Night by Elie Wiesel - My essay

 In the Holocaust memoir 'Night' by Elie Wiesel, an autobiography that tells us Elie's life from 12 years old to 16 years old. Three events that impacted me emotionally were the first night in the camp"Never Shall I Forget", The death march, Elie's father's death. The writer uses a range of language features including repetition, sibilance and metaphor to describe his experiences in the concentration camps. His purpose in writing this memoir was to tell his story about the holocaust so people won't forget.

One event that impacted me emotionally was Elie Wiesel's first night at a concentration camp in Birkenau. In this part of the book Elie made a very powerful poem for his first night in the camp, with the first four letters "Never shall I forget..." repeated over and over which shows the language technique of repetition. The line that stood out to me the most from the poem was "Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky". Horrific pictures envisioned my brain uncomfortably when I read this. The line has a very sad and sickening feel to it and it makes me feel sorry for the Jews who died.

The death march started in their concentration camp Buna where they had to evacuate because the Russians were gaining closer. Sadly, Elie had an operation on his foot that would take around two weeks to recover. Around a week after Elie's foot operation the evacuation happened and his foot was still not fully recovered. On foot with his wound opening and the shivery snow sprinkled down it was hard not to be in pain. In the already harsh conditions SS officers didn't make it much easier "Faster you tramps, you flea-ridden dogs!" and to shoot any one who could not sustain their pace. This helped me understand how the Jews were really treated by the SS officers. The author uses techniques of metaphor and dialogue. This impacted me because they were made to feel like nothing. Treating them like wild animals. Longingly desperate for the march to end they had a few stops until they reached Gleiwitz. Where they spent three days with no food or water before going into a cattle car with a hundred people for 10 days and nights to arrive at Buchenwald, one of the largest concentration camps established.

Buchenwald was sadly Elie's father's last shop. Suffering from dysentery, Elie's father was getting weaker and weaker. Inmates that were too sick could stay in their bunks. Elie's father grew too weak to even get out of his cot. Elie would often give up his daily ration of bread and soup to his father. Elie's father frequently begged to his son to bring water Elie would try not to give it to him but he could never refuse. One day as an SS officer passed between the bunks. Elie's father was pleading. "My son, water . . . I'm burning up . . . My insides . . .". This dialogue must have been hard for Elie to hear because he could do nothing. His father implored him with sadness in his tone. This made me feel disheartened for the son and the father. It also made me feel confused because I didn't know why water was bad for his father. Pleading over and over till the SS officer couldn't stand it anymore. The officer wielded his club and dealt him with violent blows to the head. The Date was January 28th, 1945.

Elie Wiesel's life in this period was absolutely depressing and revolting to read. This book explains how Jews were treated in the concentration camps and the history of the Holocaust. With the appalling conditions and mass killings it's hell. Elie Wiesel used techniques such as repetition, sibilance and metaphor, to describe the first night in the camp"Never Shall I Forget", The death march, Elie's father's death. Elie witnessed so much that my eyes would not bear to imagine. It opened me up to big significant historical event with people's own real stories. The Holocaust is something people should never forget.