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Chapter 1 Title: Sighet's Blind Eye

Summary of Chapter One:

* Wiesel met Moche the Beadle, a poor man in the community, 

who became a mentor and a teacher to him (in relation to the 

cabbalistic texts).

* Moche the Beadle was taken prisoner by the Gestapo and, 

after surviving, tried to tell people his story to warn them, but 

they didn't believe him.

* Eventually, German Gestapo appeared in Sighet, and after 

living for sometime in the ghetto, Wiesel and his family were 

sealed in a cattle car for deportation, which had 80 people per 

car.

Symbol:

The symbol of a blind eye stands for denial. 

This concept is shown in chapter one when

Moche the Beadle tried to warn all the towns-

people about the horrors of the Germans, but no 

one would listen to him. They decided to turn a blind

eye to him. Therefore, this is an appropriate symbol for Wiesel 

to choose. 

Quote:

"Optimism soon revived." (page 19)

In the fifth grade, I got an ulcerated cornea. This left me with 

extremely limited vision in my left eye after months of eye 

drops and doctor visits around the clock. Instead of bringing 

myself down and complaining the whole time, I rejoiced 

because I got to miss a week of school! This, in hindsight, was 

a very beneficial mindset to have, because instead of being 

sensitive about it now, I can joke about it and it is just a little 

fun fact about me. While it wasn't fun and may hinder me 

later, I am not upset about it at all now.

Literary Device:

"He was as awkward as a clown" (page 13)—simile

This simile is used to clarify that Moche the Beadle was 

physically awkward because clowns are usually associated as 

being clumsy, which is what Wiesel wanted to help the reader 

understand.

Chapter 2 Title: The Last Stop for Hope

Summary:

-The train stops in Hungary, where an officer tells the 

passengers that anyone caught hiding gold, silver, or watches 

will be shot. Madame Schächter begins screaming about a fire 

that no one can see but her.

-The Jews arrive at the Auschwitz camp and thank God for 

their haven. Once the excitement somewhat wears off and 

people head to sleep, Madame Schächter again screams about 

the fire; this time, it's real and is accompanied by a heinous 

stench.

Symbol:

The symbool of a gasp stands for 

realization. The passengers on the train 

spent the whole ride shushing Madame 

Schächter because she was screaming 

about fire, and only when they arrive at 

the camp do they truly understand why 

she must have been screaming. 

Quote: "Here was a sudden release from the terrors of the 

previous night."

This quote reminds me of a tornado warning. It can be 

terrifying trying to keep calm while it seems that the Earth is 

against you, but inevitably the warning will be over and you'll 

be allowed to come out of hiding in a closet or the basement. 

You'll see all your belongings and realize how materialistic we 

all are, but you'll simultaneously be grateful that it all 

survived. The morning after a late-night tornado warning can 

feel surreal.

Literary Device:

Wiesel uses foreshadowing with Madame Schächter's screams 

about fire to create suspense. We, as readers with previous 

knowledge of the Holocaust, know that it was common for the 

camps to have crematoriums. The Jews in the train had no 

idea. Therefore, the reader is feeling the uneasiness of 

knowing what they may stumble upon.

Chapter 3 Title: Darkness Prevails

Summary:

-A fellow prisoner rushes up to Wiesel and his father shortly after his mother 

and sisters were sent to the right. The prisoner urges the men to lie about 

their ages.

-The men, using their false ages, are sent to the left. They are deemed fit to 

work. They are sent toward crematoriums, then turn left before reaching the 

graves. This is where Wiesel lost his faith. This is where the Jews lost their 

hope.

-After a very brief moment of rejuvenated hope as the Jews are reunited 

with friends and family, optimism soon turns back to weariness. 

-Elie lies to Stein, an apparent family member. He says that Stein's wife and 

children are still alive, and this leads to Stein sneaking Elie extra rations.

-The man in charge of Elie's block of men was fired for being too humane, 

and the replacement was a savage.

Symbol:

The symbol of an eclipse represents a 

sudden and long period of darkness 

where there was previously light. All of 

the residents of Auschwitz are feeling 

the stresses and presences of death. 

This is taking a toll on them. Many have 

lost their faith, and many have lost their 

soul. This represents an overall 

darkness in their lives.

Quote:

"The student of the Talmud, the child I was, has been 

consumed in the flames." (page 46)

This is significant because we have all gone through 

troublesome times (though none to this degree) that have 

made us want to give up. Often times, there are points in life 

that demand we grow up, that we leave the past behind to 

live despite whatever monstrosities may be dragging us down. 

This is where it becomes impactful to the reader to see that 

even when it seems all hope of who you once were is lost, you 

may still make it out the other side.

Literary Device:

"And he [Stein] was so thin himself, so dried up, so weak...." 

