Dont Fight the Enemy in Night by Elie Wiesel Essay

Fredrich Nietzsche once said, â€Å"Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one.† This means that if a person isn’t careful, the evils that person fights against might be the very thing that person will become. This statement is valid and holds true in both life and literature. Night by Elie Wiesel supports the idea to not fight like the enemy. Wiesel uses setting and characterization to develop his story and to get this point across. Elie Wiesel uses the setting to develop his story. Night occurs in several different locations between the ghettos and different concentration camps. The year is 1944 when the story starts and Eliezer Wiesel is living in the small town of Sighet, in Hungarian Transylvania. Not long after the†¦show more content†¦Everyone thought that he had just gone mad. He continually asks where God has gone and questions how there is so much evil in the world. In Night, like Moshe the Beadle, Elie Weisel bears witness to tragedy in order to warn others, and to prevent anything like the Holocaust from happening again. Eliezer, the protagonist, characterizes himself throughout the novel with how he feels about things and what he says. Readers can see that he is internally conflicted about his father through much of their experience. He was never sure if he should try to help his dad or if he should just fend for himself. Within the book, we learn that Elie is 15 while in the concentration camp. We also see Elie start to lose his faith directly after they arrive at the first concentration camp and he sees the babies being burned. This supports the idea of the quote stated before. Elie was trying to fight against the genocide but he ended up losing faith while he was there. Wiesel begins to question his faith in other human beings as well as his sense of justice in the world. He was often at war with himself trying to decide what he felt. Into their journey, Elie realizes that he does need his dad and that t hey should help and push each other along the journey. Readers see that he keeps his dad going in the death march and he helps him survive. Over time, Elie starts to question whether there is a God and why, if there wereShow MoreRelatedSo do you consider yourself a human or an animal? How can someone show inhumanity towards other?1100 Words   |  5 Pagescan see this in Night by Elie Wiesel, historical and current events, and everyday observation and/or experience. The idea of we killing each other for food or survival makes us animal rather human is seen in Elie Wiesels memoir Night. The book night in a nutshell is about Elie as a teenager, born in the town of Sighet, was taken away from home and soon get separated from his mother and siblings but stays with his father. Later throughout years, they face many challenges and Elie, for the most partRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Night By Ellie Wiesel1867 Words   |  8 PagesRaabiah Zaidi Ms Heenan Eng2D1 Oct 10, 2014 ISU Log #1 Retell: The book Night written by Ellie Wiesel is an autobiography about his experiences during the holocaust in 1944. He is a survivor and was only 12 at the time. Ellie had three sisters named Hilda, Bea and Tzipora. His parents ran a store in Transylvania where Ellie spent most of his childhood in. Ellie s mentor who everyone referred to as Moishe the Beadle isRead More`` Night `` By Elie Wiesel2409 Words   |  10 PagesIn his novella, Night, Elie Wiesel tells of his experience as a victim in multiple German concentration camps during the Holocaust of World War ll. The following passage illustrates a vivid moment during the struggle, the extent of human cruelty, Something was being burned there. A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this, with my own eyes. . . Children thrown into the flames (32). As stated in the passage, Elie Wiesel is observing Jewish babies beingRead MoreEvil a Learned Behavior6329 Words   |  26 Pages Evil is a learne d behavior which is illustrated in dictators, school violence, and classical novels such as Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Night by Elie Wiesel. Humans are fundamentally good, and then are corrupted by their environment. Its because of evolutionary purposes. Every organism wants their species to continue (if they dont, they die off and arent here any more). The same goes for us. If our species started off fundamentally evil, none of us would be here right now. People

Top 10 Events in Race Relations This Decade (2000-2009)

