. The teachings of the life. The teachings of the cabbala can be found in the cabbala can be found in the Zohar, which was compiled in Zohar, which was compiled in the thirteenth century.the thirteenth century.

Important Because: Moche Important Because: Moche teaches Eliezer! teaches Eliezer!

TermsTerms Job – a biblical figure who Job – a biblical figure who

questioned why the just questioned why the just must suffer while the wicked must suffer while the wicked flourish.flourish.

Important Because: How Important Because: How does he compare to Eliezer?does he compare to Eliezer?

Kaddish – a prayer Jews Kaddish – a prayer Jews recite in memory of a loved recite in memory of a loved one. The prayer praises and one. The prayer praises and reaffirms a belief in one God.reaffirms a belief in one God.

Important Because: The Jews Important Because: The Jews promise to recite one for promise to recite one for Akiba Drumer – and never doAkiba Drumer – and never do

TermsTerms Nazis – “National Socialist Party” – Nazis – “National Socialist Party” –

fascist and right-wing, it warped its fascist and right-wing, it warped its ideology as it continued amassing ideology as it continued amassing power in Germany – promoted power in Germany – promoted extreme racial and cultural extreme racial and cultural intolerance – preyed upon the fears intolerance – preyed upon the fears and insecurities of postwar and insecurities of postwar Germany – committed numerous Germany – committed numerous atrocities, including the attempted atrocities, including the attempted extermination of the Jewish peopleextermination of the Jewish people

SS – Huge group – “Shield SS – Huge group – “Shield Squadron” – a major force for HitlerSquadron” – a major force for Hitler

Gestapo – Secret police; fell under Gestapo – Secret police; fell under the SS’s administration but was its the SS’s administration but was its own unitown unit

TermsTerms Kapo – A prisoner in a Kapo – A prisoner in a

concentration camp, usually a concentration camp, usually a criminal, who helped control criminal, who helped control other prisoners as a sort of other prisoners as a sort of overseer or wardenoverseer or warden

Yellow Star – A mark in the Yellow Star – A mark in the shape of the Star of David; Jews shape of the Star of David; Jews were forced to wear this in order were forced to wear this in order to set them apart from others to set them apart from others and – realistically – to make it and – realistically – to make it easier to target them via hate easier to target them via hate crimescrimes

Sighet – The Transylvanian town Sighet – The Transylvanian town where Eliezer and his family live where Eliezer and his family live at the beginning of at the beginning of NightNight

Concentration CampsConcentration Camps Birkenau/AuschwitzBirkenau/Auschwitz BunaBuna BuchenwaldBuchenwald

CharactersCharacters Moché the Beadle – Like Moché the Beadle – Like

Cassandra (blessed with the Cassandra (blessed with the power of foresight, but cursed by power of foresight, but cursed by the inability to convince anyone the inability to convince anyone she saw the truth), he tries to she saw the truth), he tries to warn the Jews of impending warn the Jews of impending danger only to be brushed aside danger only to be brushed aside and dismissedand dismissed

Eliezer – Slightly fictionalized Eliezer – Slightly fictionalized version of Wiesel – version of Wiesel – not Wiesel not Wiesel himselfhimself

A-7713 – The number branded on A-7713 – The number branded on Wiesel’s arm in the concentration Wiesel’s arm in the concentration camp – his official designationcamp – his official designation

Chlomo – Eliezer’s father, the Chlomo – Eliezer’s father, the character who takes the largest character who takes the largest supporting role in the textsupporting role in the text

CharactersCharacters Mother – Eliezer’s mother Mother – Eliezer’s mother

disappears fairly early in the disappears fairly early in the narrativenarrative

Hilda – Eliezer’s eldest sister, Hilda – Eliezer’s eldest sister, she is of marrying age when the she is of marrying age when the Jews are ghettoized and movedJews are ghettoized and moved

Béa – Eliezer’s older sister, Béa – Eliezer’s older sister, younger than Hildayounger than Hilda

Tzipora – The “baby” of the Tzipora – The “baby” of the family, Eliezer – and Elie – lose family, Eliezer – and Elie – lose her to the concentration campher to the concentration camp

Stein (of Antwerp) – A relative of Stein (of Antwerp) – A relative of Eliezer’s; Eliezer and Chlomo lie Eliezer’s; Eliezer and Chlomo lie to him about his family’s safety, to him about his family’s safety, and he’s crushed when he and he’s crushed when he discovers the truthdiscovers the truth

