Cody Tran

Mrs. Poniger
ENG2D
July 18th 2023

A connection between A poem and an interview U4A3

The interview of Wiesel and the poem of Wiesel has a lot of connections that are easy to
spot and some that are hidden. Both contain many messages that we can relate to our
everyday lives and how we can relate to the past lives. That is the interesting part about
the book. This book takes place in the 1940-1950s nearing the end of World war 2
meaning a tight and difficult spot to be in at these times.

I will state how these 2 themes connect, relate to our every day lives, what the world
values within till this day, quotes that i think that has an important meaning to it, the
importance or meaning of these 2 themes and my thoughts and opinions.

What is the interview and the poem of Wiesel talk about/mean or

Starting off with the interview, I agree at the beginning of the interview when Oprah
quotes “ He's one of the people I most respect: Elie Wiesel. “ due to the fact that Elie was
a very courageous and strong man who was brave enough to stand up for who he is in a
theme of horror taking place in WW2. The main message of the interview is how Elie
states how he felt during that time before he became an orphan in france to be a writer
and study topics such as frech literature and psychology. Elie states how he felt anger and
ignorant due to the fact that his family got separated into concentration leaving Elie with
his father. Sadly, Elie’s father passed away due to starvation leaving Elie alone. Elie was
an orphan later on who was sent to France right after his horror experience. On april 11th
1945, Elie was released from camp.

Furthermore, Elie did not know where his siblings or mother were. I believe this is one of
the most horror and cruel life experiences that you can experience. Not only that but Elie
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was just 15 years old. Watching ways of people being slaughtered or killed in the most
cruel ways possible, seeing kids being killed upon being release, but… The most hurting
part is watching your dad pass away. Elie’s father was all he had left due to separation
from the rest pof his family. A truly sad experience that required the ability of silence and
patience. Elie showed a responsable act of bravery, courage, pain, suffering, anger, loss of
trust, and worthless.

Bravery and courage has a strong and wise connection due to the fact that he held back
many tears. For example, coming from his father’s death :( and his horrorfying
experience that he felt while being within the times of WW2.
The others on the other hand being pain, suffering, anger, loss of trust and worthless
connect together to make one connection or relation. This connects to the horrible
childhood Elie received. Those 5 horrible aspects were too much to handle that Elie had
thoughts about suicide. I cannot imagine how horrible those times were especially with
concentration camps with makes me truly emotional and horrible about the life of Elie.

Moving on to the poem, “On Wiesel’s night” has many deep thoughts and meaning
towards this poem. For example, When they quotes “I cannot teach this book. Instead, i
drop copies on their desks, like bombs on sleeping towns, and let them read” is a perfect
example to explain about. The particular meaning of this specific quote represents how
Elie is relying on his perspective and experience when he writes books and wants to
inspire others by reading his story’s in a perspective or message of how he felt during
these cruel times.

The main message of “On Wiesel's Night“ resembles the discipline and lessons Elie went
through as a child within his perspective and how he has a way of relating his story or
personal life to others.

I think this poem was meant to show others how you would experience the hollocaust and
the side effects it gives you. Being in WW2 is a serious cause that can kill you, the poem
was made for the sake of keeping the world equal from now on because nobody wants to
live a life living in deep horror, concentration camps, pain, and despair. Which the poem
stated each of those aspects in just a set of words that have a major significance that
represents it. For example, “ the pointer of death, stabs me in my heart “ They are trying
to show a message with only a limited amount of words that one mistake can cost you
your whole life and the sacrifice of others.
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How do these two themes have a way of connecting or relating

I think the interview and the poem have a major connection because they both rely on the
world and the surroundings with how life was back in World War 2. Especially dealing
with Adolf Hitler… A difference that can be noticed within these 2 themes are the way
they both have something to share but sharing in a different way. Here’s what I mean
below.

Poems are more like words read aloud creating a message of the surroundings of a theme
or conflicts while Interviews are more like how a character felt and what it was like.

They also have a huge way of connecting by your experiences that you live within your
life as a human being.

To support this reason, like i have said before, poems are dedicated like words read aloud
while interviews demonstrate the human beings life that was lived on earth. I think those
two connect to the experiences that you live within life because as you develop as a
human being within earth and the society. That explains the interview part. Along with
that, you express more types of idea and emotions along the way. Not only that, most
importantly your vocabulary which build the key terms of “Communication” & “
Imagery “ which allows you to gain the capability of expressing yourself which is the
exact same thing as how you write poems. Poems involve a unique amount of creative
thoughts which always can be helpful in everyday lives.

These can also relate to how you see yourself in the real world and how you connect to
these terms.

Quotes that have a meaning to it within the interview and poem

Here are 3 quotes that i think represent a hidden meaning behind it and how it shows a
clear understanding about how life was.

● Coming from the interview, Oprah asks "What does it take to be normal again, after
having your humanity stripped away by the Nazis?" "What is abnormal is that I am
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normal," he says. "That I survived the Holocaust and went on to love beautiful girls, to
talk, to write, to have toast and tea and live my life—that is what is abnormal."

I think this is a beautiful and clear understanding on how there is always hope if you
believe in God and have that mindset which also gives you the ability of silence and
patience with is important for waiting for the right moments. Yes you can be killed from
WW2 but you always have a chance for miracles of well. You are always in the heart of
God.

● Coming from the poem “No, i teach this book. I simply want the words to burn their
comfortable souls and leave them scarred for life”.

I think this can relate a lot due to the fact that they are logically stating that how words can affect
you depending on what words come at you. Like how they stated that they teach a book. They
refer to terms of the society among people.

● “And so began some hard questions for his God: "Where are you now? How can you let
this happen?" In 1945, when he witnessed his father's death from dysentery and
starvation, he questioned God's silence again—and he decided that he no longer wanted
to live.” This quote has deep statement of representing the main message or meaning that
goes behind the words or key terms of “silence” & “patience”. The questioning for God
got more aggressive as Elie was wondering where is God at. Maybe it was impossible for
his family or others to be saved, but God saved Elie and now Elie has a career and had
been to France after world war 2.

All of that takes patience and silence which is what Elie did but lost a ton of confidence. He later
realizes who he was that day being an author as he wrote Nights. I believe he gained so many
flashbacks of mostly terror or horror writing it.

What the world values within society and relations to everyday

The world we know as today is the complete opposite on how Elie lived on earth during
his childhood. We may not be able to relate to how ww2 was but Elie can… The world
now is a peaceful society with many communites, beautiful nature, many careers to take,
we have school, we have hospitals, dentists, doctors.
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Let’s compare to the past. Elie had no help, witnessed his father passing away, seperation
of family, and most importantly the form of hatred and torture of everyway possible yet a
brave young boy who survived.

We can also relate this to our everyday lives by identifying who we are as human beings.
From different generations, we are all different with our own abilities and unique aspects
within our everyday lives. I wouldn’t say that this is a total relation but it takes a major
role or control within connections being about the horrifying events that happened during
the war that Made humans to have horrible decisions and who seek in bad actions like
killing kids during ww2.

My thoughts.

I think the night by Elie Wiesel is an amazing story that everyone should read if they are
interested in past events in real life. Elie Wiesel once again is such a brave man who
survived a whole hollocaust and world war. Not only that, but he even studies many
things in France and wrote his very own novel and should be proud of who he is today!

I think Elie did a fantastic job listing the roles of events and the emotions that he
expressed along the way before being released and off to France.

With such a horrifying spot/scene to experience, Elie shows the world that God is always
with you and within our hearts as we live on this earth completing who we are, and how
we make us complete in God’s eyes.