The first decade of the new millennium saw extraordinary strides in race relations. New ground was broken in film, television and politics, to name a few. Just because accomplishments have been made in race relations doesnt mean theres no room for improvement, though. Tensions continue to run high over issues such as illegal immigration and racial profiling. And a natural disaster--Hurricane Katrina--revealed that racial divisions remain strong in the United States. So, whats in store for race relations between 2010 and 2020? Judging from the events on the race relations timeline of this decade, the skys the limit. After all, who in 1999 couldve guessed that the new decade would see Americas first black president ushering in, what some have called, post-racial America? Dora the Explorer (2000) Which cartoon characters did you grew up watching? Were they part of the Peanuts gang, the Looney Tunes crew or the Hanna-Barbera family? If so, perhaps Pepe Le Pew was the only animated character you came across who spoke two languages--in Pepes case, French and English. But Pepe never became as famous as his Looney Tunes companions Bugs Bunny and Tweety Bird. On the other hand, when Dora the Explorer arrived on the scene in 2000, the series about an adventurous bilingual Latina and her animal friends proved so popular it has grossed billions of dollars. The popularity of the show proves that girls and boys of all ethnic groups will readily embrace Latino characters. It has already paved the way for another animated show with a Latino protagonist--Go Diego Go--which features Doras cousin. Dont expect Dora to be upstaged by Diego, or any other animated character, for that matter. As her audience evolves, so does she. Doras look was updated in early 2009. Shes grown from tot to tween, wears fashionable clothes and includes mystery-solving among her adventures. Count on Dora to be around for the long haul. Colin Powell Becomes Secretary of State (2001) George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell Secretary of State in 2001. Powell was the first African American to serve in the role. A moderate in a conservative administration, Powell often clashed with other members of the Bush administration. He announced his resignation from the position on Nov. 15, 2004. His service was not without controversy. Powell came under fire for his insistence that Iraq harbored weapons of mass destruction. The claim was used as justification for the U.S. to invade Iraq. After Powell stepped down, Condoleezza Rice became the first African-American woman to serve as secretary of state. Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks (2001) The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001 left nearly 3,000 people dead. Because those responsible for the attacks were from the Middle East, Arab Americans came under intense scrutiny in the U.S. and continue to be today. Arguments arose over whether Arabs in America should be racially profiled. Hate crimes against Middle Easterners rose markedly. Today, xenophobia against individuals from Muslim nations remains high. In the 2008 presidential campaign, a rumor spread that Barack Obama was Muslim to discredit him. Obama is, in fact, Christian, but just the insinuation that he was Muslim cast suspicion upon him. In November 2009, the Middle Eastern community braced itself for another backlash when Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded dozens in a murderous rampage at the Ft. Hood military base. Hasan reportedly shouted Allahu Akbar! before the massacre. Angelina Jolie Puts International Adoption in the Spotlight (2002) Transracial adoption was nothing new when actress Angelina Jolie adopted son Maddox from Cambodia in March 2002. Actress Mia Farrow adopted children from various racial backgrounds decades before Jolie, as did singer-dancer Josephine Baker. But when the 26-year-old Jolie adopted her Cambodian son and went on to adopt a daughter from Ethiopia and another son from Vietnam, she actually influenced the public to follow suit. Adoptions of children in countries such as Ethiopia by Westerners went up. Later Madonna would make headlines for adopting two children from another African nation--Malawi. International adoption has its critics, of course. Some argue that domestic adoption should be prioritized. Others fear that international adoptees will be forever disconnected from their native countries. Theres also the notion that international adoptees have become status symbols for Westerners much like designer handbags or shoes. Halle Berry and Denzel Washington Win Oscars (2002) At the 74th Academy Awards, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington made history by winning Oscars for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. While Sidney Poitier won a Best Actor Oscar for 1963s Lilies of the Field, no black woman had ever won a top acting honor from the Academy. Berry, who won for Monsters Ball, remarked during the ceremony, This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll . . . its for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened. While many were elated by the groundbreaking wins of Berry and Washington, some in the African-American community expressed dismay that the actors won Oscars for portraying less than admirable characters. Washington played a corrupt cop in â€Å"Training Day,† while Berry played an abusive mother who moves in with the white man who participated in her late husband’s execution. The film features a graphic sex scene between Berry and Billy Bob Thornton that also garnered criticism, including from actress Angela Bassett who said she turned down the part of Leticia (the character Berry plays) because she didn’t want to be a â€Å"prostitute on film.