Sunday, August 23, 2015

Identify an example of juxtaposition from section 1 of Night by Elie Wiesel.

I certainly think that one of the strongest juxtapositions
offered lies in the tears of Moshe the Beadle.  Moshe, a character in the town of
Sighet, who is not really outwardly rejected at first, but rather more tolerated, is the
first one to see the Nazi atrocities and report it back to the townspeople.  His
narrative of seeing children used as target practice, along with the mountain of corpses
within which he had to hide is chilling.  The emotional force of the juxtaposition of
him running back to tell the townspeople what awaits them and their rejection of him is
stunningly powerful.  It is a juxtaposition that captures the inhumanity that was
inflicted by human beings on one another.  It is a juxtaposition that brings to light so
much horror in what is about to be detailed.  At the same time, there is a stunning
painful juxtaposition in Moshe crying not at what he experienced, but rather at being
shunned and treated with scorn by his fellow villagers.  His sentiment of "I only came
to warn you" is met with his rejection, something that causes a sense of despondency in
the opening of the narrative and something that creates a juxtaposition both within
Eliezer and the reader of what is to be experienced.

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