Elijah Vaughnn

Period: 7
11/29/13
Night Essay
When men and women are persecuted based on their race, religion, or political views,
others must interfere. While everyone stood idly by, the Nazis persecuted many Jewish believers
and people with Jewish heritage during World War II. The result was the Holocaust, which was a
mass homicide to the Jewish people. In the memoir Night, it clarifies what the Nazis did during
the war, in the movie, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas, it shows a view at how the holocaust had
effected both parties, and in the excerpt, A Secret Life, an interviewer goes deeper into the
brainwashing of the Nazis.
In the memoir Night, by Elie Wiesel, people are persecuted based on their heritage and
religion. It exemplifies what actually happened in the internment camps, during World War II.
The people were first forced into internment camps, and for being silent and not going against
what the Nazis were doing, people just stood by. Eventually, since there was little resistance, and
much panic, the Nazis had their way with carting out the Jews to the concentration camps. Elie
Wiesel is taken by the Hungarian police (who use) their rifle butts, and their clubs
indiscriminately to strike old women, children, and cripples (16) to transport people to the
internment camp. More horrific is what inhumane things were going on in the internment camps.
When a little child is caught stealing, he is executed, and everyone is forced to file past the
hanged boy and the Kapos forced everyone to look him squarely in the face (62). Hoping to fear
everyone with threats of death, the Nazis used the fear against the prisoners so that none of them
would openly defy them. Later in the memoir, Elie Wiesel was forced to run almost to death
where he had exceeded the limits of fatigue (87) from being forced to run 20 kilometers.

When people are hidden from the truth of what is really happening, people from all sides
are inflicted, and the problem only escalates. The movie, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas,
shows the growing need for attention to what is actually happening in the concentration camps.
Early in the movie the main character, Bruno, is confused as to why people in the stripped
pajamas are so harshly treated and feels guilty since he causes pain to Smuel. He learns to like
Pavel, but shortly after is muddled at why is not in the household. His parents lie to him to
protect his innocence. By not telling Bruno what actually happened it only worsened the problem
as he is too nave to comprehend. Near the end of the movie Bruno tries to help Smuel find his
dad. In the process we are seen the horrors of the gas chambers that the Nazis designed. By
being silent to protect Bruno, the parents end up harming him more than helping because they
are too caught up with hiding what is actually happening in the camp.
In the excerpt, A Secret Life, from the Washington Post, we can get another perspective
on the matter of the internment camps. Brigitte, who is the daughter of a person who is in charge
of an internment camp, is remorseful for not telling the whole story. She says that in the
internment camps the prisoners made giant toy airplanes (14) for them, and describes it as a
paradise next to the internment camp. When a British soldier comes over after the war to her
house to know the whereabouts of her father, her older brother is badly beaten by the British.
Later she spills the secret to a store owner, but he returns her Brigittes loyalty and hard work by
keeping her secret (16).
The world needs to act when rights are endangered by a force looking to take over the
world. If we do not act soon enough, then something like the Holocaust could possibly be
prevented. The United States was too late to save the millions of lost Jewish lives. They were

indifferent to believe the German would dictate genocide and their silence encouraged the
genocide. I agree with Elies statement that we should act when people are persecuted.