Although this paper is not due till the end of the fourth week, I am making the directions for it available now so as you may begin working on it.
Night is an eyewitness account of the experiences of Elie Wiesel during World War Two. As such, it is a primary document for historians of the Holocaust – that is, it was written by someone who was there, as opposed to a secondary source which is the interpretation of historical events by a non-participant. Elie Wiesel and his family were forcibly removed to Nazi concentration camps and experienced the Holocaust first-hand with tragic consequences for their family. Your main task in this paper is to determine how Night can help historians to gain a deeper insight into this period of history. As you answer the following questions, build up to addressing the main question (question 5): how important is this book to historians?
1. Who was Elie Wiesel? How old was he when Night took place? What does he describe as having happened to him and his family during World War II? (1 point)
2. When did Wiesel write Night (why is that of importance to the historian?) Why do you think he wrote this book – who is the audience he is addressing in it? What else has he written? (1 point)
3. In what ways did this book add to your knowledge of the Holocaust? Give specific examples citing passages and page numbers from the book. (2 points)
4. What sort of things does Wiesel not tell the reader about the Holocaust that a historian might want to know? Why do you think these sorts of details are not included in this book? Do you think the book have been more or less effective with these sorts of details? Explain. (2 points)
5. In conclusion, how important do you think this book is to historians? How does it contribute to our knowledge and interpretation of the Holocaust? (4 points)
• Do not use Wikipedia as a source for this assignment – rather, you should use Night, the text book (Duiker), the Holocaust PowerPoint and the following websites; remember to cite your sources when you directly quote or paraphrase anything (see Academic Honesty section in syllabus for penalties for plagiarism): Elie Wiesel Foundation and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
You should save the paper as a word document that you will upload in the Attach File area of the Assignment Materials section below no later than 11:59pm April 24. Make sure you click the submit button when you are finished. The minimum length is 1,000 words, the recommended maximum length is 1,500 words. The document should be entitled Lastname_Firstname_night.doc or Lastname_Firstname_night.docx (for example mine would be Furgol_Mary_night.doc or Furgol_Mary_night.docx)
Rubric for Holocaust Paper
• Writing is grammatically correct and meaning is clear; meets minimum length; citations follow MLA format (5 points)
• Examples – descriptive quotes from Night and supporting evidence cited from the assigned sources – are used effectively to illustrate and support main points (5 points)
• Addresses questions 1-5 above (10 points)
• Total: 20 points
