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Explore the debate surrounding Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night, and whether it is a true account or a work of fiction. Consider the significance of truth in memoirs and its impact on the reader. Also, analyze Eddie Adams's iconic photo, Saigon Execution, and reflect on the power of storytelling and emotional reactions to images.
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Yesterday I asked you to think about… Critics of this work have tried hard to prove that Night is not a true memoir, but a work of fiction. Supposedly, Elie had this to say: “Some events do take place but are not true; others are—although they never occurred.” What do you think? Do you believe this work is true? What does it mean for it to be “true”? Does it matter?
A simple question: What is happening in this picture? (Eddie Adams’s iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning photo Saigon Execution.)
A less simple answer (summarized): • The man with the gun is a General, a good General. • The man being shot is a terrorist who had killed 34 people that day…mercilessly…he shot them in the head while their hands were bound and then their bodies fell into a pit below them. • Because he is not part of an army, wasn’t wearing a uniform, and had committed a major war crime, he did not need to be brought to trial when the General caught him…as a war criminal he could be executed on the spot. • And so he was. Without knowing the real story, what really happened, you had an emotional reaction to the picture, to the story you came up with.
More specifically… • This is a multi-paragraph essay. • In the intro give a hook (try finding a good quote that may apply to one of the themes in Night) as your first sentence. • Also state the name of the author and title of book • Give a very brief (2-3 sentences) summary of the text. • Develop a clear 3-point thesis statement stating exactly what you’ll be discussing. • You must include at least one quotation from Nightfor each body paragraph. • You must follow the conventions of an analytical paragraph for each body paragraph (think SAT style writing). • Be sure to “take this into the world” in your conclusion. What is the impact/implications on you/society? Why should we study this?
Quotations: 1 per body paragraph • After EVERY quote include the page number like this: (Wiesel #) • At the end of your paper, include the citation for the book (in MLA format) formatted like this: LastName, FirstName. Book Title. City of Publication, Publisher: Year Published. Print.
Sample body paragraph: (how does Elie develop, how do these events change him?) One way that Elie changes from beginning to end of the story is his relationship with his father. Elie begins the story completely devoted to his father. He is his reason for existing, for staying alive when it seemed impossible. By the end of the story, however, Elie has slowly come to resent his father’s presence; considering him as something weighing him down rather than lifting him up. Elie stuns himself when he entertains the thought, “If only I were relieved of this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care only of myself…Instantly, I felt ashamed, ashamed of myself forever” (Wiesel 106). The simple act of considering what it would be like to abandon his father has tarnished Elie’s view of himself. Elie is no longer the innocent boy from the beginning of the story, he has seen and experienced the darkness that lives inside everyone.
One way that Elie changes from beginning to end of the story is his relationship with his father. Elie begins the story completely devoted to his father. He is his reason for existing, for staying alive when it seemed impossible. By the end of the story, however, Elie has slowly come to resent his father’s presence; considering him as something weighing him down rather than lifting him up. Elie stuns himself when he entertains the thought, “If only I were relieved of this responsibility, I could use all my strength to fight for my own survival, to take care only of myself…Instantly, I felt ashamed, ashamed of myself forever” (Wiesel 106). The simple act of considering what it would be like to abandon his father has tarnished Elie’s view of himself. Elie is no longer the innocent boy from the beginning of the story, he has seen and experienced the darkness that lives inside everyone.
