Central Idea Of Night By Elie Wiesel

In Elie Wiesel's account and other peoples’ accounts of the holocaust, it is clear that the central idea of the accounts is that they do not want the people to be forgotten and the way to not forget about them is to share the stories that they know. By not forgetting the events that had occurred we can prevent them from reoccurring.
One moment that shows the central idea of Night is when Elie talks about the hanging of a young child known as the sad-eyed angel. In the book, Elie describes the event when he says, “But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was still breathing… And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering be- tween life and death, writhing before our eyes. And we were forced to look at him at close range. He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished.” (Wiesel 65). This quote shows how Elie uses specific details to tell the horror of the event. By emphasizing the color of the child's tongue and the fact that his eyes had not yet gone out, Elie creates a long-lasting impression on the reader. The event is stuck in his memory, and his description makes sure that it will be remembered by the reader as well.

It is a strong reminder of the importance of remembering people's stories. As author Eve Bunting notes in the story, "The animals kept saying, 'Just be glad it wasn't us they wanted.' But it was one of them each time. And then there were none."(Bunting 15) The story's message clearly shows the central idea: that we should remember the stories of the people who passed because if not, they may come back again. Also by maintaining the memories of those who have passed, we make sure that their stories are never forgotten and that their legacies stay for generations to