Monday, June 15, 2009

What would be a plot diagram for the novel Night by Elie Wiesel?

Since Night by Elie Wiesel is really more of a non-fiction memoir than a novel, it does not follow the normal fiction plot structure. However, it is written much like a novel, so if I were to fit it into that plot structure this is how I would probably do it:


The exposition is contained in the very beginning of the book. We are introduced to the characters. We meet Elie and his family which consists of his parents and three sisters, we meet Moshe the Beadle and a few of the other people of Elie's hometown, Sighet, during WWII (setting). During the exposition we learn that Elie is interested in studying Cabbala (Jewish mysticism) and finds a teacher in Moshe.


The conflict is made evident pretty quickly. WWII has been raging for a few years now, and the townspeople of Sighet hope it will be over before it reaches them. However, soon the foreigners in the town are taken by the Nazis, and Moshe is among them. He is able to escape and makes it back to Sighet only to have the people there think he is crazy. They refuse to believe his account of what is happening to the Jews.


Next, the rising action occurs when Nazis come into town. They move the Jews into areas called ghettos, where the people soon find out that the next step will be deportation. They are forced onto cattle trains and ride for three days with little food and water all the while listening to Madame Schacter scream about fire.


The climax is really a series of events from the time the Jews arrive at Birkenau, Elie and his father go from there to Auschwitz to Buna, and Elie tells of the horrors they encounter.


The falling action probably begins about the time Elie has to have surgery on his foot. Soon after that, Buna is liquidated, and Elie along with his father and the other prisoners begin a death march toward Gleiwitz. On this horrific journey, Elie and his father help one another keep going. Eventually, they reach yet another concentration camp--Buchenwald.


Finally, the resolution happens. Elie is guilt-ridden when his father dies, even though he knows there is nothing he could have done to save him. The camp is finally liberated in April of 1945, and this horrible journey is over for Elie Wiesel.

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