“Never again will I forget my first night in the camp. My entire life has been turned into one long and lonely night. ….Never again will I forgive those moments, when I killed my God, my spirit, and destroyed my dreams. Even if I’m condemned to live the same amount of time as God, I will never forget this. Never. (Wiesel).” In his novel Night, Elie Wiesel recounts his horrifying experience as a Jewish boy who witnessed the 11 million deaths caused by Adolf Hitler in pursuit of power. Eliezer was twelve years old when he and his parents were taken to numerous concentrations camps where he experienced the worst of abuse, torture and inhumane conditions. Eliezer felt a great deal of physical, spiritual and emotional pain. His tone was affected by the experience. Wiesel’s use of aggressive diction, graphic imagery, and figurative words to convey Eliezer’s sense of loss and confusion is intended to make the experience more realistic for readers.
Wiesel uses an aggressive style of writing to give the reader a clear idea of what he experienced in the Concentration Camp. It also explains how Eliezer the devout Jewish man begins to doubt God. He uses “murder”, as well as “consumed”, in order to express his feelings when his faith was tested. Eliezer uses these words to support his assertion that his faith is being consumed by the “flames”, or the Holocaust. His “dreams” have been reduced to “ashes”, implying he doesn’t have anything left to live for. He continually repeats “Never forget.” This reinforces the Holocaust’s horrors in the mind of the reader. Wiesel is more direct in his use of words than other authors, using “commanded” as opposed to “asked”, “requested”, or similar words. These words highlight the importance of The Bible for Jews and show that Jews only follow Jewish tradition out of duty, not out of a desire to practice the faith. Wiesel describes the sun’s effects on his health, hydration and mood as “Hellish”. The reader can better appreciate Eliezer’s struggles by understanding his tone and vocabulary. Yi Chan, a Stanford University professor, suggests that Wiesel used his reflections to put the reader into a state of depression. Wiesel did not show emotion in some parts of his text, even though the majority was filled with it. For instance, “On Passover Day, the curtain opened: the Germans detained the Jewish leaders. Everything happened in a very short time. The race towards death was underway” (10). The quote in question suggests that Wiesel doesn’t care anymore about his death, but has accepted it. The quote above also has a metaphor “the curtain rose” which represents the revealing of German actions that were hidden for a while.
The night is a metaphor for the way the soul was submerged in suffering and hopelessness. Wiesel’s description of how the children looked at the crematorium is an example of personification. The reader will be struck by the inhumanity and grotesqueness of the smoke-like bodies. The literary devices that are used to enhance Wiesel’s text and support his imagery and diction add an additional dimension to his memoir.
Wiesel is a master at using tone in a depressing way, but also uses it cleverly to express his love for his father in spite hardship. The narrator was sometimes driven to struggle for life by his love for father. To no longer exist. To no longer feel my excruciating foot pain” (86). Wiesel creates a sense of despair and surrender in this quotation. Text suggests Eliezer gave up and was content to die. He continues writing, “My Father’s Presence was the Only Thing That Stopped Me” as the story progresses. He was running beside me, exhausted, weak, and desperate (86). Eliezer kept going through the hardships despite his desire to die. The tone of the text is used to create a mood that the reader would not have otherwise.
Wiesel uses metaphors to get the reader past their normal perception and into his imagination. Sean M. Conrey writes in the Purdue Owl that authors “use words or phrases to stimulate memory”. The memories can be negative or positive and they will affect the mood of the tale. This is found in many places throughout the story. Eliezer crawls off his bed, looking into the bedroom mirror to discover a terrifying sight. The look that he gave me as he looked directly into my eyes has never left. The last line of the story leaves readers with the image of Eliezer’s twisted body as he finally realizes his suffering. Wiesel creates another memorable image in his book when he is standing in the Concentration Camp, asking, “Where’s God now?” and then answering, “Where’s HE?” Here he stands- He’s on the gallows ….”. You can see a young boy with innocence written across his face. This imagery is very powerful and affects both the reader as well as the interpretation of the novel.
Eliezer places great importance on his Jewish religion, but after the Holocaust he begins to lose all faith in God. Eliezer’s identity is stripped away. Wiezel conveys this idea effectively to the readers through his text. In order to achieve this, Wiezel uses a number of literary devices as well as an aggressive style of diction. This depiction of the Holocaust gives the reader a new perspective, since it goes beyond the physical effects. Now the reader can better understand what the Jews suffered during this genocide.
Raskolnikov becomes more moral after considering the pessimistic outcomes of this selfish and crude murder. When he finally realizes how serious the situation is, he breaks down. The punishment isn’t coming to me yet? Yes! (103)”. Raskolnikov, despite committing a grave crime, refuses even to believe that it happened. In reference to his theory of man, where the extraordinary man “allowed” the law to be broken, he believes that he is entitled to do so without hesitation, as he shares the same mentality. Raskolnikov’s sensitive persona proves to him that he is not a full-fledged extraordinary man. Sonya’s goodness, forgiveness, and purity still shine through in his small fragment. The law cannot overpower his intellect, even though he knows the pain he will endure. He was guilty of carrying the guilt because he could not accept Sonya as she is. The town’s just laws and brutality were too much for him to accept.
Raskolnikov refuses admitting his crime because of the overbearing refusal to accept authority. Raskolnikov, who is confused about right and wrong in his mind, has to reveal the identity of Lizaveta’s killer. He was aware of the suffering he would endure and brushed it off. Sonya has given him so much more that he had ever imagined. She is devoted to her needs and will do anything for them. Raskolnikov’s attraction to Sonya is heightened by her innocence and sensitive nature. Assisting him in finding the truth and allowing him to understand his crime. Sonya’s ability to encapsulate his emotions as well as his “ordinary side” is what will allow him to regain confidence and strength. When he comes to realize that he cannot live without her and her love, he begins to listen to her advice.
As a result of the prison in Siberia and the mental deterioration that results, his guilt will never go away. Raskolnikov’s ideals are rebuilt from the very beginning. Life will make you successful, I know you won’t believe me. You’ll get over it in due time. You need fresh air now, fresh, fresh, fresh! “He can only get back to normal by taking care of Sonya. He becomes more human as a result of his emotional awakening. Raskolnikov becomes more intelligent as he gains experience. Sonya brought him this discovery. Otherwise, he’d be doomed to a lifetime of regrets and misery. Analyzing Raskolnikov’s actions can help Raskolnikov put to rest the frustration and agony he felt before.
