Night Blog Post #1
At the beginning of the novel Night, Elie Wiesel’s diction choices give the story a relaxed feel, showing us how unprepared everyone really was for the events that were about to occur. They showed us how no one could have even guessed that anything close to the Holocaust could have happened. Wiesel’s blunt and emotional writing style, with short and detailed sentences, leave me and the rest of his readers with enough room to interpret the main ideas without having to be shown the smaller details. "But new edicts were already being issued. We no longer had the right to frequent restaurants or cafés, to travel by rail, to attend synagogue, to be on the streets after six o'clock in the evening. Then came the ghettos" (11). The hint of sadness that has been entwined into almost every paragraph in the novel brings me to feel only a fraction of what Wiesel and so many others had to endure, but enough to know the pain they all felt. “But it was in vain. Our terror could no longer be contained. Our nerves reached a breaking point. Our very skin was aching. It was as though madness had infected all of us. We gave up” (26).
At the beginning of the novel Night, Elie Wiesel’s diction choices give the story a relaxed feel, showing us how unprepared everyone really was for the events that were about to occur. They showed us how no one could have even guessed that anything close to the Holocaust could have happened. Wiesel’s blunt and emotional writing style, with short and detailed sentences, leave me and the rest of his readers with enough room to interpret the main ideas without having to be shown the smaller details. "But new edicts were already being issued. We no longer had the right to frequent restaurants or cafés, to travel by rail, to attend synagogue, to be on the streets after six o'clock in the evening. Then came the ghettos" (11). The hint of sadness that has been entwined into almost every paragraph in the novel brings me to feel only a fraction of what Wiesel and so many others had to endure, but enough to know the pain they all felt. “But it was in vain. Our terror could no longer be contained. Our nerves reached a breaking point. Our very skin was aching. It was as though madness had infected all of us. We gave up” (26).
Throughout Night, Wiesel tells most of his story quite fast, with simple sentences and short paragraphs. But as I continue reading, I notice that there are certain parts that appear to “slow down”, including more detail than we are used to seeing in this book. "At last he understood. He got out of bed and began to dress, automatically. Then he went over to the bed where his wife lay sleeping and with infinite tenderness touched her forehead. She opened her eyes and it seemed to me that a smile crossed her lips. Then he went to wake his two children. They woke with a start, torn from their dreams. I fled" (15). I believe that Wiesel wrote these certain parts the way he did because these are the memories that stand out the most to him. That these events were drilled into his head and he hasn't been able to forget them. Although most of Wiesel’s novel is filled with sorrowful moments, these specific parts are the most heart-wrenching for me.
Dear Elizabeth, I had never thought about how Elie "slows down" in some portions of the book until now, but in reading your quote, I really agree. I did notice that most of the book is written in a short, blunt, and fast past paced style, as you did, but I did not notice how Elie's style changes in some parts of the book to a slower, and more vivid style. As far as reason for this change goes, I believe your right too. It would make sense that because Elie remembers these moments more than others, he would write more thoroughly than others. I also think that it is the vividness of these moments that Elie describes that makes them so powerful emotionally. Thanks for the new perspective, and keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteDear Elizabeth, I thought that you did an amazing job with this blog post. There were so many points that I agreed with. For example when you were talking about how as you got farther into reading you noticed that certain parts "slow down". I didn't agree at first, then thought about it and realized that I definitely do! When you wrote that the reason why you thought he described this scene in depth is because I was a memory. And I thought that, that was good reasoning. The only thing that I had some trouble understanding was what you meant when the diction that he choice made the story "relaxed". You are a wonderful writer, and I thought that you did an exemplary job on this blog.
ReplyDeleteDear Elizabeth, I thought that you did an amazing job with this blog post. There were so many points that I agreed with. For example when you were talking about how as you got farther into reading you noticed that certain parts "slow down". I didn't agree at first, then thought about it and realized that I definitely do! When you wrote that the reason why you thought he described this scene in depth is because I was a memory. And I thought that, that was good reasoning. The only thing that I had some trouble understanding was what you meant when the diction that he choice made the story "relaxed". You are a wonderful writer, and I thought that you did an exemplary job on this blog.
ReplyDelete