Elie Wiesel Night Themes

Themes are the foundation of storytelling, the concept that connects a piece of writing, film, art, or any creative expression. They serve as the author’s message or perspective to the audience, frequently focusing on numerous aspects of human life. It adds depth and complexity to a work, guiding the audience in interpreting and understanding the meaning and importance of the story. Offering a structure for examining characters, events in the story, and symbolism allows the audience to engage with the content. Furthermore, it can provoke emotions by tapping into our shared experiences, bringing out empathy in ourselves. It could also encourage thinking, promoting curiosity and involvement within the audience by reflecting on the work. It ignites

Drawing attention raises awareness about the topic, resulting in social movements and advocacy. Throughout my year of reading novels, themes mentioned were racism appearing in Night and The Color of Water, hysteria in Animal Farm and The Crucible, and corruption in Hamlet and Animal Farm. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night depicts racism through the discrimination against Jews by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Wiesel portrays the degradation faced by Jews, stripped of their identity and humanity due to their ethnicity. He shares his story through imagery, stressing the physiological impact the Holocaust had on him. Wiesel addresses the dehumanizing conditions within the concentration camps, such as the sanitation and crowded barracks. He suffered from constant fear of death as a result of the extermination of Jews by the Nazis and remarked, “Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky” (Wiesel 34). Wiesel highlights the brutality and inhumanity where innocent lives were lost solely because of Jewish identity. The memoir The Color of Water, written by James McBride, addresses racism through his mother’s past

Corruption is characterized by the pig’s abuse of power through propaganda and their willingness to sacrifice the animals for their gain. In Hamlet, corruption in the court of Denmark, where betrayal unfolds. Claudius, the King of Denmark, poisons his brother Hamlet, the former King, to ascend to power. He reigns by deception and manipulation and devises schemes to preserve his authority. Claudius neglects his nephew, Hamlet, to gain insight into his intentions and to eliminate any possible threats. Constant surveillance creates paranoia and mistrust, isolating Hamlet’s sense of security. Thus, Hamlet questions his relationships and morals as he struggles to navigate a corrupt world, “One may smile, and smile, and be a villain” (Shakespeare 1.5). Hamlet spoke these words after encountering his father’s ghost and learning of his uncle’s betrayal. Showing corruption and deception highlights the idea that individuals can conceal their true