16 Questions
What is the origin of Elie and his family?
Sighet
What does Moshe the Beadle try to do after his return?
Warn the Jews about the impending danger
On what day are Elie and his family deported from the ghetto?
On the seventh day of Passover
What does Madam Schächter have visions of on the train to Auschwitz?
Burning pits of fire
What is the purpose of the Kaddish?
A Jewish prayer for the dead
What instrument is used to remove Elie's gold crown?
A rusty spoon
Why does Akiba Drumer decide to die?
He has lost his faith in God
Why is the hanging of the pipel so emotional for the prisoners?
It's a reminder of their own mortality
Why do the prisoners not receive soup?
Because they know there would be no soup that day
What is the significance of Elie's inheritance from his father?
It is a tool for survival
What is the disturbing image that Elie sees at the end of the novel?
A corpse
What is the slogan that greets the prisoners at Auschwitz?
Work Makes You Free
Why do the guards not take away Elie's new shoes at Buna?
They are covered in mud
What literary device is used to describe Madame Schächter's visions?
Foreshadowing
What is the punishment for the young Pole and others who stole food during the air raid alerts?
They are hanged
How were the Jews usually transported from one concentration camp to another?
By cattle car
Study Notes
Elie's Background
- Elie and his family come from Sighet, a town in Romania.
Moshe the Beadle's Warning
- Moshe the Beadle tries to warn the Jews about what will happen to them after his return from the concentration camps.
Deportation
- Elie and his family are deported from the ghetto on the Sabbath.
Madam Schächter's Visions
- On the train to Auschwitz, Madam Schächter has visions of burning pits of fire.
The Kaddish
- The Kaddish is a Jewish prayer for the dead.
Elie's Gold Crown
- Elie's gold crown is removed with a rusty spoon.
Akiba Drumer's Death
- Akiba Drumer decides to die because he has lost his faith in God.
Elie's Operation
- Elie ends up having to have an operation because his foot swells.
Elie's Prayer
- Elie prays to God that he will never abandon his father.
Arrival at Gleiwitz
- After arriving at Gleiwitz, Elie hears Juliek playing his violin in the middle of the night.
The Hanging of the Pipel
- The hanging of the pipel is so emotional for the prisoners because he is so young and angelic looking.
Elie's Inheritance
- Elie's "inheritance" from his father is a spoon and a knife.
The End of the Novel
- At the end of the novel, Elie sees a corpse staring back at him.
Auschwitz Slogan
- The slogan for Auschwitz is "Work Makes You Free".
Elie's Shoes
- Elie's new shoes do not get taken away at Buna because they are covered in mud.
Literary Devices
- Madame Schächter's visions are an example of foreshadowing.
Punishments
- The young Pole and others who stole food during the air raid alerts were hanged.
First Impressions of German Soldiers
- The Jews' first impression of the German soldiers was that they were friendly but not to be trusted.
Transportation
- The Jews were usually shipped from one concentration camp to another by cattle car.
Ghettos
- The Jews were moved into small areas of towns and forced to live in overcrowded, diseased, and unsanitary conditions, known as ghettos.
Test your understanding of Elie Wiesel's memoir Night with this quiz on the early chapters of the book.
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