Friday, May 22, 2015

Oh, Literature.


          The book Night by Elie Wiesel is one of the most significant and meaningful books I have read. Wiesel’s simple, straightforward, yet haunting and honest account of the Holocaust touched me deeply. It is a true and powerful story about the author's experiences. The memoir is brilliant; it has so much to teach readers about a reality that should never be forgotten or remembered with unresponsiveness or indifference. It impacted me more than any other text because of the simple language, but heartbreaking and incomprehensible story. It gave me a jolt of fright and grief, and I felt the bitter taste of inhumanity. If it happened once, it could happen again – that’s what makes the retelling of Wiesel’s story so important.
            The passage of time allows memories to fade. This cannot happen with the Holocaust. So many years later, there are generations of students who have skimmed over the Holocaust in their history classes, not truly comprehending the events. Reading Night is a personal reflection; so much more poignant than the monotonous facts in a textbook. When one feel something, one is less likely to forget it. When one feels something so unsettling and disturbing, one is more likely to remember and help prevent such a brutality from repeating itself. It is imperative that the harsh, tragic events of the past are not only learned, but felt: one must feel in one’s heart what was endured by the strong, brave, unfortunate people massacred in the Holocaust. To the best of their ability, the teenagers of today must be given the chance to see, feel, and understand the despair and depravity Wiesel experience as a young child.  The story of the Holocaust must be retold for every generation to prevent a sentiment of numbness and insensitivity.  Told in less than 150 pages, Night must be the work to convey this sophisticated and significant crisis. It is inevitable that a high school student who reads this short memoir will be taught, engaged, and impacted.


1 comment:

  1. Such a powerful book--and so important to remember its message! Excellent points here, my dear.

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