Meditation/Analysis Paper

Demonstratethatyouhavethoughtabouttheessentialquestionsandtheme
youhavechosenasyouhavereadthetext
Quotethetextatleast4times
Connecttheideasinanywayyouprefer
Youdonthavetoargueaspecificpointorproveaclaim
Writeandsoundlikeyourself.Beclearandmakesureyourreadercan
understandyou.

Due2/1/16

NightReadingBenchmarks

Date

PagesReadin
Night

1/20

4766

1/211/22

6683

1/251/26

83113

1/27

ElieWieselsNoblePrizeSpeech(in
class)

Anthony Mederos
1-28-16
ElieWieselisasurvivorofpossiblyoneofthebiggesttragiceventstoevertakeplacethe
Holocaust.Eliepassedonhistragiceventsthroughabookcalled
Night
.Inthebook
Night
Elie
isabletopresentmanyexamplesofhismemories.Though,therearememoriesincludedinthe
bookthereisalsopartsofhistoryincludedaswell.Thepurposeofmemoryandhistoryisa
themethatIhavebeentrackingthroughoutthebook.IncludingthethemeIwasabletoseethe
connectionofquoteIwastrackingtowardstheessentialquestionIhadtogoalongwiththe
theme.NighthadmanyexamplesrelatedtomythemeIwasabletofind4thatreallystoodoutto
meallquoteshaveaconnectiontothethemeIwastracking.

OnequoteIwasabletofindwasonpage41Comrades,youarenowintheconcentrationcamp
Auschwitz.Aheadofyouliesalongroadpavedwithsuffering.Dontlosehope.Youhave
alreadyeludedtheworstdanger:theselection.Therefore,musteryourstrengthandkeepyour
faith.Weshallallseethedayofliberation.Havefaithinlife,athousandtimesfaith.Bydriving
outdespair,youwillmoveawayfromdeath.Helldoesnotlastforever...Andnow,hereisa
prayer,orratherapieceofadvice:lettherebecamaraderieamongyou.Weareallbrothersand
sharethesamefate.Thesamesmokehoversoverallourheads.Helpeachother.Thatistheonly
waytosurvive.And,nowenoughsaid,youaretired.Listen:youareinBlock17Iam
responsibleforkeepingorderhere.Anyonewithacomplaintmaycometoseeme.Thatisall.Go
tosleep.Twopeopletoabunk.GoodNight.Thosewerethefirsthumanwords.Thiswasan
exampleofamemorythatEliewieselhad.Thefirstthingthatcameuptomindwasanessential
questionthisrelatedtowhichwaswhatroledoesmemorieshaveinshapingyourfuture?This
wassomethingthatmusthavesticktoEliebecausethepersoninchargeoftheblocktoldElie
whathisfatewasthisiswhythequoterelatedtothethemeandessentialquestionbecausethis
quotehadabigroleindeterminingEliefuturebecausethiswasadescriptionofwhatEliefate
wasatthetime.SobecauseofthatEliewasabletohaveaheadsuponwhathewasgettinginto
sothisiswhythismemoryhadaroleinhisfuture.

AnotherquotethatIfoundinterestingwasthisonefrompage95Hewasplayingafragmentof
aBeethovenconcerto.NeverbeforehadIheardsuchabeautifulsound.Insuchsilence.Howhad
hesucceededindisengaginghimself?Toslipoutfromundermybodywithoutmyfeelingit?
Thedarknessenvelopedus.AllIcouldhearwastheviolin,anditwasifJuliekssoulhad
becomehisbow.Hewasplayinghislife.Hiswholebeingwasglidingoverthestrings.His
unfulfilledhopes.Hischarredpast,hisextinguishedfuture.Heplayedthatwhichhewouldnever
playagain.IshallneverforgetJuliek.Thereasonforthiscatchingmyeyebecauseitrelatedto
anessentialquestionwhichwaswhypassingalongamemoryissoimportant?Thereasonthis

relatesbecauseEliesaidthisstuckthroughouthimhisentirelife.Thiswashismotivationso
passingitalongwouldbeinspiringtoothersbecauseofwhatElieovercame.Thisishowthis
wouldconnecttotheessentialquestionbecauseEliewouldthinkitwouldbeimportanttopass
alongmemoriesbecauseofhowpassingalongamemorymightbemotivational.

Anotherquotethatcaughtmyeyewasinpage115Ourfirstactasfreemenwastothrow
ourselvesontotheyprovision.Thatsallwethoughtabout.Nothoughtofrevenge,orofparents.
Onlyofbread.Thereasonthiscaughtmyeyebecausethismemoryconnectedtowho
determineswhathistoryis.ThereasonthatthisconnectstothatessentialquestionisbecauseElie
experiencedtheholocaustwhichisapieceofhistory.ItmademewonderwhatEliewouldthink
aboutthisquoteconnectingtotheessentialquestionbecausehewasthereexperiencehistory.I
saidEliewouldprobablythinkthepeoplewhoexperienceditshouldbeabletodeterminehistory
becausethepersongoingthroughitwillalwaysbeabletoexplainwhathappenedbetterthan
someonewhoheardabout.Thus,makingthepointdependingonwhosememoryisbeingtold
couldhaveafactoronwhathistoryis.

MyfinalquotethatIwastofindwasinpage20Thesmallghetto.Onlythreedaysago,people
werelivinghere.Peoplewhoownedthethingswewereusingnow.Theyhadbeenexpelled.
Andwehadalreadyforgottenallaboutthem..Ibelieveditconnectedtotheessentialquestion
ofhowimportantisittopassalongamemory.ThisisanimportantquotebecauseIagreewith
thisquotebutalsoseeitinadifferentperspective.Iseeitaspeopleareforgettingwhattheword
means.Thatiswhyitsimportanttopassalongamemorybecausethingsgetforgottenaboutand
peoplecouldbeoffendedbecausewordsdonthavethesamemeaningnowasitdidbackthen.
ThisiswhyIwasagreeingwiththisquotebecauseitrelatesnowwithwhatsomewordsthatare
beingusedbutarentidentifiedbytheirroots.

Thesefourquotehadallcaughtmyeyeandafterhavinggottendeeperanalysisitmademe
understandwhatEliewastryingtopassalong.Thewholebookingeneralisamemorytome.
ItsalsoapieceofhistorybecausethereisnotmanysurvivorssothatmeansElieisoneofthe
fewtotelltheirstory.Thisiswhy
Night
isagoodbooktogetadeeperunderstandingofthe
purposeofhistoryandmemory.