† Hurricane Katrina (2005) Hurricane Katrina touched down in southeastern Louisiana Aug. 29, 2005. One of the deadliest hurricanes in American history, Katrina took more than 1,800 lives. While residents with the means to leave the area evacuated before the hurricane hit, impoverished residents of New Orleans and surrounding areas had no choice but to stay put and rely on the government for assistance. Unfortunately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was slow to take action, leaving the most vulnerable residents of the Gulf region with lack of water, housing, healthcare and other necessities. Many of those left behind were poor and black, and President George W. Bush and his administration were criticized for not taking swift action because impoverished African Americans were apparently not a priority to them. Rallies for Immigrants Take Place Nationwide (2006) Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, America remains divided over the surge of immigrants into the country in recent decades. Opponents of immigration, particularly illegal immigration, regard immigrants as a drain on the country’s resources. Many resent having to compete for work with immigrants willing to work for extremely low wages. Supporters of immigrants, however, cite the many contributions newcomers to America have made to the country. They argue that immigrants don’t tax the nation’s resources but, in fact, boost the economy through their hard work. In a show of support of immigrants to America, a reported 1.5 million people demonstrated from coast to coast on May 1, 2006. Immigrants and their advocates were told to stay home from school and work and not patronize businesses so that the nation could feel the impact of what life would be like without immigrants. Some businesses even had to shut down on May Day because their companies depend so heavily on immigrant labor. According to the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington D.C., about 7.2 million undocumented immigrants hold jobs in the United States, making up 4.9 percent of the overall labor force. About 24 percent of farm workers and 14 percent of construction workers are undocumented, the Pew Hispanic Center found. Each year on May 1, rallies continue to be held in support of immigrants, arguably making immigration the civil rights issue of the millennium. Barack Obama Wins Presidential Election (2008) Running on a platform of change, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama wins the 2008 presidential election to become the first person of African descent chosen to run the United States. A multiracial, multigenerational coalition of volunteers helped Obama win the campaign. Considering that African Americans were previously denied the right to vote, forcibly segregated from whites and enslaved in the United States, Obama’s successful presidential bid marked a turning point for the nation. Anti-racist activists take issue with the notion that Obama’s election means that we’re now living in a â€Å"post-racial† America, though. Gaps between blacks and whites remain in the education, employment and healthcare sectors, to name a few. Sonia Sotomayor Becomes First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice (2009) The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States paved the way for other people of color to break ground in politics. In May 2009, President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor, raised by a single Puerto Rican mother in the Bronx, to the Supreme Court as a replacement for Justice David Souter. On Aug. 6, 2009, Sotomayor became the first Hispanic judge and the third woman to sit on the court. Her appointment to the court also marks the first time judges from two minority groups--African American and Latino--have served on the court together. Disney Releases First Film With Black Princess (2009) â€Å"The Princess and the Frog† debuted nationwide Dec. 11. The film was Disney’s first with a black heroine. It opened to largely positive reviews and topped the box office its opening weekend, grossing approximately $25 million. Despite its relative success in theaters--there are reports the film hasn’t doesn’t as well as recent Disney features such as â€Å"Enchanted†--controversy surrounded â€Å"The Princess and the Frog† before its release. Some members of the African American community objected to the fact that Princess Tiana’s love interest, Prince Naveen, wasn’t black; that Tiana remained a frog for much of the film rather than a black woman; and that the film portrayed Voodoo negatively. Other African Americans were simply overjoyed that someone who resembled them was joining the ranks of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and the like for the first time in Disney’s 72-year history.

