Night Ch. 2

April 25

The chapter begins on a crowded bus racing through Hungary. Many of the Jews including Elie began to realize the trap they had fallen into, and their fear grew into hysteria. There was even a woman, Mrs. Schachter, who went completely mad and constantly claimed to see a fire. Soon she was bound by her fellow Jews but continued her insane proclamations.
Despite the atmosphere of hysteria, many remained silent for fear of the harsh Germans. Mrs. Schachter's condition worsened, so that not even her old friends or son could calm her. Soon the Jews reached Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most infamous of all concentration camps. There they saw the smoke rising from a great fire, like Mrs. Schachter had claimed.
This chapter really showed me the mental harm the Jews endured, not just the physical harm. After reading the events about Mrs. Schachter and her son, I saw how families were torn apart by the Holocaust. Elie's realistic descriptions really made me not just feel everyone's fear of dying, but also of the unknown that lied ahead.

Night Ch.1

April 18

In the first chapter of Night I learned a bit about Elie's life. He grew up very religious and learned from Moishe the Beadle in the town of Sighet. Soon his ways changed when WWII threatened his entire life.

Soon the Hungarian police forced restrictions on the people. All Jews in the city were sentenced to living in ghettos until their time to get sent somewhere else. Elie's father even showed weakness among all the strife and Elie started to lose hope.

The first chapter was full of hard facts and suspense. I think it is a good start for the book and kept me reading. It really showed me the truth and difficulty of Jewish life during WWII.