Section 1 Question:
"One of the enduring questions that has tormented the Jews of Europe who survived the Holocaust is whether or not they might have been able to escape the Holocaust had they acted more wisely. A shrouded doom hangs behind every word in this first section of Night, in which Wiesel laments the typical human inability to acknowledge the depth of the cruelty of which humans are capable. The Jews of Sighet are unable or unwilling to believe in the horrors of Hitler’s death camps, even though there are many instances in which they have glimpses of what awaits them."
What were some of the instances of the text in which you believe Elie is "lamenting" that the Jews of Sighet could have acted more wisely to avoid their fate? What warnings did they ignore? And secondly, do you think you would have believed a warning that told you that your entire race was going to be annihilated? Would you believe humans could be so cruel? Why or why not?
Section 2 Question:
How does this short chapter illustrate this universal truth: if humans are treated like animals, they begin to act like animals.
Section 3 Question:
Describe, using textual evidence, the way that Elie's faith (his religion and trust in a God that is good) is beginning to change now that he is in the concentration camp.