CharactersCharacters Madame Schäcter – A Madame Schäcter – A

passenger on the car Eliezer passenger on the car Eliezer rides in – the same sort of rides in – the same sort of “Cassandra” treatment that “Cassandra” treatment that Moché receivedMoché received

Dr. Mengele – A physician in Dr. Mengele – A physician in the SS – Eliezer encounters the SS – Eliezer encounters him during selections, when him during selections, when he’s determining who will he’s determining who will die, who will live, and who die, who will live, and who will become part of his will become part of his experimentsexperiments

CharactersCharacters Yeheil – A fellow prisoner Yeheil – A fellow prisoner

who weeps as Eliezer tries who weeps as Eliezer tries to comfort him – highlights to comfort him – highlights one aspect of the “human one aspect of the “human breakdown” as the breakdown” as the prisoners are pushed to the prisoners are pushed to the edge ofe deathedge ofe death

Akiba Drumer – A fellow Akiba Drumer – A fellow prisoner who loses his will prisoner who loses his will to carry on after his faith in to carry on after his faith in God is broken – another God is broken – another aspect of the “human aspect of the “human breakdown”breakdown”

CharactersCharacters Juliek – A fellow prisoner – Unlike Juliek – A fellow prisoner – Unlike

Akiba, he preserves his will to Akiba, he preserves his will to survive, continuing to play his survive, continuing to play his violin – sadly, mournfully – even violin – sadly, mournfully – even as he’s threatened; both he and as he’s threatened; both he and the violin are destroyed, and his the violin are destroyed, and his sad final song in Buchenwald sad final song in Buchenwald haunts Eliezer’s memorieshaunts Eliezer’s memories

Franek – A musician and foremen Franek – A musician and foremen who Eliezer meets at the same who Eliezer meets at the same time as Juliek – turns out to be far time as Juliek – turns out to be far crueler than at first blush, forcing crueler than at first blush, forcing Eliezer to have his golden crown Eliezer to have his golden crown (which holds his broken tooth (which holds his broken tooth together) removed with a spoontogether) removed with a spoon

CharactersCharacters Idek – One of the kapos in Idek – One of the kapos in

Buna – an arbitrarily vicious Buna – an arbitrarily vicious man – lashes Eliezer 25 man – lashes Eliezer 25 times after the boy times after the boy discovers his affair with a discovers his affair with a prisonerprisoner

Yossi and Tibi – Two boys Yossi and Tibi – Two boys Eliezer befriends in BunaEliezer befriends in Buna

The “French” Girl – A The “French” Girl – A “friend” Eliezer makes “friend” Eliezer makes while staying at Buna – she while staying at Buna – she hid signs that she was hid signs that she was Jewish in order to survive Jewish in order to survive

CharactersCharacters The Oberkapo – A huge kapo The Oberkapo – A huge kapo

who treated his prisoners who treated his prisoners relatively well, and is relatively well, and is transferred – assumed killed –transferred – assumed killed –after weeks of torture when he’s after weeks of torture when he’s suspected of sabotagesuspected of sabotage

The Pipel – A young boy who The Pipel – A young boy who works for the Oberkapo, he is works for the Oberkapo, he is innocent – Eliezer thinks he innocent – Eliezer thinks he looks beautiful, a “sad-eyed looks beautiful, a “sad-eyed angel” – and he is killed along angel” – and he is killed along with his master. It takes him half with his master. It takes him half an hour to die, and the sight an hour to die, and the sight proves to be one of the final proves to be one of the final blows to Eliezer’s faithblows to Eliezer’s faith

CharactersCharacters The Faceless Patient – Someone The Faceless Patient – Someone

who stays in the hospital with who stays in the hospital with Eliezer, and convinces him to flee Eliezer, and convinces him to flee before the patients are before the patients are exterminated; had Eliezer stayed, exterminated; had Eliezer stayed, he would have been rescued he would have been rescued insteadinstead

Rabbi Eliahou – A well-respected Rabbi Eliahou – A well-respected religious figure in the camps, his religious figure in the camps, his son abandons him during the long son abandons him during the long march to Buchenwald – march to Buchenwald – foreshadowing the dilemma foreshadowing the dilemma Eliezer will face with his own Eliezer will face with his own dying fatherdying father

Mier Katz – A strong prisoner who Mier Katz – A strong prisoner who saves Eliezer from someone trying saves Eliezer from someone trying to strangle him, he finally loses to strangle him, he finally loses his faith on the final train ridehis faith on the final train ride