Literary Techniques Used In Elie Wiesel's Night

Night is only a mere one hundred and seventeen pages, yet it happens to be one of the most powerful reads when it comes to literature on the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel is able to say so much with so little because of his use of intricate symbolism and underlying themes throughout the memoir/novel. Another literary device Wiesel employs is the use of an alternate ending. The original publication in Yiddish contains a different last six paragraphs than the French version. Why would Wiesel do this? What does the symbolism used highlight about the Holocaust? What is the larger point Wiesel is trying to make? This paper will aim to answer all of these questions, as well as explain the symbolism used that still makes Night an utterly powerful read to

The mention of rape allows for more shrewd content and a more serious tone. The Yiddish ending provides something past just seeing the corpse in the mirror. It also explains how Eliezer’s will to live is from that point on, awakened in symbolic form through the breaking of the mirror. By breaking the mirror, Wiesel is rejecting the corpse identity and expresses desire for life. His will to live is also present in his choice to write, although the writing is only worthwhile if people actually read it. Wiesel also reflects on his own writings as well as on how easily, just ten years later, Europe seems to have forgotten about how horrific the Holocaust really was. He has a somewhat realistic view of how he expects the book to be received and the impact it will have on history. The Yiddish version also includes a direct address to the reader. Without actually saying it, Wiesel is pleading for other Jews to tell their story and preserve their portion of history. He understands the importance of the reader, whether Jewish or not, to his cause. He is right to think that he alone cannot singlehandedly keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, but if his persuasion proves successful, he can be assured the memory of the martyrs lives on and that acts as heinous as the Holocaust are never