Night Unit

2014

English 2201

Name:___________________________________________________________________________

1

Activity One: Pack a suitcaseIf you were given ten minutes to pack a suitcase before you were sent off to the unknown, what would you pack? Assume that you have to pack everything for yourself and will not be able to get support from or share with anyone else. Choose ten items and explain your choice of each one.

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

6. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2

7. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

8. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

9. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

10. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

How did you feel about choosing ten items?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

How did you make the decision on what to lose?_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

You have to lose five of these items – what would you remove?

1. _______________________________

2. _______________________________

3. _______________________________

4. _______________________________

5. _______________________________

How did you feel about losing five of the items?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

3

Activity Two: Punishment, Crimes, Retribution and HopeWhat happens after a war? The following facts and statements ask you to identify how you feel about what happened after World War II. Read the fact, read the statement and choose how you feel about the statement. Explain your choice in the space given.

Fact Statement What do you think about the statement?

Winston Churchill, the British leader, thought that Nazi leaders should be hanged. But other leaders thought they should go to trial.

Those responsible for the Holocaust should be killed or jailed; they do not have the right to a fair trial in a court of law.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

The Allied countries agreed to put Nazi leaders on trial for two reasons: 1) to punish those responsible and 2) to prevent future crimes against humanity. Those who organized the trials wanted future leaders to know that if they acted like Hitler and other Nazi leaders, they would be punished for their actions; they could not just get away with murdering their own citizens.

Bringing perpetrators to justice in courts in an effective way to prevent future crimes.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

4

Fact Statement What do you think about the statement?

Beginning in November 1945, an international trial – a court case involving many countries – was held in the city of Nuremberg in Germany, so, the trials were called the Nuremberg trials. The trials included judges and lawyers from each of the winning countries (Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union). The Nazis held on charges (the defendants) also had lawyers to defend them. Some argued that it was unfair for the Allied powers to bring the Nazis to trial because they had not broken any laws (at this point there were no international laws forbidding a government from murdering its own citizens)

Since each country has its own laws, citizens should be brought to trial by the courts of their own country. It is unfair for some nations to push their laws on other nations.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

The defendants were charged with four different crimes. One of these crimes was “crimes against humanity”. One of the men charged with “crimes against humanity” was Julius Streicher. He was Minister of Propaganda of the Nazi Party. He was responsible for spreading hateful lies about Jews in the Newspaper and in other forms such as children’s books.

Spreading hateful lies that result in harm to the individual is a crime against humanity.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

5

Fact Statement What do you think about the statement?

Twenty four men were indicted (charged with a crime) during the first set of trials at Nuremberg. These included military leaders, Nazi Party Leaders and officers who worked at concentration camps. Hitler and several other Nazi leaders were no indicted because they had committed suicide or escaped at the end of the war. Some lower ranking officers, soldiers and bureaucrats who participated in the Holocaust were indicted in later trials. Bystanders were also no put on trial at Nuremberg or in future trials.

Bystanders allowed the Holocaust to happen. If more people had stood up rather than looked the other way, millions of lives could have been saved. The bystanders should have been punished along with the perpetrators.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

Many Nazis charged with “crimes against humanity” argued that they were only following orders and that they had not broken any laws by their actions.

The only person responsible for the Holocaust was Adolf Hitler. Nazi leaders were following the laws of their country and the orders of their elected leader. They should not be punished.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

Fact Statement What do you think?

6

After the war the Allied powers had to consider what Germany should do to “pay back” the survivors of the Holocaust and the families of the victims. After all, the Nazis had taken all of their money and property and had caused immeasurable suffering. A program was setup to provide money (reparation) to those who could prove they were victims of the Nazis, and Germany was supposed to give back stolen property to its rightful owners (if they were still alive.

Germany should continue to give money to survivors of the Holocaust, the families of the victims and Jewish organizations even though most of the individuals living in Germany today were small children or were not alive during the holocaust.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

Nineteen of the defendants were found guilty. Twelve were sentenced to death by hanging. Seven were given prison sentences. Between 1946 and 1949, many more trials were held in Nuremberg. In these trials 97 additional Germans were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including business leaders who used slave labour, doctors who conducted experiments on concentration camp victims and Nazi judges who sent innocent people to concentration camps.

