Comparing Night And Still I Rise

Throughout history, literature has served to show the voices of oppressed people. Often, stylistic devices are often used by authors to show readers the “big picture” of their work. For example the novel Night by Elie Wiesel uses stylistic devices to reveal the difficult experiences of young teenager, Elie, during the Holocaust. Furthermore, the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou also uses style to demonstrate the struggles that black women face in America. Both Night and Still I Rise use different stylistic devices to illustrate how embracing one’s culture combats hate, however their stylistic devices reveal different forms of characterization. Though both pieces of literature use stylistic devices to reveal the battle of oppressed cultures,

The frequent use of questions in Still I Rise illustrates how embracing heritage combats hate, creating an outspoken characterization for the speaker. The poem thoroughly discusses the struggles of black women in America. This is seen in her directly asking the reader questions like “Does my sassiness upset you?”(Angelou 5). The use of the word “sassiness” aligns with negative stereotypes that are commonly attributed to black women. The direct repetition of questions that Angelou uses towards hate reveals that though sassiness has been used against her, she is unapologetically proud; this reclaims the word from hate and oppression. The use of “you” is used to ‘hold up a mirror’ to the reader and their possible misconceptions of black women. Furthermore, the speaker continues to challenge

While Elie Wiesel and his family enter Auschwitz they are confronted by Nazis shouting and harassing them. While Wiesel’s family awaits for selection, “an SS officer had come in and, with him, the smell of the angel of death”(Wiesel 38). The use of “angel of death” alludes to the Jewish religion’s tales of angels of death. By Wiesel comparing a Nazi to something that is part of Judaism, he is defeating the purpose of the Holocaust; which was to exterminate Jews and their culture. Similarly To Still I Rise’s reclamation of “sassiness”, Wiesel is adding a Jewsih allusion to a Nazi. Both act as a ‘slap in the face’ to their respective oppressors. Furthermore, When the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah, reaches Buna Concentration Camp, the prisoners decide to hold a celebration in secret. During the celebration Wiesel feels like “the salvation of the world depended on every one of my [Wiesel’s] deeds, on every one of my [Wiesel’s] prayers”(Wiesel 68). Wiesel’s allusion to “prayers” and the Jewish faith convey how his way of fighting and surviving was by embracing his Jewish culture. The use of “depended” and “salvation” reveal a serious and desperate characterization for Wiesel. The faithful connotation of “salvation” also reveals how Wiesel has a hopeful characterization. This is different to Still I Rise where the speaker has a