Comparison 4: Denial

One very common theme that I noticed was the theme of Denial. Both Elie, his family, and Janie were in Denial. Elie and his family were in denial of what was going on in Hungary and the surrounding countries. They heard that there was going to be evacuation of Jews, and they heard that a bunch of horrible things was going to happen. However, they were in deep denial because they never believed that god would let something like that happen.

The Wiesel family was so unaware of the horrible future that was ahead of them. They were even offered shelter in another village by their former house cleaner and they refused because they did not think that anything was going to happen. On the same day, they were evacuated to Holocaust camps where they were greeted by puffs of smoke from the human crematoriums.

 

Although they witnessed some horrifying sites, it took a while for the reality of the situation to settle in. I think that denial was one of the reasons the whole family did not survive. If they would have left earlier when they heard what was going on, they would have been safe for a little longer, and might have all survived.

In another way, Janie was in denial about Tea Cake as well as her relationship with Joe Starks.

 Tea Cake was a womanizer who seemed prone to doing whatever he wanted. Even after getting married, he did not change his ways. He was even caught flirting with a younger girl named Nunkie (137). Although she was jealous, she still showed him affection and passion because she was in denial that there was anything wrong with her relationship. The night after they marry, Tea Cake takes Janie’s money and goes out to party. He was quite irresponsible, but she was so blinded by her love for him that she did not care.

Comparison 3: unhappiness

Unhappiness was a common theme in both books. Janie is quite unhappy throughout the story. She is miserable with her life in her first marriage. All she wants to do is escape it and leave. Janie has a hard time with her love life. Her first marriage did not work out, and her second marriage was to a controlling man. 

She has no real family left and it is hard for her to fit in because most of the people she meets are mean and either do not like her, or are envious. She ends up working in her second Joe’s store, which causes her even more unhappiness, and finally she leaves. At one point, a man named Tea Cakes walks into her life and changes her perspective. All this time she had been gloomy and had failing relationships and now she found someone that made her truly happy. However, Tea cake turns out to be quite a womanizer so Janie falls back into unhappiness.

In the story Night, Elie was somewhat content with his life in the beginning. However, there are so many instances where he witnesses horrible things that cause him to be less and less happy. The first one that I noticed was when the Hungarian police evacuated his village of Sighet. This was when he realized that the threats of evacuation were actually true. Throughout the book, he not only loses his faith in god, but he loses his happiness and falls into a depressed state. Both books reflect on the lives of characters (true or made up) that exhibit unhappiness and pain in their own ways, and the theme really connects the books.

Comparison 2: Confinement and Freedom

Slavery was prevalent issue in the time that Janie’s mother and grandmother grew up in. They were faced with the discrimination and enslavement by owners, and were treated as though they were objects. At the time, many of the slaves gave up their hopes of ever leaving the grips of slavery and they never thought they would have freedom. 

Not only were they faced with this kind of confinement, they were forced into having children when raped by their masters. They had no choice of freedom but after Janie’s mother had her, she was able to leave and was granted land of her own. Finally, she was able to have the sense of security and freedom that she wanted. Not only did she experience this freedom, she escaped the confinements of her poverty and was able to give Janie a life she never had (even though they were in a humble position).

The characters in Night faced a different kind of confinement. They were forced into camps were they had to work, and many died. This was because the Hitler and his German followers did not accept them. In a way, they were slaves; however, they faced very scary consequences for just existing. It was a very depressing time where the Jewish lost hope for the ability to survive these harsh camps.

In an issue of Jewish Magazine, a survivor George Liebermann discusses how he couldn’t believe that he had regained his freedom after such a time of horror. “The first day of freedom, the 30th of April, 1945, struggled to awake me to reality, shake me out of daze, convince me that I was alive, that my body was my body. (Liebermann)” In both stories, the characters face odds, and Janie’s family, as well as Elie was able to regain their freedom and escape confinement.

Liebermann, George. "Arbeit Macht Frei." First Day of Freedom from the Holocaust. Dec. 2005. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.

