Personification in Night by Elie Wiesel

Night, written by Elie Wiesel, is a powerful memoir that recounts the horrors of the Holocaust. Through his firsthand account, Wiesel conveys the brutality and dehumanization experienced by the Jews during this dark period in history. One literary device that Wiesel employs throughout the narrative is personification, giving human qualities to non-human objects or abstract concepts. This essay will explore several examples of personification in Night, highlighting their significance and impact on the reader's understanding of the Holocaust.

Body

One of the most notable instances of personification in Night is the portrayal of night as a companion to the Jews. Wiesel writes, "Night. No one prayed, so that the night would pass quickly" (Wiesel 34). By personifying night as a companion, Wiesel emphasizes the sense of despair and hopelessness felt by the Jews. Night becomes an active force that intensifies their suffering and erodes their faith. This personification serves to highlight the dark and oppressive nature of the Holocaust, as well as the profound psychological impact it had on its victims.

Moreover, the personification of night also symbolizes the loss of innocence and the destruction of humanity during the Holocaust. Night, typically associated with rest and tranquility, is transformed into a malevolent force that engulfs the Jews in a never-ending nightmare. This personification underscores the dehumanization of the Jewish people, reducing them to mere objects at the mercy of uncontrollable forces.

Another example of personification in Night is the depiction of the silence of the night. Wiesel writes, "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed...Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes" (Wiesel 34). Here, the silence of the night is personified as a murderer, responsible for the destruction of faith, hope, and dreams.

This personification of silence underscores the profound impact of the Holocaust on the spiritual and emotional well-being of the Jews. The silence represents the absence of God and the loss of faith in the face of unimaginable horrors. By personifying silence as a murderer, Wiesel conveys the idea that the Holocaust not only physically exterminated millions of Jews but also annihilated their spirituality and shattered their sense of self.

Personification is also used to describe the upheaval and chaos caused by the Holocaust. Wiesel writes, "The days were like nights, and the nights left the dregs of their darkness in our souls" (Wiesel 75). This personification of the days and nights highlights the disorientation and psychological trauma experienced by the Jews.

The inversion of day and night reflects the complete disruption of normalcy and the destruction of the Jews' sense of time and space. By personifying the days and nights, Wiesel emphasizes the profound impact of the Holocaust on the perception and experience of the victims. The personification serves as a reminder of the immense suffering endured by the Jews and the lasting scars it left on their psyche.

Conclusion

Through the use of personification, Elie Wiesel effectively conveys the horrors and dehumanization of the Holocaust in his memoir, Night. The personification of night as a companion, the silence of the night as a murderer, and the inversion of day and night all contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychological and spiritual impact of the Holocaust on its victims.

Personification serves as a powerful literary device, enabling readers to empathize with the victims and gain insight into the unimaginable suffering they endured. By infusing inanimate objects and abstract concepts with human qualities, Wiesel brings the atrocities of the Holocaust to life, allowing readers to grasp the magnitude of the destruction and the resilience of the human spirit.

Ultimately, personification in Night not only enhances the narrative but also serves as a reminder of the importance of bearing witness to history's darkest moments. By examining and reflecting on the personification used in Wiesel's memoir, we can ensure that the memory of the Holocaust remains alive and that humanity learns from the atrocities committed during this period.

References

Wiesel, Elie. Night. Hill and Wang, 2006.