unit on night , wiesel, the holocaust, and genocide

Unit on Unit on NightNight, , Wiesel, The Wiesel, The

Holocaust, and Holocaust, and Genocide Genocide

Basics of Elie WieselBasics of Elie Wiesel

A Jewish writer, professor, political A Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivorsurvivor

Born September 30, 1928 – still livingBorn September 30, 1928 – still living The author of 57 books, the best known The author of 57 books, the best known

of which is of which is NightNight Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace

Prize in 1986Prize in 1986

Early Life of Elie WieselEarly Life of Elie Wiesel

Wiesel was born in Sighet, RomaniaWiesel was born in Sighet, Romania

His family was of Hungarian-Jewish His family was of Hungarian-Jewish heritageheritage

Suffered through WWII and the Suffered through WWII and the HolocaustHolocaust

Post-War II WieselPost-War II Wiesel

Professional journalistProfessional journalist

Still goes around the world to speakStill goes around the world to speak

September 2006, he appeared September 2006, he appeared before the UN Security Council to before the UN Security Council to call attention to the humanitarian call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfurcrisis in Darfur

WieselWiesel’’s s NightNight

For ten years after the war, Wiesel For ten years after the war, Wiesel refused to write about or discuss his refused to write about or discuss his experiences during the Holocaustexperiences during the Holocaust

However, a meeting with François However, a meeting with François Mauriac, the 1952 Nobel Laureate in Mauriac, the 1952 Nobel Laureate in Literature, who eventually became Literature, who eventually became Wiesel's close friend, persuaded him Wiesel's close friend, persuaded him to write about his Holocaust to write about his Holocaust experiencesexperiences

NightNight’’s Popularitys Popularity

Did not do well at first – sold small Did not do well at first – sold small numbers of copies around 1955, its numbers of copies around 1955, its publishing datepublishing date

Took many years until it was recognizedTook many years until it was recognized Is now recognized as one of the leading, Is now recognized as one of the leading,

if not if not thethe leader, of Holocaust literature leader, of Holocaust literature Wiesel was on Oprah, and the book Wiesel was on Oprah, and the book

become a #1 Bestseller that yearbecome a #1 Bestseller that year Millions of copies are in print todayMillions of copies are in print today

NightNight’’s Style and Themess Style and Themes

It has been called, It has been called, ““a sparse and a sparse and fragmented narrative style, with fragmented narrative style, with frequent shifts in point of viewfrequent shifts in point of view Represents the Represents the ““ghetto-speakerghetto-speaker””

Loss of Faith: in God and manLoss of Faith: in God and man’’s s goodnessgoodness

NightNight, continued, continued

Genre?Genre? Novel, memoir, historical narrativeNovel, memoir, historical narrative

Part of a TrilogyPart of a Trilogy Dawn Dawn and and Day Day are the following twoare the following two

GenocideGenocide From the UN: From the UN: ““any of the following acts committed any of the following acts committed

with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.another group.””

Our definition: Our definition: ““Mass killings of people Mass killings of people based on ethnicity, nation, race, or religionbased on ethnicity, nation, race, or religion””

Genocide, continuedGenocide, continued

Term coined in reference to the Term coined in reference to the HolocaustHolocaust

There have been numerous genocides There have been numerous genocides before thenbefore then American Indians?American Indians? Many othersMany others

There are genocides todayThere are genocides today DarfurDarfur

HolocaustHolocaust

Term generally used to describe the Term generally used to describe the genocide of approximately six million genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War IIEuropean Jews during World War II

Means: Used many ways, but Means: Used many ways, but concentration camps were the largestconcentration camps were the largest 3 million died in these camps3 million died in these camps Virtually the entire Jewish population of Virtually the entire Jewish population of

Poland died in these campsPoland died in these camps

HolocaustHolocaust

Jewish people were the largest Jewish people were the largest targets, but there were others:targets, but there were others:

mentally ill mentally ill

handicappedhandicapped

homosexual homosexual

Important Questions to Important Questions to PonderPonder

1.1. Why do writers write about such awful, Why do writers write about such awful, terrible things as the Holocaust?terrible things as the Holocaust?

2.2. What is the purpose of reading literature What is the purpose of reading literature about such awful, terrible things as the about such awful, terrible things as the Holocaust?Holocaust?

3.3. How do people justify things like How do people justify things like genocide?genocide?

4.4. How did the Nazis justify the Holocaust?How did the Nazis justify the Holocaust?