It is possible to achieve justice for the crimes committed during the Holocaust.

Circle One

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Explain your choice:

7

After a war, punishment and retribution is part of the clean up process. So, however, is hope. On the pieces of paper provided, design a message of hope. These tiles will be placed on the walls and create a tile wall much like the one in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. They will be there for around a month so create a work of which you are proud!

Doodle Space – not the real paper

8

Activity Three – Some were NeighboursThis activity is taken from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and was built from their unit ‘Some Were Neighbours – Collaboration and Complicity in the Holocaust’.

Step One: Obtain two photos from your teacher. Answer the following questions for each photo. Photo Number: ________________

How many people are in the photograph? How many men and women? Are they young or old?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Describe and differentiate the people by the clothing worn.

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

On the most general level, what is the setting or location? Where was the photograph taken (e.g., outside, on the street, inside, etc.)?____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Describe, if possible, the relationship between the individuals, or groups of individuals, in the photograph.____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

If objects are a central focus of the photograph, list them and describe the relationship between the objects and the individuals.____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Based on your observations, what do you think is happening in the photograph? Write a caption for the photograph.____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

9

Photo Number: ________________

How many people are in the photograph? How many men and women? Are they young or old?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Describe and differentiate the people by the clothing worn.

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

On the most general level, what is the setting or location? Where was the photograph taken (e.g., outside, on the street, inside, etc.)?____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Describe, if possible, the relationship between the individuals, or groups of individuals, in the photograph.____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

If objects are a central focus of the photograph, list them and describe the relationship between the objects and the individuals.____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Based on your observations, what do you think is happening in the photograph? Write a caption for the photograph.____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Once these questions are complete, go to your teacher and get the explanation photo for each photo

you originally chose. Complete the following sheet for each one. Please note: the questions focus on

the non Jewish people in the photographs.

10

Photo Number: ___________________________________

Knowing what you now know about the photograph:

How would you label the individuals present in the photograph: helpers, Nazi helpers, willing helpers, unwilling helpers, a combination of these, or none of these? Explain your answer and the reasons you used in making it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In order for the Holocaust to have happened, how necessary was the action taking place in the photograph? If more than one behavior is occurring, rate each action separately.

Not at all necessary

Neutral Absolutely Necessary

1 3 5 7 101 3 5 7 10

Explain your choice(s):_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

11

What might be the motivations of or the pressures on the individuals for their actions? List as many as you think might explain their actions. _____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

What additional questions does this photo raise?_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Photo Number: ___________________________________

Knowing what you now know about the photograph:

How would you label the individuals present in the photograph: helpers, Nazi helpers, willing helpers, unwilling helpers, a combination of these, or none of these? Explain your answer and the reasons you used in making it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

12

In order for the Holocaust to have happened, how necessary was the action taking place in the photograph? If more than one behavior is occurring, rate each action separately.

Not at all necessary

Neutral Absolutely Necessary

1 3 5 7 101 3 5 7 10

Explain your choice(s):_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

What might be the motivations of or the pressures on the individuals for their actions? List as many as you think might explain their actions. _____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

What additional questions does this photo raise?_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

13

Having analyzed two photos, write a journal entry on a time when you were a bystander. Did you choose to stand up for the person being harmed? Did you choose to participate in what was being committed? Did you do anything or nothing? Why? What was the outcome of the situation and how might it have been different (negative or positive) had you made different choices?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

14

Activity Four: Novel AnalysisThe key to understanding many novels is in understanding the lessons they present, the characters and their motivations, the symbols and the conflicts presented within.

Foreshadowing is the use of clues to suggest or hint at events that have not yet occurred. In Section 2 of the novel, an older lady, Madame Schächter, and her young son are separated from the rest of their family and forced to travel by cattle car to what they are told is a work camp.Directions: Using the chart below, identify as many incidents of foreshadowing as possible, and speculate on what events are yet to come.

Event Foreshadows what?