Comparison 4: Conflicts

In both books, there are major social injustices occurring.  This injustices are displayed in different ways, and in different intensities.  Night is centered around the holocaust, which was extreme discrimination against the Jewish community, and anyone of Jewish heritage.  Their Eyes Were Watching God was centered around Janie growing up, but racism did show up as a minor player.

Janie and Tea Cake experienced racism first hand, as they visited their hurricane swept village.  Two white men ordered Tea Cake (black) to dig graves for the deceased.  Then, Tea Cake was told to check if the dead were black or white.  For the white men said "They makin' coffins fuh all de white folks.  'Tain't nothin' but cheap pine, but dat's better'n nothin'.  Don't dump no white folks in de hole jus' so." (Hurston, 170)  The white men had blatantly said that the dead people, who were white, deserved more of a burial than those who were back.

The injustice in Night is much worse that in Their Eyes Were Watching God.  Elie Wiesel was taken to prison camps, and the forced labor camps, solely due to the fact that he was Jewish.  Hitler believed that all Jews were bad, and must be rounded up.  He killed many, and forced countless others to work.  The injustice in Night is much worse, but the racism in Their Eyes Were Watching God should also be noticed, for the book is placed in the South, after blacks were just getting their rights back.

Comparison 3: Losses

Life brings on many hardships and losses, many of which can feel like the end of the world.  Both Night, and Their Eyes Were Watching God had great loss for the main character, which they had to endure for the remainder of the book.  Both books had death of a main character, which changed the main characters outlook on the world.

In Night, Elie Wiesel lost his father.  He became diseased with dysentery, and then was hit by an SS officer as he called out for more water.  This blow cracked his skull, and he was dead by the next morning. Elie was sad, but "did not weep, and it pained me [Elie] that I could not weep." (Wiesel, 106)  He could not weep, for if he looked "in the depths of my being.... I [Elie] might perhaps have found something like–Free at last!" (Wiesel, 106) He felt this, for he Eli no longer had to care for his father, which had been a large burden when in a concentration camp.

Janie felt a sorry, but in a different way when Tea Cake, her husband, was murdered.  Janie had to put Tea Cake down, for he had become rabid, from a dog bite.  Tea Cake was about to shoot her with a pistol, when Janie shot him with a rifle.  This pained her beyond belief, but it was her life or his.  She felt it an eternity, but "thanked him wordlessly for giving her the chance for loving service." (Hurston, 184)  

Janie loved Tea Cake very much, and him being gone pained her a great deal.  This pain was more genuine, and heartfelt, than when Elie lost his father.  Elie had sorry, but also a small amount of relief in his father's death, unlike Janie who had nothing but sorry for the loss of her loving husband.

Comparison 1: Religion

In both Their Eyes Were Watching God and Night, the theme of religion was opposite. In the beginning of Night, it was obvious that the villagers were very religious, and applied those beliefs to their daily lives. They were very serious about how their families followed religious rule. For example, Elizier’s father did not want him to learn Kabala because he wanted to learn traditional Judaism. As the story progressed, there was a decline in faith for many of the people who were sent holocaust camps. However, Elie’s father stuck to faith for a while. Elie lost his sense of belief when he witnessed all of the horrors that occurred in the camps.

On the contrary, Their Eyes Were Watching God did not necessarily have characters that were very religious, but there were a few religious references. Throughout the story there were hints mentioning god and his eternal light, however there was no consistency of a formal religious following. Unlike the strict religious followings in Night, the second book was vague about the religious outlook of the town, and what people did.  

In Night, a heavy religious following dwindled away as times got worse, but there was never a structured religion in the other book. There was A couple times, there were parts like when one character Davis leads a prayer after lighting the lamp and there was another time in the middle of the book where the author mentions how Janie quit attending church after she gets together with Tea Cake. Overall, these two books are complete opposite when it comes to religion.

Comparison 2: Book types

Night, and Their Eyes Were Watching God are quite different books, but share some similarities.  The first large difference, is their category.  Night is a true personal narrative, from when Eli Wiesel grew up during the holocaust, and the hardships he faces on a day to day basis.  Their Eyes Were Watching God is very different in it's style.  It is a novel, and has no direct relationships to real life events.  This makes them harder to compare, yet both still have themes that are just as true as each other.  The difference is that the themes portrayed in Night, are in the setting of reality, and the ones portrayed in Their Eyes Were Watching God, are in story form.

