Blog 2 (Night)

I read the passage from the story Night today in English class. It is written in first person by someone on a horrific train ride. The narrator never gives any clue as to what gender or age they are. When I read it, I assumed it was a teenage boy. I realized by the end of the passage that my assumption was never confirmed by the narrator. I can infer that the ride was horrific from all the descriptive details the narrator gives. Lack of space, food, water and light was mentioned at different times in the 5 pages. The first paragraph states “Lying down was not an option, nor could we all sit down.” Another statement was there was no air. Second paragraph “After two days of travel, thirst became intolerable, as did the heat” is another statement that supports the idea of the bad accommodations.

About the 6th paragraph, the narrator lets the reader in on the why and where of the train ride. The narrator tells about the German officers and their rules. This information along with the previous details leads me to infer that the trip destination is not going to be pleasurable.

The next few pages of the passage introduces us to another passenger. Mrs. Schachter, she had already been greatly affected by the Germans when her husband and older son were taken from her. Now, her journey is too much for her to handle. It appears to the others, in the locked train car, that the woman is going crazy from this horrible experience. I think that maybe she is the only one aware of what is to come. Her nightly rants about seeing fire. One time she specifically addresses the Jews and says “Jews, listen to me,” she cried. “I see fire! I see flames, huge flames!” Why would she call the people Jews? The people had to know something about what was to come for them at the end of this trip. Why couldn’t they make the connection to what this grieving woman was saying? Maybe had they not been so scared, they would have seen what she saw.