Analysis Of Night By Ellie Wiesel

The novel Night by “Ellie Wiesel” is a survivor 's story of his experiences in the Holocaust. It covers his life before and during the concentration camps. In these times the path was not always straight and the overwhelming circumstances caused people to make decisions that were rushed or insensible. People got caught up in disbelief and chose not to take action where action would have saved their lives. These opportunities presented were missed or brushed aside and caused the death of thousands of people. Ellie and his family are no exception. The Weisel family missed many opportunities that could have altered the course of their lives.
There were opportunities for the Wiesel family to possibly avoid death even before the Germans invaded Sighet. “In those days it was still possible to buy emigration certificates to Palestine. I had asked my father to sell everything, to liquidate everything, and to leave.” Pg 8-9 If the Wiesel family would have taken this opportunity to leave, it is plausible that they could have been safe. Their minds couldn’t even comprehend the danger that awaited them. “‘I am too old, my son,’ he answered ‘Too old to start a new life.’” Pg 9. They had become blinded to the opportunity at hand because they didn’t want to believe that trouble was on its way.

“‘Someone is knocking at the sealed window, the one that faces outside.’” Pg 14. When it may have seemed that there were no opportunities for escape, one came knocking at their window. “It was only after the war that I found out who had knocked that night. It was an inspector of the Hungarian police, a friend of my fathers. Before we had entered he had told us, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll warn you if there is danger.’” Pg 14. Once again, if this opportunity had been seized, the Wiesel’s as a whole family unit may have been able to escape and survive. Opportunity came knocking, but no one was there to