One book being a personal narrative, the other a novel, the point of views are also different.  In Night, it is written in first person, for all the actions actually happened to Eli, and so the personal pronoun "I" shows up frequently.  In Their Eyes Were Watching God, it is written in the third person, and all the actions are happening to and around Janie, not to and around "I" as in Night.   This brings a different flavor to both books, yet both methods are equally able to portray ideas, yet the first person does make it feel more personal and less detached.

The purpose of both books, are also different.  Night was written as Elie's experiences during the holocaust, and is more of a historic book, detailing the tragedies of war and prisoner of war camps.  Their Eyes Were Watching God was written as not a narrative of the author's life, but as a commentary of her life, and what was happening in the world at that time.  (Shmoop Editorial Team)

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Their Eyes Were Watching God" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.

Comparison 1: Themes

There are many differences, and similarities in the themes in Night versus Their Eyes Were Watching God. Night is mainly about a fight.  This is the ultimate fight, the fight to stay alive.  This fight for life is ongoing, and eternal, but never more prevalent as in times of war, and imprisonment, when everyone must work to stay alive.   This same fight is happening in Their Eyes Were Watching God, but in a very different way.  Instead of fighting for her life, Janie was searching for her love.  Love brings more life, and the continuation of the species.  In this way, the fights fought in Night, and in Their Eyes Were Watching God are actually quite similar.  The fight to stay alive, and continue the species.

Along with the fight to stay alive, there were other fights similar in both books.  This was the knowledge, that things could, and would get better.  In the imprisonment camps during the holocaust, Elie from Night knew that after the war was over, life would improve.  He was not assured it by anyone, but he knew in his heart, that if he could just hold on and survive he could make it to a new, brighter day.  

As well, Janie was waiting for things to improve.  She was "saving up feelings for some man she had never seen," for she knew that Jody was not suiting her, and that someday another man would find his way to her.  (Hurston, 72)  He life was slowing getting worse, and less enjoyable, and she knew that possibly another better man, would show himself at some point, for she started saving up feelings inside, for someone other than Jody, yet still unkown to her.

Restless

Relationships are very intricate anomalies. They are spurred by love, and the pure genetic need for reproduction, but making them last can be quite difficult. This theme of relationships has showed up multiple times in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Relationships are very confusing, which makes it be a very relevant topic to discuss in a book. This book does not really bring light to the subject, but shows love in it's highs and lows, without glossing over the lows very much.

In the beginning, Janie was arranged to marry Logan, which did not last long. This relationship was pretty much omnidirectional, for Logan was in love with Janie, but Janie did not grow to love Logan. This showed a loveless marriage, which simply deteriorated by the day and the week until Janie found the love of her life, Jody. Love can be fickle, as is evident here. One day, a person may be in love, the next, they may be ready to move on. This is what makes love something which can be the best thing in the world, and what hurts the most when it is gone.

If only to prove this point more, Janie, after twenty years of marriage, became bored of Jody. Jody didn't let Janie be free and express herself. Janie found herself growing further from Jody, and "found that she had a host of thoughts she had never expressed to him, and numerous emotions she had never let Jody know about." (Hurston, 72) As her first marriage ended, her second is sliding in that direction as well.  Jody was starting to take Janie for granted, that she would always be there, no matter how to treated her, which shows how they were declining in their love. (Rivkin)

Rivkin, Sharon M. "7 Signs of a Failing Marriage | Hitched." Hitched. Hitched Media, 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.hitchedmag.com/article.php?id=995>.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

It was a storm.  A large storm.  A hurricane.  A storm, that all but the negligent fled from.  This was a major turning point in Their Eyes Were Watching God.  The name of the book was reveled here, as why it was named this way.  As Janie and Tea Cake were sitting in their house, while the winds were wailing, the rain falling, "they seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." (Hurston, 160)

At this point, when one reads the book, one may think that the flood, and hurricane was to be the most defining point and climax of the book.  This is partly true in my view, in retrospect.  The hurricane was the defining feature, which lead to the final shock, the death of Tea Cake.  This hurricane, tested the love and caring Tea Cake had for Janie up to this point.  Tea Cake should have realized the hurricane was going to be bad, for everyone, and everything was traveling inland more.  

