Night By Elie Wiesel Analysis

Voices of the Lost
In the memoir Night, Elie Wiesel reflects on the detrimental effects the Holocaust had on society as well as expresses the power of speaking out. In his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, he states, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” (Wiesel). Wiesel stresses the idea that the weight of our voices speaks volumes. Many others, too, share this philosophy and emphasize the significance of honoring victims of the Holocaust and never letting them go forgotten. Through this, the central idea expressed is that there is great importance in breaking the silence and remembering those lost by sharing their stories. A specific case of the value of speaking out for the victims of the Holocaust during Night emerged in the preface of the novel when Wiesel talks about how difficult it is to understand the conditions and circumstances at the time truly, but also how difficult it can be for survivors to reflect on their experiences. This can be seen as he questions how society could ever understand how truly horrendous the Holocaust was, but “having lived through this experience, one could not keep silent no matter how difficult, if not impossible, it was to speak” (Wiesel, preface). As

She emphasizes the need for global outreach, especially in light of recent events. Many still face discrimination and oppression for their religion and culture, making it all the more important for society to commemorate the victims and atrocities of the Holocaust. In her speech, Ebert states, that her number was A-10572. ‘It was not for human beings’” (Ebert). During the Holocaust, prisoners were dehumanized and weren’t seen as the people they were, they were recognized as numbers and any form of identity they previously knew was stripped from