Symbolism of Fire

Symbolism of FireNight- Elie Wiesel

Weisel’s Purpose?

The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”

To never allow such a thing to occur again

Lets Break it Down

Fire’s Denotation

A burning mass of material, as on a hearth or in a furnace.

Connotations(many meanings)

- Agony- Smothering- Weapon vs. Life

Fire!

Agony

Fire is associated with something that torments, causes anguish (the loss of a home), or rage.

Smothering

Equal in sense of covering and distinguishing -Physically-Mentally (faith)-Emotionally

Night is equal in terms to fire

Ex) The night smothered the day.

Weapon vs. Life

The Nazis wield it (crematories)

“We lived with the illusion of that every one of us

has been entrusted with a

sacred spark from the Shekhinah's

flame.”

How Elie uses fire….

Burning away of his FaithPg 64, “Yes, man is stronger, greater than God.

You brought down the Flood. You caused the heavens to rain down fire and damnation. But look at these men you have betrayed."

So does his faith in God

As Elie’s life slowly burns away…

The fate of the Jews

Whether the Jews are beaten, trampled, or starved to death, they will meet the crematory in the end.

To Create an Element of Fear

"She continued to scream and sob fitfully. "Jews, listen to me," she cried. "I see a fire! I see flames, huge flames!”

“It was as though she were possessed by some evil spirit.”

InterpretationMadame Shacter yells fire and frightens the other Jews

Fire Functions to give a reader the chills.

- Does this creep you out?

All three elements work together to….

• Create deep imagery• Allow a greater sense

of appreciation• Increase interaction• Create sympathy• Act as a reminder

Elie’s PurposePay homage to the Jews, and to make sure this never happens again.

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.- Elie Wiesel

Elie’s Purpose

• Pg 32, " Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live....

“Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.” (Pg 32)Elie’s Purpose

Interpretation

Elie is consumed by the fire as if his life is slowly burning away

His feelings are used to evoke personal experience with imagery

Analysis of Synthesis

All three elements work

to create…

- Emotional participation - Strong imagery - Greater sense and

experience

Emotional Participation

• “I pinched myself. Was I still alive? How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?” Pg 30

Put yourself in Elie’s shoes… The sights of the camp bring out the emotions inside you.

Strong Imagery

Pg 26, "In front of us, those flames.

In the air, the smell of burning

flesh. It must have been around

midnight. We had arrived. In Birkenau."

Images from the text never leave your mind…

"Father," I said. "If that is true, then I don't want to wait. I'll run into the electrified barbed wire. That would be easier than a slow death in the flames.“ (Pg 31)

Greater Sense of Experience

We feel the emotions as if we are there.

Usage and Purpose…

How does characterization of fire achieve the purpose or

theme?

Multiple elements achieve the target theme …

Appropriate use of the word

Brings out imagery, feelings, and connotations.

"Look at the fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere ..." 26

Identifies Greater Sense

Better understanding of the message is evoked

“My soul had been invaded—and devoured—by a black flame.”

Symbolizes more than just the suffrage of one…

...but the burning

flame that consumed

a race

Leaves Impact on reader

• “Do you see that chimney over thereOver there- that’s where you are going to be taken. That’s your grave. You are going to be burned. Frizzled away. Turned into ashes.” Pg 28

It leaves an impression on the mind and engraves it like hot metal on skin.

Evokes images that correlate to the holocaust, thus fire is appropriate.

Fire = strong connotative language

Like poetry

Images are too strong to forget…

We must never forget

Is the purpose

achieved?To never forget such crimes and never allow them to happen again?

We think so….

BECAUSE

Impact and reaction

Fire is achieved in terms of…

Connotationemotions

Multiple elements and usage

Appropriatness

In addition

The symbol of fire correlates with the themes…

• Man’s Inhumanity to Man• The Struggle

to Maintain Faith• Father-Son-

Bond

Fire is used as a weapon

Pg 4, “A lorry drew up at the pit and delivered it’s load – Babies! …those children in the flames”- succeeds to represent man’s inhumanity portrays atrocotices

Struggle of Faith “Never shall I

forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children [turned into ashes]. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.”

“Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.”

- Elie’s fire of faith is smothered by evil

Fire destroys the father-son-bond

Pg 87, “He had felt his father growing weak…. He sought this seperation in order to get rid of the burdern.”

“The student of Talmud, the child I was, had been consumed by the flames.”

All that was left was a shape that resembled me. My soul had been invaded—and devoured—by a black flame."

The Jews attitude and personality is corrupted by brutality and vicousness…

They resemble animals….

They attack each other Sons attack fathers Rabbi Elihou’s son abandons him Eli fails the test Men choke fathers for

bread

Elie’s FailurePg 102, “I gave him what was left of my soup. But it was with a heavy heart. Not better than Rabbi Elihou’s son had I withstood the test.”

In Conclusion….

Night is effective because….

• Creates strong impacts on readers• Fire is used in multiple

meanings• Excellent Imagery• Deep ideas• Relevant to themes• Leaves and impression

Serves as a reminder

The memory of the Holocaust is engrained in our minds like a tattoo

Thank You!

• Daniil Oliferovskiy• Riley Zucker• Peter Shaw• Jazib Shakil

A similar but not related tangent!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzXDi_f9PUY