Night Quote Analysis Assignment no. 2

     "'Men to the left! Women to the right!' Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without emotion. Eight short, simple words. Yet that was the moment when I parted from my mother. I had not had time to think, but already I felt the pressure of my father's hand: we were alone."
     
     I feel that Elie is very confused and conflicted in this quote. He analyzes those eight words as if he's never heard them before. He was scared, and in that short of a moment when those words were spoken, he didn't know how to respond. His father is with him, but indicates that they're on their own; that this was their last goodbye to Tzipora and Elie's mother. This implies a deep sadness in the fact that all that he had known, all that he'd been raised with, was now erased and life as he know it disappeared.


     "I pinched my face. Was I still alive? Was I awake? I could not believe it. How could it be possible for them to burn people, children, and for the world to keep silent? NO, none of this could be true. It was a nightmare...Soon I should wake with a start, my heart pounding, and find myself back in the bedroom of my childhood, among my books.."

   
     During this time, he was stricken with disbelief, and was exasperated at how these terrifying at horrific atrocities could happen; seeing all these innocent people die with no regards to their family, homes, dreams, life, and religion. How could they do such a thing? Elie believed that this couldn't be real. People couldn't be so filled with hatred and be so naive as to follow a psychopath's orders to exterminate human beings because they're slightly different. How could this be? This shows at how much of a humane, loving, curious, but naive person he was. Though later on, he would soon change and face the reality of the truth.

Quote Analysis Assignment #1

     "Physically he was as awkward as a clown. He made people smile with his waiflike timidity. I loved his great, dreaming eyes; their gaze lost in the distance." (Wiesel, 13)

     I think the Elie looks up to Moche the Beadle, and sees him almost as a holy character. Moche the Beadle is suggested to be a very humble, gentle man in this quote especially. The quote draws a parallel between the individual Moche the Beadle and the massive number of Jews. They are humble, gentle beings that saw, lived, and died throughout horrific events during the holocaust. Also, though not a very handsome man, he was down to earth and kind.


"'To live? I don't attach my importance to life any more. I'm alone. No, I wanted to come back, and to warn you.'" (Moche the Beadle, 17)

Moche the Beadle appears to define his down to earth yet somewhat sad demeanor after seeing the terrifying truth of the genocide of the holocaust. He cares about others and this quote is just one example of the kind, caring, loving human being who is Moche the Beadle, but still a parallel to all Jews in the way that they are the victim of this bullying. I think Moche the Beadle, especially in this quote, is very symbolic to the Jews.

Aunt Everly's Funeral

     Though a traumatic experience, there was a sense of closure as I peered over the casket to ease my mind of the loss in my family. Cancer, so it was, an aggressive and untreatable disease in which my dear Aunt Everly was plagued. As I traced my eyes over the contours of the pale wooden box, I was overcome by a sense of grief. I gazed at her motionless body, laced in the finest silk pantsuit I've ever laid my eyes on. It was beautiful, like a small boat in a darkened sea; the waves crashing over and toppling it, eventually breaking it to pieces. It was still the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. It was so peaceful. The little boat, dismembered by the roaring waters, was at peace with it all. It knew it was no match for the waves, and was quietly defeated.

    

My eyes started to well up with this salty liquid at the thought of her never being able to come back and see me strut across the stage with that little rolled up shred of parchment; that smile that stretched from ear to ear. I placed my fingers over the casket, touching the pillowed interior with the lightest touch. Quite the woman, Aunt Everly was. That little boat would never be rebuilt; for it had been lost at sea.

Dreams

Dreams

      Throughout the book Of Mice and Men, much attention is directed toward George and  Lennie's dream. George had promised to Lennie that they would get a large piece of land in the countryside, and they would have all different types of crops, and a field of alfalfa, which would be used to feed the rabbits they had wanted. He also promised to have livestock and chickens, along with the rabbits. George had told Lennie that he could tend the rabbits that he loved so much, under the condition that he wouldn't get into any trouble. Overall though, this dream is realistic, but would be more so if Lennie had not been mentally impaired thus creating the trouble that George was afraid of getting into. Dreams are a wonderful thing to have, especially during The  Depression, when it seemed that even the smallest dreams could not be achieved. When others doubt these dreams, it does tend to deter the dreamer of holding onto those dreams. If dreams are not achieved for long periods of time, usually they begin to think of other things and are distracted by their short term issues that often get in the way of their long term goals or ideals. Though it is not a good thing to live in a fantasy world, sometimes the better option is to latch on to unrealizable dreams instead of facing reality. This happens in many scenarios, such as when a child has a bad home life. They try to think about the unimaginable before they can face the true horrors of their reality. This type of dream though was not very unrealizable in Of Mice and Men as much as other books.

Individuality: Expressing Yourself or Fitting In?

     Have you ever worried about what others think about you?  Everyone has thought this at least once in their lives.  Does fitting in overrule the individuality you were born with?  Many people believe this is true, as much as they hate to admit it. So the question is: Is it worth getting picked on for being yourself? Or is it better to be in the "in" crowd?
     You see them in the hallways, talking with their insanely large group of friends... Do you wish to be in their shoes?  Many people often see the surface of this clique, popular, happy, and fulfilled.  What many don't know is that much of this clique are very self conscious themselves.  They do struggle to be "in" and many don't have the courage to break free from the pack and be different.  Maybe it's all a charade.  Maybe we tell ourselves that we are different, when underneath, we all strive to be accepted.
     Bullying is one of the most destructive acts happening to kids that breaks the lives of not only the bullies' victims, but the bullies themselves. This is because they often have low self esteem because of not fitting in, and take this anger and jealousy on kids that are trying to do so in a healthier way. So should people express their individuality and run the risk of being bullied, or be like the rest, and fit in?
     Of course you may believe that you are different, which is true, we all are. The problem is, we keep that underneath, for fear of others. My belief is that sure, I want people to think well of me, but I do not let that ruin my self esteem. If they have an issue with it, well then it's not really my problem. I like to be different; I like to dress oddly and wear my hair differently and go against the norm. A bit of a nonconformist? Quite so. Not to say that everyone trying to fit in is bad, but that I'm sorry they don't have the courage to be different, although, this isn't up for me to judge.
     In conclusion, individuality in my eyes is definitely worth being ridiculed. Who cares what they think? Not me. I expect people to have different opinions about me, everyone will. I'd just rather not be the robots that the public wants us to be. I'm not normal. I'm me.