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What are the political and social implications of Elie Wiesel's Night?
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Elie Wiesel's "Night" highlights the political and social implications of denial and complacency in the face of impending danger. Politically, it illustrates how easily people can be manipulated by propaganda, as seen in the Germans' acceptance of Nazi ideology. Socially, it underscores the dangers of denial, as the Jews of Sighet ignored warnings of Nazi atrocities, leading to their eventual downfall. The work serves as a cautionary tale against ignorance and the importance of valuing human dignity to prevent future genocides.
One of the more striking social implications of Night is the degree to which people in large groups delude themselves to avoid facing up to unpleasant situations. Eliezer criticizes the Jews of Sighet for their complacent attitude regarding the Nazis. To them, the war is just something that happens to other people, something that has no chance of touching them directly.
Even when Moishe the Beadle tells everyone, on the basis of first-hand experience, that the Nazis are rounding up Jews and deporting them, most people in Sighet refuse to believe him. And when the Germans finally arrive, their initially courteous behavior only reinforces the locals's complacency. People don't believe in the stories they've heard of atrocities against the Jews because they don't want to believe them. It's much easier and much more reassuring to remain in a state of denial, a common human reaction to extreme situations. Unfortunately, by...
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the time that the townsfolk snap out of their delusions, it's too late.
Night is Elie Wiesel's autobiographical account of the Nazi's terrible impact on European Jews during the 1940s.
Politically, Night illustrates the ignorance of a people. The Germans were so easily persuaded that Jews living among them must be treated according to Hilter's view that Jews were inferior, and Aryan peoples were superior. The Jews living in Hungary (and all across Europe for that matter) were treated with equal disdain and Hilter began to incorporate his plan for the mass destruction of the Jews with Hungary. This government was in transition and sucseptible to manipulation. The lesson Night teaches to local and national governments is to know what you stand for especially when it comes to conditions of human dignity.
Socially, Night demonstrates the ignorance of a people... the Jews. The Jews had multiple opportunities to flee. The Jews completely out-numbered the Nazis in concentration camps. Something could have been done well before this situation to revolt or overthrow the ruling class. This example reminds societies to value human life and to never allow genocide of this type to happen again in history.