Major Characters
Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel is the main protagonist and narrator of Night. The entire novel is a recollection of his thoughts and experiences during his time in the Holocaust as a teenager. In the very beginning, Wiesel seems to have a relatively normal life as a devout Jew. He had a complete family during this time, along with friends, a comfortable life, and a Jewish community he had blended into and become attached to. However, all of this was stolen from him upon the initial deportation to his first camp. From this point forward, Wiesel begins to lose the qualities that make him human. This is very present at the end of the novel when Wiesel does not cry after his father dies, but rather is relieved that a heavy burden has been lifted from his shoulders.
-Ms. Chmielewski
-Ms. Chmielewski
Shlomo Wiesel
Shlomo Wiesel is the father of Elie Wiesel. He was a well-respected Jewish Community Leader and people often came to him for advice and orders before he was deported to the concentration camps. Shlomo was also very oblivious and optimistic before he was deported because despite many warnings about the Nazi's intentions, he chose to hope for the best and not emigrate to a new country. (In the end, his decision to stay in Sighet, actually ends up killing his wife, youngest daughter, and himself!) Once Shlomo gets to the concentration camp, he loses his optimism and becomes a realist, acknowledging all of the danger that they are in and their small chance of survival. All of the inhumane treatment took its toll on Elie's Father, by the end of the book, Shlomo is very weak and like a defenseless child, totally dependent on Elie for survival.
-Ms. Sinn
-Ms. Sinn
Moshe the Beadle*
Moshe the Beadle is introduced at the very beginning of the novel as a very poor yet humble and religious man whom everyone was fond of. He was Elie's Cabbala teacher and taught Elie the riddles of the universe and how to ask the right questions of God. He is deported to a concentration camp before the rest of the Jews and miraculously escapes and returns to Sighet to warn everyone of the real atrocities that the Nazi's are committing. Unfortunately, the Jewish community thinks that Moshe is a mad man and doesn't take heed to his warnings. Moshe the Beadle eventually becomes a silent and depressed man that is no longer loved by everyone. