Group Reader Response LC 1: Dialectical Journal Practice

 1a. Discuss how Wiesel sets up the contrast between the panic of the Jews with each new decree or action of their government and their attempts to reassure themselves and to adjust to each new infringement on their freedom.

Wiesel, first of all, sees his father as a very strong, reasonable man. At first, his father claims that, “The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You don’t die of it…” The thing is, that not only Wiesel, but also the rest of his community knows that Wiesel’s father has a connection to the Hungarian police, so they assume that he knows what’s going to happen to them, so they take his word. As a father, of course, Wiesel’s father continues to reassure his son, as well as the community. However at some point, Wiesel witnesses his father crying, claiming that, “It was the first time I had ever seen him weep. I had never imagined he could.” At this point, the book starts to show to loss of Wiesel’s innocence. Naturally, a father figure is known as the strong, protective one, and you know that you’re growing up when you see otherwise. As the novel progresses, Wiesel is much more aware of the horrors of Auschwitz, and he starts to see his father lose hope as well. However there are still people, for example, a young Pole who tells them to have more courage, as they’ve made it into the camp without being killed. I think that this is a matter of who will come up with the optimistic point of view when all others are losing hope, because no one wants to see something, people, who were so strong lose hope.

2a. Find five direct quotations from the book that you feel is important to the story and provide each with your own commentary.

Pg. 16: “My father wept. It was the first time I had ever seen him weep. I had never imagined he could.”

-Like I said, loss of innocence; Wiesel starts to see that something is really wrong.

Pg. 19: “There were no longer any questions of wealth, of social distinction, and importance, only people al condemned to the same fate-still unknown.”

-Everyone kind of forgets where they are in society, only that their lives are in the hands of the German officers.

Pg. 21: “To save was our rule; to save up for tomorrow. Tomorrow might be worse.”

-They know how vulnerable they are at this point, so they turn to this concept to at least assure something is theirs, that is, if they survive the day.

Pg. 24: “We would be getting out here. There was a labor camp. Conditions were good. Families would not split up. Only the young people would go to work in the factories. The old men and invalids would be kept occupied in the fields. The barometer of confidence soared.”

-Just the fact that they thought this was kind of disturbing. Imagine looking forward to living in stable conditions, but instead to be greeted with filth and death, that’s probably one of the worst ways to lose hope.

Pg. 32: "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 that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.”
-Initial loss of innocence, faith, in the sense that Wiesel knew better than to believe in any more comforting statements his father or anyone else tries to feed him.