(page 53)

Wiesel uses this unusual punctuation to emphasize the point 

that Stein was weak and wasting away. It is meant to cause a 

pause in the reader's mind so they can think about what 

effects the camps are having on these men. 

Chapter 4 Title: Death

Summary:

- Wiesel is forced to give up his gold crown to a man that is 

later imprisoned for trafficking. 

- Wiesel meets a French girl who (presumably) can't speak 

German. She shocks him by reassuring him in flawless 

German.

- Wiesel is whipped 25 times for seeing Idek with a half-naked 

Polish girl. He is threatened with 5 more if he tells anyone 

what he saw.

- Just before an air raid, a man is shot for dunking his head in 

a pot of soup.

- A man is hanged for stealing during the raid.

- A young boy is hanged with two other men, the former for 

not revealing information during torture and the latter for 

concealing weapons.

Quote:

"A child with a refined and beautiful face, unheard of in this 

camp." (page 70)

This reminds me of band camp, where there were a couple of 

girls that would compliment me in almost a mean way for 

taking pride in my appearance, even at band. It was always 

frustrating, having them always on my back, but I understood 

where they were coming from. We were at band to learn and 

become better people and better marchers and musicians, not 

to woo anyone. However, I was completing these tasks well 

enough that I figured it would be okay to make myself more 

confident by the way I dressed.

Symbol:

The symbol of the handcuffs stands for 

the punishment in this chapter. From 

the men and boys hanged, to the man 

shot for stealing soup, to Wiesel's 

lashings, this concept is prevalent in 

this chapter. 

Literary Device:

Wiesel uses imagery when he says, "That night the soup 

tasted of corpses." He did this to enliven this part of the story 

and to emphasize the toll this death had on the men. Because 

no one in our incredibly privileged town of Planfield will ever 

experience the pain of the Holocaust, Wiesel can use phrases 

such as these to attempt tconvey the pain.

Chapter 5 Title: Last Call

Summary:

- On the Jewish New Year, Wiesel and his father find it hard to 

praise God and not be angry with him. 

- A man suggests that Elie runs past Dr. Mengele during the 

selection process, and both he and his father pass. 

- The second selection comes, and ten people are chosen for 

further inspection. Elie's father happens to be one of them. He 

gives Elie a knife and a spoon, that he returns once he learns 

that his father passed the second time. 

- Akiba Drumer is taken by the selection. Like a rabbi that Elie 

had known, once Drumer lost his faith in God, he lost his will 

to keep on living. He knew that he'd be chosen, so he asked 

all the men to recite the Kaddish as he was burned. The men 

forgot. 

Summary:

-Wiesel's foot begins to swell because of the cold. He has 

surgery, and stays in the hospital to rest for another two 

weeks. 

-Two days after Wiesel's operation, there's a rumor that the 

Red Army is advancing on Buna. This means evacuation. 

Elie, considered an invalid, is instructed to stay in the hospital 

in order to be liberated, but he disobeys to find his father.

-The men spend their last night in Buna. The men march on, 

through the endless snow, to an unknown destination. 

Symbol:

The red question mark stands for the rabbi, 

Akiba Drumer, Elie, and his father's sudden 

questioning of God. With all that's happening 

in their lives, these men are having trouble 

thinking that God has abandoned them. The 

question mark is red because red is the color 

often associated with anger, which has taken 

hold of everyone in these camps.

Quote:

"He would have liked to say so many things." (page 81)

This relates to me because I am a person that is very 

conscious of the way my words will come across, and I am 

very empathetic to the people I am speaking with. I also have 

very strong feelings and opinions, so I often find it hard to 

find a happy medium. Therefore, there are many times where 

I am unhappy with important conversations that go down, 

because I feel that my feelings are not properly conveyed.

Literary Device:

Wiesel uses situational irony to create suspense. The reader 

has been rooting for Elie and his survival throughout the 

novel, and to hear that had he just stayed in the hospital he 

would've been freed makes the reader feel tense and full of 

emotion and lost hope, similar to that that he must have felt.

Chapter 6 Title: The Race for Survival

Summary:

-The men are forced to run nearly 50 miles over the course of 

many hours. The men are so exhausted, but are afraid of 

stopping for fear of being shot or trampled.

-After arriving to the next building, Elie and his father, among 

many men, are afraid to fall asleep, because they might die in 

their sleep. They would not be the first to suffer this fate. 

-Elie recalls a boy's death by trampling after the boy's father 

comes asking. After realizing what the boy had done to betray 

his father, Elie vows never to do the same.

-After running for several more hours, a boy named Juliek dies 

after playing himself to death on his violin. 

-Elie leaves his spot on the right to collect his father from the 

left. The confusion causes a few deaths.

Symbol:

The symbol of anesthesia stands for 

the numbness felt by the men, not only 

through the cold of the snow, but also 

their apathy toward death anymore. 

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