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.