Though Tea Cake loved Janie very much, he could not see past his self satisfaction that he was stronger than the storm, to save his love from having to cross dangerous waters during the storm.  I believe Tea Cake became too pompous of what he was capable of, and what the house could stand, and didn't think enough about the well being of Janie, in a sincere way, thinking past the adrenaline and "I can do anything" instincts.  If Tea Cake had been a little more educated about the storm, he might have made the move to higher ground before it involved swimming.

Post #2: New Beginnings

Throughout the book, there are many instances of change and one instance that resonates with that the most was when Janie leaves her husband and moves away with Joe Starks (Jody). She becomes quite restless with her situation and meets a man who she feels will allow her to love again. After a long conversation he says, “Janie, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make you a dog outa you youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you” (29).  

After leaving her husband, she seems like a different character. She is much happier than she was before and I could tell she wanted to stay with Jody. I do not know if I would necessarily pack up my whole life and leave, but Janie was a very determined woman. When she begins her new life in another town, Jody makes sure that he treats her well. However, he begins to change. His character is very ambitious, and when he takes over the town (as mayor), he starts to treat his wife with less respect. Although they just started their new life, it seemed as though Janie was getting the itch to leave again. 

I think that she constantly wants to begin fresh because she is never content with the people she ends up marrying. It seems like a way for her to avoid her problems, but I do not think that running away is the answer. She is practicing escapism, where instead of facing her true realities, she finds something “delightful” to distract her. In this case, running off with a man she barely even knows.

Ellis-Christensen, Tricia, and O. Wallace. "What Is Escapism?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 23 Feb. 2012. Web.

19 Mar. 2012.

2nd Response to Teal

I agree that Joe Starks (a.k.a. Jody) works hard and takes initiative. He was the first character in the story that seemed perfect. I agree that the lamp was not just a lamp. The lamp that he installed was a symbol of hope and strength in the town. For someone who had come into town a while back, he was very productive, and that gave Janie a sense of security.

To me, lamp was also symbolic of the newly formed relationship between the community and their leader. Joe sent some men to find the finest piece of cypress post possible, which was one way that he exercised his leadership in the town. Even though Joe brought light to the town, I do not think he is a good guy. 

I think that he did it so that in a way, the town will always remember how “great” he was. I also think that he wants the town to need him so that he can be the one to make things better. I came up with this reasoning because he bought the lamp with his own money so he was basically giving a piece of himself up for the town.

Also, the lighting of the lamp was almost ceremonious. I felt like to the town’s people, it was sort of a religious experience. I think this was because when he lit the lamp he told brother Davis to recite a prayer before the lighting that was about the beautiful light, and that Jesus was the light of their world.

The Mover, and the Lamp

Joe Starks, was a mover and a doer.  He was elected the mayor of the town, from the few people who were in the highest unofficial posts of the new black only town.  As mayor, he got things done.  He had a general store set up in the center of town, and arranged the digging of roads going in all the four cardinal directions.  One of first big thing he did as mayor, was to personally buy with his own money, a lamp for the town center.

This light, was no ordinary light.  It was to be the first light in the town, and be gas lit.  This light represented much more than just a way to see during the night time.  It was a cardinal light, showing the strength of the town.  It was a beacon in the sea of darkness.  It was also a black only town, and this was a big step, which also showed that any other town could have a street lamp if they wished also.  

Joe also decided to put the lamp up on show, for a week before installing it.  This was to show off how strong the town was, and how it was progressing along.  The lamp was his pet child, and he loved and caressed it.  None but the best study trunk would how the lamp up in the middle of the town, and was selected personally by Joe.  This lamp lighting, was also adorned with a feast for everyone.  This was truly Joe's pride.  His extreme pride in the lamp, was also shown very well in him saying "Dis evening' we'se all assembled tuh light uh lamp.  Dis occasion is something for us all tuh remember tuh our dying day." (Hurston 45) This is the epitome of pride, and Joe had much pride as lit the gas lamp in his town, for the first time.

