The element of symbolism is so strong and predominant in the novel “Night,” we are able to delve deeper into the heinous experiences the Jews were subjected to during the Holocaust. There is no sure way to empathize with the victims of the Holocaust, but survivor Elie Wiesel opens the eyes of the reader to so many encounters that the Jews had to face in order to survive. Wiesel was able to portray individual emotions while using tangible objects or acts. Elie’s father, the march of the Jews, and the fire in the story all represent a deeper interpretation of themselves. One of the most evident symbols in the story Night is the fire that continues to be referenced. The first development of this is when Elie and numerous other Jews were in the cattle cars on their way to the concentration camp. A woman traveling with them, Mrs. Schachter, causes …show more content…
The others believe she has been driven mad and do not take her cautions into account. She cries, “‘Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!’” ( ) When they arrive at the camp, they too see the flames and smell the burning flesh. At this point in the story the fire represented a warning to the Jews. It served as a message that their fate was brutal and tragic. Throughout the story, the fire makes appearances in the concentration camp as an entirely different symbol. As the Jews are burned by the thousands, the flames engulf all form of human life. It is a constant reminder to the rest of the Jews in the camp of their own fate. The fire symbolizes the absolute hell on earth that has been created. The complete deprivation of any sense of humanity. The flames were walls of a prison, seizing them in this timeless damnation. The fire was death. The fire could not be