Thesis Statements

1. (Theme): The novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel shows that no matter how one’s background; no matter how divine and capable one is of expressing complete humanity towards others, everyone has a breaking point wherein complete loss in personal morals, values, and beliefs is their only option.
2. (Character): Despite the immense enmity that Jews faced in the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel and his story in the novel “Night” is an example of how one’s values can be absolutely teared down just due to other’s actions.

Quote Selection

Thesis Statement 1 (Theme)

1. “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for?” (Wiesel 31)
2. “All eyes were on the child. He was lividly pale, almost calm, biting his lips..This time the Lagerkapo refused to act as executioner. Three SS replaced him.” (Wiesel 61)
3. “‘...Where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how could anyone believe, in this merciful God?’ Poor Akiba Drumer...” (Wiesel 73)
4. “Felled to the ground, stunned with blows, the old man cried: ‘Meir. Meir, my boy! Don’t you recognize me? I’m your father...you’re killing your father! I’ve got some bread...for you too...for you too…” (Wiesel 96)

Thesis Statement 2 (Character)

1. “There was joy--yes, joy. Perhaps they thought that God could have devised no torment in hell worse than that…” (Wiesel 14)
2. “Never shall I forget that night...Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.” (Wiesel 32)
3. “I had watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet...What is more, any anger I felt at the moment was directed, not against the Kapo, but against my father...for not knowing how to avoid Idek’s outbreak.” (Wiesel 52)
4. “But I had no more tears, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I had no more tears. And, in the depths of any being, in the recesses of my weakened conscience, could I have searched it, I might perhaps have found something like--free at last!” (Wiesel 106)