First Reply to Teal

I like how you connected the arranged marriages India and other places around the world. It really puts the situation into perspective. Her grandmother pushed her into this situation so that she could secure her financial future. Your parents or guardians pushing you to marry someone because they are affluent or have money are just as much of an arranged marriage as what goes on in other countries. Oddly enough, we have had a growth in the use of this method of marriage in America, which is implemented by some immigrant families in their communities (DePaul).

I don’t think that Janie necessarily found her purpose. She was looking for a way out of the position that she was in, which prompted her to create feelings for a man she barely knew. I think that it was a bad idea because she did not think the decision out clearly. Essentially, she put herself in a position to fail, and used Jody as an excuse to run away.

I agree, in relationships, there should be an emotional reason why you are with someone. You need to express how you feel with this person, and to get to know them. To know a person you need to spend time with them. Janie barely knew Jody, but she blindly fell for him as fast as she could because she was not being realistic about her life. In a way, her grandmother was right for worrying about Janie’s financial security, however it was wrong to push her into a situation like the one she was stuck in. At the same time, I think that Janie should have thought about the repercussions of her actions when she started to be neglected by Jody.

DePaul, Amy. "The Rise of Arranged Marriage in America." AlterNet. Birocreative.Web. 20 Mar. 2012.arranged_marriage_in_america/>.

Post # 1: Loss of Innocence

In this first section of the story, there is a common theme, which is loss of innocence. The story begins with the persecution of Janie Starks. Janie is returning to her hometown in Florida after living an unsatisfied life in the Everglades with her companion Tea Cake. 

The women of the town look at her dirty overalls and are satisfied with her raggedness. I think that the section of the story is a reflection of the theme (loss of innocence) because as you go further, her life story unravels and we learn that her mother and her grandmother were raped. Essentially, the main character’s family members endured horrible things and they lost their innocence in the process. 

These instances reminded me of Oprah by Kittey Kelly. It is a book about Oprah Winfrey that exposed some of the things that happened in her life (including sexual abuse) that really affected her life. Also, Janie herself losses her innocence when she to faces the harsh realities of life in poverty and unhappiness. The reader can also tell that she changes after the moment under the pear tree when she kisses Johnny Taylor (12). 

In a sense, she was losing her innocence as well and becoming sexually curious in a way. The last way that she losses her innocence is when she is married off to Logan Killick. He was a farmer who was much older than she was, and after marriage, he wanted her to start doing manual labor, and even threatens her life. At this point, her grandmother has passed away so she does not have the comfort she had as a child. I considered this moment another time that she lost her innocence because she was kicked into reality that she was not happy with her life.

Kelley, Kitty. Oprah: A Biography. New York: Crown, 2010. Print.

Planning, and Purposes

Janie Crawford had her life set out for her, by her grandmother.  This was not the life she wanted.  Her grandma had advocated for her to marry Logan Killicks, whom she ended up marrying.  This was not a happy relationship, for she did not love Logan.  Arranged marriages have been happening for centuries, especially in India. (Fish)  These marriages are not always happy, as was the case with the marriage between Logan and Janie.  

Janie found her purpose, and love when the new guy came to town.  Joe Starks, was the suave new guy in town, who was stopping by.  Janie loved talking to him, and ended up loving him and running away to marry him.  She had wanted things "sweet did mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think." (Hurston 24)  This was what Joe was for her, and she had found a purpose in her convoluted life.

This is how all relationships should be.  A girl and a boy, and man and a women, should all have the chance to fall in love with whomever they wish, not whomever their parents want them to.  Janie had an over ruling grandmother, who only wanted her to marry for statues, and wealth, not for love.  Joe ended up having wealth, but most importantly of all was that Janie loved him.  This is the most important thing about any relationship, is love, not attraction due to statues, money or pure physical attraction.  Janie found her purpose in life, when she met Joe, who had aspirations for becoming mayor of the newly established black only town.  

