I found this internet site
to be most useful in understanding the profound context for Elie Wiesel's book,"Night".
It breaks the book down into several categories which help to better organize and bring more clarity for further in-depth study of the book. By learning much of the background information (aka "the back story") of the author, this internet link provides historical context from which to gain personal insight and connection into the motivation and mindset of Elie Wiesel, as he wrote his very poignant story about the Holocaust. The book "Night" was initially thought to be too pessimistic in it's subject matter, for publishers, yet now his "memoir stands as one of the most widely
read and taught accounts of the Holocaust. By reading this "overview" of the book, Night, I learned quite a few new things. Elie Wiesel found it easier to write about his horrific experiences by slightly altering the name of the main character in the book..."Eliezer". Even after waiting 10 years to write an account of his life in the concentration camps, it was still quite painful to resurrect those memories. He found it necessary to detach himself further, by mixing truth with some fiction in his writing. For instance, in the story, at one point the character, "Eliezer", wounds his foot, whereas in reality, the real-life Elie, wounded his knee. This study of the book portrays not only the tortuous survival of such a hellish nightmare, but also documents the story of a boy's "emotional journey from a believing Orthodox Jewish boy to a profoundly disenchanted young man who questions the existence of God and, by extension, the humanity of man."
1 comment:
Sounds like a very interesting site...a bit confusing though, as to why he would feel the need to change different parts of the truth to cope with the emotion of writing the book. The candidness of the story is what I thought to be so interesting initially. Well written summary, friend!
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