Based on Chapter 2 of Night (23-26)
There was little air
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This chapter is about the Jews of Sighet and their deportation. They are packed into a cattle car, have very little ventilation, very little room, and very little food. Mrs. Schacter is terrified (as are many of them), and lacks the ability to mask it. She screams continuously, and as the rest of the Jews in the cattle car become stressed, her screams become more annoying, until finally, the others just can't tolerate her any longer.
The chapter outlines how the stress of their dehumanization can lead to them victimizing their own, even if unintentionally. The community in the car start out compassionate toward her (the damp cloth), to annoyed (bound and gagging her), to deciding that she is crazy (blows to the head). Her son watches this, and even he resigns himself and loses his own emotions. |
Based on chapter 4 of Night (51-59)
Poem:Cauldron of soup, cauldron of soup,
each night the young, the weak, and many more dream of you. As the famished stomach separates from the body, you help measure its time. You tell everyone to wait and keep the anger felt for another day, for later. Cauldron of soup, cauldron of soup, but don’t you know that fear is greater than hunger. You also lead many into the gallows! Abruptly, you change pleasant and intelligent young men, by filling them with greed. There are many that commit suicide for a ration or two of you! You extinguish eyes, hang tongues out from gaping mouths! But oh, even with such sight you give, you taste so delicious…better than ever! A royal feast with you must never go to waste, even if it tastes of corpses the next day. |
Explanation:In chapter 4, Elie and the rest of the Jews are being malnourished, despite the exploitation of hard labor that is happening in Camp Buna. Elie speaks about the things that are happening due to starvation, mentioning the “cauldron of soup” many times in this chapter. Hence, this poem was created from those experiences that Elie encountered with the soup. It is portrayed as if Elie is directly speaking to the cauldron of soup. It focuses on the fight for survival, and how the soup gave the Jews hope and purpose to continue to live. The poem also shows the dehumanization of the Jews, as it portrays that innocent lives were lost due to simply wanting to eat a bowl of soup.
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