Fish, Jefferson. "Looking in the Cultural Mirror." Psychology Today. 27 Apr. 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/looking-in-the-cultural-mirror/201004/arranged-marriages>.

Reality

In this section of the book, Elie arrives at Birkenau, where he is separated from his mother and younger sister. This occurs because the German officers are splitting those who are fit to work, and those who are not.  Those who are not fit to work, were rid of (cremate). I feel like this was one turning point in Elie’s life. 

He is faced with the horrors of a holocaust camp, and he begins to realize what is actually happening.  He is told to lie about his age (eighteen instead of fourteen) so that he is deemed suitable for labor, and the prisoner who explains all of this tells him that they came to be burned and killed. 

This was very eye opening for Elie and the rest of the arrivals. They now started to understood the full scope of the situation.  What was surprising was when the younger Jews suggested an uprising; the elders told them to have faith.  I would expect the elders to realize what position they were in, instead of immediately turning to blind faith.  

The fact that they were witnessing their own people; men, women, babies and children, being burned did not faze them very much.  I am not going to lie, if I went through the same ordeal, I would have a hard time believing that there was a god.  After making past the “inspection”, they are exposed to the highest degree of dehumanization.  They were shaved bald, disinfected with gasoline, and put in prison uniforms.  

Their individuality was taken from them, and so were their families, and yet their sense of faith remained.  One moment that was very surprising to me was that Elie's father started crying when he saw the people burning in the crematories.  He was the strongest character in the book, and he broke down in front of his son.  I bet that Elie was feeling hopeless in that moment because if his father was that scared and sad, the situation was probably worse than he thought.

Teal's Second Response to Hanna: Night

I mainly agree with what you are saying about reality.  I think the reality in Night is beyond what any sane person could believe, or comprehend.  The times were very hard in the concentration camps, and father and son relationships were put to the test.  The head of Elie's block, brought this into perspective for the readers by saying "Listen to me, boy... you're in a concentration camp.  Here, every man has to fight for himself and not think of anyone else." (Elie 105)  This was when Elie's father was very ill, and had not the energy to get up to feed himself, and Elie had been sharing his own rations with his dying father.  This act was kindness, but kindness did not save oneself in a concentration camp.

I would like to differ from your opinion about people not being fazed by seeing men, women and children thrown into fires.  I think that these people were fazed, but after seeing it enough times started to become desensitized.  When they saw killings, and dehumanizing gestures everyday, day after day, at some point I think they were simply glad it was not them, or anyone they knew.  Later on in the book, people were only glad it wasn't them being burned or killed, for the attachment which forms between friends and family had broken, down to the simplest instinct to stay alive.

Religion has always been a tricky subject, when times get hard.  When times get a little tricky, as in Night, religion can be pushed aside for practicality.  In the concentration camps, some decided to fast during Yom Kippur, while others decided that their well being, and health was more important than being perfectly religious.  This debate continues today, with some adults relying on praying instead of medicine to cure their children. (Spong)

Spong, John. "Parents Relying on Religion to Heal Sick Children." The 

     Washington Post. 1 June 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.      

     <http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists

      /john_shelby_spong  

     /2009/06/parents_relying_on_religion_to_heal_sick_children.html>.

Teal's first response

I completely agree with you, regarding the painfulness of this book. Not only is it hard for people to read, but it was very hard on Elie Wiesel. This is most certainly why he took over ten years, before even deciding to write Night. (Dove, Laura) These times of the holocaust, show the worst of humanity. The stories are hard to read, yet are important so this history is never repeated.

As you said, and I agree, it is amazing how Hitler brainwashed so many people in the Gestapo, and the German police into believing what they were doing was right. It is hard to fathom that humans, could resort to such hate against others of their own kind. Even as the prison guards worked, and oversaw the incineration of hundreds of people, how could they have not felt at least a small amount of regret and pain, seeing so many lives extinguished?

