Night Essay, English 11 Advanced
Below, you will find a few suggestions that you may write about. Pick one and then work on the graphic organizer below. From that, you should be able to easily write a thesis statement. Your essay will include direct quotes from the book with in-text notes and a Work Cited.
1. One of the most tragic themes in Night is Eliezer’s discovery of the way that atrocities and cruel treatment can make good people into brutes. Does he himself escape this fate? Take two other characters and Eliezer and compare and contrast the amount of brutality they experience and how they impact that has on them.
2. It is possible to look at Night as the story of Eliezer’s loss of innocence. It might be argued, too, that innocence is impossible after the Holocaust. Is this true? How does Elie grow up amid the horror of the concentration camps? Take three events that happen to Eliezer or events that he witnesses and describe how each event forces him to leave his childhood behind and survive on his own.
3. Another theme in Night is faith. In a thoughtful essay, discuss and describe Eliezer’s faith journey. Describe what his faith was like at the beginning before the selections, later in the camps and then what has happened to his faith at the end. Detail the events that occur that change his view.
4. Describe the changes that Eliezer goes through physically, emotionally and finally morally. What events happen that makes him change in those three ways?
5. What does the word Night symbolize for Wiesel? Why do you think he entitled his book Night? How does he describe the nighttime, and how does it compare to “day”? Look carefully at all the ways/places in the text that this word is used, and decide what you think the most important meaning of this word/symbol is.
6. Compare and contrast Elie’s attitude towards God and religion at the beginning of the story and at the end. Use specific examples to explain what causes the changes and when the changes occur.
7. Chronicle and analyze Elie’s dehumanization. How does he lose his sense of self through his suffering and despair?
8. It is often said that compassion is a luxury afforded to those whose sustenance is not in question. How does this relate to one or more of the characters in Night?
9. Analyze the relationship between Elie and his father. What does their relationship reveal on a thematic level?
Format Guidelines:
Ø I will not accept electronic copies of this essay; you must hand in a paper copy on the due date
Ø Do NOT use research in this composition! This essay should be based on your own analysis and observation
Ø The points in your paper must be supported with evidence from the texts; this means you MUST use quotes from the novels in this essay.
Ø Use MLA style citations. This means that each quote should be followed by the title of the novel and the page number. For example “I had never asked myself that question. I cried because…because something inside me felt the need to cry” (4). This indicates that this line is from page four of Night.
Ø The format for this paper is as follows: 12 pt Times New Roman (or similar) font, 1 inch margins, double spaced. If you must hand write your essay, it should still be double spaced, and your handwriting should be NEAT (not just legible) with no scribbles. You must write all final drafts in blue or black ink, never in pencil.
Ø Your paper should have a title (Night or Night Essay are not acceptable titles). Your title should not be italicized, underlined, in bold, in a larger or different font, or in quotation marks.
Your evaluation for this essay will include:
§ the format
§ your rough drafts/brainstorms/prewriting activities
§ feedback review sheet
This means that you will hand in your rubric, your brainstorming, your rough draft, and your final draft on the day the essay is due.