Today is Elie Wiesel's 86th birthday. In class we are currently reading the widely known memoir he wrote about his time during the Holocaust - Night. This book is about a horrific time in world history; people were treated in unbelievable ways and witnessed hatred that seems impossible for the students to understand. The conversations surrounding this book will always be most powerful! This book is a literary masterpiece - Mr. Wiesel's writer's craft is something all students (and I) can aspire to mimic; the symbolism and theme of the book are perfect for the first literacy analysis of the eighth grade year; and the vocabulary is more than worthy of analysis and evaluation. During the reading of this book, though, students exhibit empathy for the victims and almost constantly question how others allowed this to happen. The high level questioning and thinking that fill the classroom right now are truly amazing. Elie Wiesel states in the preface that he has three basic reason for writing Night.
A few years ago, I had the great fortune to hear Mr. Wiesel speak at Xavier University. His message then is exactly what Beth and I want the students to remember years from now about our study of Night. "Indifference ... is the epitome of evil" (Wiesel). |
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January 2015
AuthorsBeth Honeycutt is an avid reader and loves to work with middle school students. Writing and publishing a blog is a new, but exciting endeavor for her. |