The health of Jews in the interment camps, was barely valued beyond keeping the inmates able to work. When the camp was to be evacuated, "All the invalids will be summarily killed... and sent to the crematory in a final batch." (77) which shows the entire lack of care for any Jews, unless they could work. The Jews were mainly only kept for how strong they were, and how much work they could produce. Hope was mainly only kept, knowing that the Russians were close at hand, and would liberate the camp. This hope, and the belief of some in God, kept the Jewish people from completely despairing and jumping into the fire pits, or giving themselves up for cremation.

Dove, Laura. "Elie Wiesel Bio." Memory Made Manifest: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 1 June 1995. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/holo/eliebio.htm>.

Hanna's second response: Night

Night has many themes, and I agree that a lot of them are extremely depressing.  Individuality does not come to mind immediately.  The theme of individuality comes up further into the book.  When the Jewish people were in the concentration camps, they were all dressed the same, and were worked to the bone.  They were not individuals by appearance; however, they were all individuals inside.  They all had their own families so if one disregard appearance they were all individual.

I also agree that individuality is a trait that is prevalent in all humans. We do love to be individuals; however, the people who were forced into the camps were deprived their sense of individuality.  It was not fair that this group of people lost their humanity and was treated like monsters for no apparent reason.  It seemed they all had to wear the yellow star as a symbol of ownership by the Nazis, which diminished their sense of individuality even further.  This part of the book reminded me of the way that the characters of the first Apple commercial looked.  They were very gray, sad, “conformed” people who did not have the ability to dress freely. Then that woman runs up who is dressed in color, and it showed her freedom to think and dress the way that she wanted.

The Nazi themselves looked and acted a lot like robots, without individuality and lacking the seemingly common instincts or being human to other humans.  They dressed the same, and followed the orders that they were given.  It is true; they were humans, which made it hard for me to understand why they were able to commit so many horrible things.  Was it because they were just following orders, or did they feel sympathy at all?

Hanna's First Response to Teal: Night

I agree that the holocaust was one time in history that a group of people illustrated their hatred for others. That hatred made it possible for Elie Wiesel to write this book. If there were not the resentment towards the Jewish people, it would have been another group of people whom were discriminated against. So far, how else do you think that the character Moshe is significant in the story? Does he do anything that spurs emotion in the people? What is Elie’s opinion of him? Why do you think the Jewish people still had hope in this time of horror and sadness?

There was indefinitely a divide between the people who stayed strong during the story, and those who lost hope quickly. I was surprised to read how optimistic his village was. I was wondering if it was optimism, or ignorance. They heard about all of the horrible things that were going on in the outside world, but they paid no heed to it. Those who are unable to stay strong, Madame Schächter for example, broke under the pressure and began to hallucinate about their impending doom. She was eventually silenced. That incident was very sad.

Were there any parts so far that made you miserable or were just plain horrible? I agree with you that through moments like this, the one thing that kept people sane was their connection to god. Elie was very committed to his religion, and was learning Cabala in his spare time. Your connection to Freedom at Midnight is very helpful to understand the theme of religion in the book. The people trust God so much, that they feel that God will save them from all and any bad times.

Individuality

Night has many thematic ideas, some of which are quite depressing.  One such theme, was that of individuality.  The Nazis committed terrible acts of violence, and murder on Jewish persons in the 1940's and tried to justify these acts by dehumanization.  The Nazis dehumanized the Jewish people in the concentration camps.  All inmates were given the same clothing, and same haircut,  and were marched around like animals to work all day.

Individuality is a trait, extremely dominant to the human species.  Us humans love to be individuals, and show how each one of us is different than another.  People dress differently, and cut their hair, put makeup on, just to show how they are different than the next human being.  The Nazis took away this individuality, and freedom of personal expression so they could justify killing the Jews, and treating them like animals.  They were marched, washed, clothed, fed, all according to schedule, and exactly the same procedure for each person.

The Nazis were humans too, even if they treated Jews with no human respect.  The guards of the prison camp were trained to kill without reservation, and on the spot.  One way the guards could justify doing such terrible things, was that each inmate looked the same, and wore the same cloths.  They were dehumanized to the point they had lost their own names.  Elie Wiesel experienced this and said how he "becomes A-7713.  After that I had no other name." (39) All these acts of dehumanization worked towards lightening the consciences of the guards,  who were told to kill and torment the helpless Jews.