A Doll’s House †Henrik Ibsen Free Essays

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, is a well written play portraying women’s struggle for independence and security in the nineteenth century. The drama revolves around Nora, a traditional housewife, who struggles to find a way to save her husband’s life while battling society’s norms. Her decision to forge a check to help her husband, Torvald, went against the patriarchical laws of that time: her plan was to borrow money and save her ill husband’s life. We will write a custom essay sample on A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen or any similar topic only for you Order Now Krogstad, the antagonist, discovers her deceit and threatens to expose her lies. As a result, the protagonist is torn between telling the truth to her husband or attempting to cover it up to save her marriage. In the following analysis, I’ll discuss Torvald and Nora’s relationship and Torvald’s general view of women. In addition, I will evaluate his attraction to Nora, focusing on his attitude on treating like a doll, or a child. Lastly, I’ll discuss how and why Torvald spoils Nora by giving her what she wants. Torvald and Nora’s relationship appears to be more of a father-daughter relationship rather than a traditional husband-wife relationship. He spoils her, and further, finds reason to rain affection on her: â€Å"He goes up to her and takes her playfully by the ear. † Torvald views the effeminate, dainty Nora as a child, and refuses to take her seriously. His view was very much like male dominant view of women in that era: women were innocent, naiive, little â€Å"skylarks† and â€Å"squirrels† who were helpless and vulnerable. Torvald also believes the measure of a women is her man and he reinforces that view when he toys with Nora, â€Å"There you are. Gives her money] Do you think I don’t know what a lot is wanted for housekeeping at Christmas-time? † This example illustrates his control over Nora. Despite her asking for money, Torvald playfully lectures her, but ultimately hands her the money and fulfills her desires. His playfulness is another facet of the dominant male symbol, playing games with a women’s mind to prove his manly independence. There are other instances where Torvald reinforces the patriarchical view of European society. For example, when Nora and Torvald were discussing money and loans, Nora mentions that she wouldn’t bother with people who lend her money. Torvald replies, â€Å"That is like a woman! † His statement is key to understanding their relationship. Nora reinforces the husband-daughter paradigm by playing the role of a naiive wife, which Torvald easily falls for. And when Nora brings up Krogstad, Torvald is even more surprised by her comments: â€Å"Nora, Nora, and you would be a party to that sort of thing? And to tell me a lie into the bargain? Torvald believes that Nora should be under his influence; thus, a dominant male’s influence. His idealistic view of women reinforces his manly independence persona towards Nora and proves that he is of touch with play’s reality. He also states his opinions about the upbringing of â€Å"morally corrupted† people. Torvald lays the blame on their mothers saying, â€Å"Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a deceitful mother. † Torvald is close minded and believes strongly that morally corrupt is due to mistakes of a female’s (mother’s) upbringing. Simultaneously, Torvald is attracted to Nora, because she gives him all the credit and feeds his ego. He strongly believes that without him, she would not be able to live her life. When Nora asks Torvald to go to the fancy-dress ball, he replies,† Aha! So my obstinate little woman is obliged to get someone to come to her rescue? â€Å". Torvald enjoys being her hero, which reinforces his manly independence. Time and again, he is there to ‘save’ her. To be clear, Nora does not stop Torvald possessiveness over her, explaining â€Å"Torvald is so absurdly fond of me that he wants me absolutely to himself. Nora is an object he owns and controls, while Nora continues to take her role as damsel-in-distress. Nora plays perfectly the role of a young doll in a play house. Torvald treats her like a child, which allows her to exploit him. She continually manipulates him for her desires. When Nora, â€Å"[Smiling quietly and happily] You haven’t any idea how many exp enses we skylarks and squirrels have, Torvald. † Whether its societal pressure or her own views, Nora allows herself to be treated like a child and allows her husband to feel as if he’s in control of their elationship. She admits that she acts the way she is, because she thinks of, â€Å"How painful and humiliating for Torvald, with his manly independence; to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual relationship†. Its ironic to realize that their entire relationship is based on lies. Torvald’s main priority is to thrust his manly independence and power over Nora, as both play the part of actors in society’s drama. Torvald challenges Nora’s attitude and character in the hope of having her fit his idealistic view of women. Torvald wants an out-of-touch-with-reality Nora in his life. As Nora explains, â€Å"Torvald can’t bear to see dress making going on. † Torvald does not want to see Nora as an independent and rebellious woman. Her true self is quite different to what she portrays, yet she continuously plays this character that Torvald will agree with. Torvald later forgives Nora for bringing up the topic of Krogstad employment: â€Å"because it is such eloquent witness to your great love for me. † This clearly shows that their relationship is ruled by the more powerful character. Torvald wants Nora to be this weak and submissive woman by spoiling her so that he ends up reinforcing his manly independence. He even says,†I am man enough to take everything upon myself. † He is taking credit from their relationship, and doesn’t give Nora any credit, because she’s a woman. She is only there to compliment him and feed his ego. However, Torvald is concerned when he sees Nora all worn out, â€Å"But dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practicing too much? † Here, Torvald thinks that Nora’s worn out, because of practicing the tambourine. The truth is that Nora is worn out because of practicing her character to suit Torvald’s life and attempting to save her marriage. Ibsen’s A Doll House proves to be a critique of the traditional roles of men and women in 19th Century marriage. Nora treated by her father as a doll-like child, continues to be treated by her husband in the same way. This is how we begin to understand how Torvald spoils Nora as an act of reinforcement of his manly independence rather than an act of love. How to cite A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen, Papers