Night: An Attack Against Silence
When we mention the book Night we think of a story that may have changed the whole world forever, a story in which enlightened the minds of its readers, and opened the eyes of society to acknowledge some of the pointless corruption, and tragedies in today’s world, using only one character with a big heart and strong determination. Who believed that he was going to survive, and survive to tell. But really if we peel further into this story, is there something we’re missing that may be the hidden seed within this book?, I absolutely believe so.
After you read Night beside its emotional effect on us, and its heart-warming story we don’t realize the fact that Night was an attack against silence, for so many different reasons. When the survivors of the Holocaust were liberated, there was a sense of joy, peace and relief. But truly behind the scenes there was also a sense of absence in the world, but still they displayed remarkable resilience in their everyday lives as they endured psychological pain through the loss of their family members, homes, property and global respect/identity. They could not speak much, nevertheless try and evoke their old thoughts and past memories because it would kindle a fire of pain, anger, and abhorrence, the reason for their long period of silence and constant pain until Elie Wiesel stood up and recalled that all those who died during this time, died for a reason. He also recalled thatthose freed on liberation day promised him and he promised them that this senseless act ofviolence would be remembered and their stories not forgotten.
When Elie Wiesel wrote this book, he unveiled a curtain to a stage that was filled with more than the human eye had ever known or see before. But this time, there was a story, and behind it a meaning. This story perfectly described the lives of a captured Jew, a Jew sent to a concentration camp without a choice, a Jew deprived of his own peace, a Jew with no family, a Jew who was ready to testify against his God, a Jew who wouldn’t take a yes to death, a Jew who was ready to cling to life until his last breath. In Night, all these scenarios came to be. As one story was rooted with thousands of other stories like his own.
And soon enough his honest, sharp, but sincere words became an attack against silence bringing awareness and a sense of peace in those who once before could not speak for themselves, former prisoner of silence.