Section 1: Covering Various Topics

Right off of the bat, I get a sense of what kind of life Eliezer lives.  He lives in an area named Sighet, which is densely populated with Jews.  He lives with his mother, father and three sisters.  This town/community faced much hatred from the Germans.  However, there were a few people in the community that exemplified the strength of the Jewish people According to the book, Eliezer’s father was a very unsentimental man.  Although he did not show much emotion at home, he was highly revered in his community.


 It seems as though Eliezer was a “preacher’s son”, where his father was an important figure in his society, and he was supposed to follow his example and lead.  However, I soon learned that Elie found his own path in the Jewish sect of Cabala.  Immediately, his father was disappointed with Elie’s decision.  I agree with Elie’s decision because he was trying to create his own view of the world without heavy influence from his parents.

As far as faith goes, the reader could already see that his mentor was Moshe the Beadle, until he was arrested.  I feel like this was where the sense of being able to ask for help from a higher power diminished.  Shortly into the book (around page 4), I was getting depressed.  The Jewish people became the scapegoat for the unhappiness of the Germans and that aspect was highlighted quite obviously.  For example, throwing babies up into the air and shooting them as machine gun targets.  It was actually painful to read, I even felt tears coming on.


 I was not shocked because I have read about the horrors of the Holocaust; however, imagine watching your own child or sibling hurled in the air, only to be shot by a sniper or machine gun.

One moment in the story that angered me was during Passover when Jewish community leaders were arrested. They were not criminals; they were simply trying to enjoy a religiously important holiday, which was ruined. Even criminals deserve more respect than what those people faced every day. Elie made a remark that this moment was a turning point, “the race towards death had begun” (8). This was the beginning of the death threats, the inability to leave home, and the raiding of the homes began.


Isolating the Jewish people was actually one of the German's biggest weapons.  According to an article about the Jewish resistance (Introduction to The Holocaust,) the Jewish people were unable to band together, or even get necessary help from others for a long time.  I do not understand how the Gestapo and the German police officers did not see how wrong their actions were.  Could they not imagine their own family in the same position? So far, this book is very depressing and painful to read.

"Introduction to the Holocaust." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Holocaust Museum, 2011. Web. 11 Feb 2012. .

Hope, religion

Throughout history, there have been times of grief, and hatred.  One vary major time, like this, was that during the holocaust.  Moshe, was one Jewish patron who escaped the mass murders by the Nazis.  He was shot in the leg, and taken for being dead.  As he told his story, he spread the word of what was to come.  As the village of Elie Wiesel was emptied of all Jews, by the Hungarian police, hope remained.  "Who knows?  Perhaps we are being deported for our own good."(18)  During this time, families were forced to leave their homes, with very little notice.  Even during these times, the citizens of Wiesel's town still had hope that what was happening was for the better.

Throughout hard times, the difference between strong and week willed people begin to show more significantly.  As in Night, when everyone was forced out of their houses, to be deported, they still had hope and strength.  Most people would crumble under circumstances and strenuous as these, and resort to wailing and sobbing.  But not for Elie and his village.  They kept themselves with extreme courage, and stayed strong even when faced with eviction from their own house!  Elie, was a devout Jew, and studied the Torah.  His believe in God, and that he would be kept safe, kept his hopes up.  

As in Freedom at Midnight, belief's in God can be a huge preserver of trust and faith in an otherwise helpless situation.  When the Hindu men were about to shoot their wives so they would not be raped by the Muslim attacking them, they yelled "God is trust." (Collins)  To keep tranquil their wives, that they were about to shoot, they all recited the mantra "God is trust" over and over.  Such is the power of God, and religion: in both books, characters relied on religion to stay calm at their darkest hour.

Collins, Larry, and Dominique Lapierre. Freedom at Midnight. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975. Print.

Reading Schedule

We should have both books by: February 15

Night/Their Eyes Were Watching God: Post when we can

Information

Hanna Diriye

Teal Dowd

Book 1- Night

Book 2- Their Eyes Were Watching God