“We realized then that we were not going to stay in Hungary. Our eyes were opened, but too late.” p. 23

“Fire! I can see fire! I can see fire!” p. 24

“As she continued to scream, they began to hit her again, and it was with the greatest difficulty that they silenced her.” P. 27

“In front of us flames. In the air that smell of burning flesh.” P.28

15

A metaphor is a figure of speech used to compare two different things as though they were the same. An example would be, “My heart was a shattered mirror.” A simile is also a figure of speech used to compare two things, but similes use “like” or “as.” For example, “My love is like a red, red rose.”

Directions: Use the examples below from Night, and decide if each is a simile or metaphor. Next, write what the vivid description means.

Example Metaphor or Simile Meaning

“We can’t go like beasts to the slaughter.” P.31

is like

“It was a nightmare.”p.31

is being

compared to

“Never shall I forget the little faces of the children whose bodies I saw turn to wreaths of smoke.” P.34

Became

___________________________________

“It seemed like an eternity to me.”

is like

__________________________________

“Our senses were blunted; everything was blurred as in a fog.” P.36

was as a

__________________________________

16

Without conflict in a story, the plot can seem boring. There are two types of conflict: internal and external conflict. Internal conflict is a struggle that a character has within himself. It may be a struggle to make a decision or to believe or not believe something. External conflict is when a character finds himself in a struggle with another character, society, an animal or even nature itself. We call these conflicts Man v. himself; Man v. Man; Man v. Society; Man v. Machine; Man v. Animal; and Man v. Nature. (“v.” stands for “versus”)

Directions: Using the chart below, decide whether the example given is an internal or external conflict. Next, determine what type of conflict it is; then, decide whether or not the conflict is resolved.

Example Internal or External Kind of Conflict Conflict Resolved

?“Behind me, an

old man fell to the ground. Near him was an SS man, putting his revolver back in its holster.” P.30

Man vs.

“We’ve got to do something. We can’t let ourselves be killed.”

Man vs.

“You must never lose faith, even when the sword hangs over your head.” P. 31

Man vs.

“Poor devils, you’re going to the crematory.” P.32

Man vs.

17

During the horror of the Holocaust, some prisoners found a way to show their resistance nonviolently. They somehow found an inner strength that helped see them through. The author gives the reader the impression that every man’s fate is left to chance and that no actual act can keep anyone from death; however, we see many different ways in which the conditions of the camps give courage and strength to some and faintheartedness to others.

Directions: Analyze the actions of the characters below. Evaluate the strength of each character and whether or not he/she was able to transcend the horror around him/her.

1. Moshe the Beadle

Experience:

Strength/Courage:

Resistance: Live or Die?

2. Madame Schächter

Experience:

Strength/Courage:

Resistance: Live or Die?

3. Elie Wiesel

Experience:

Strength/Courage:

Resistance: Live or Die?

4. Akiba Drumer

Experience:

18

Strength/Courage:

Resistance: Live or Die?

5. Juliek

Experience:

Strength/Courage:

Resistance: Live or Die?

Irony is a literary device that shows a contrast between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention. In verbal irony, words are purposefully used to suggest the opposite in meaning. In dramatic irony, there is a difference between what the character thinks and what the reader or audience knows. In situational irony, an event occurs that is the opposite of what is expected.Directions: Determine whether the passages below are examples of verbal, dramatic, or situational irony. Explain why the quote is ironic.

1. “I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I had no more tears. And, in the depths of my being, in the recesses of my weakened conscience, could I have searched it, I might perhaps have found something like — free at last!”Type of irony:_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. “Saturday, the day of rest, was chosen for our expulsion.”Type of irony: _____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. “The Germans were already in the town, the Fascists were already in power, the verdict had already been pronounced, yet the Jews of Sighet continued to smile.”Type of irony: _____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. “We would be getting out here. There was a labor camp. Conditions were good. Families would not be split up. Only the young people would go to work in the factories. The old men and invalids would be kept occupied in the fields. The barometer of confidence soared. Here was a sudden release from the terrors of the previous nights. We gave thanks to God.”Type of irony: _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Activity Five – Character JourneyThroughout the novel, Elizer take a journey – physically and emotionally. He goes from being a young

child to a corpse, moves from home to ghetto to camp to camp. He begins as a dependant son and ends as a fatherless man. Create a visual that pinpoints important points in his journey – where did he

begin and where does he end up at the end? You should have at least eight points on his journey.

Jot Notes:

20

Character Journey Map:

21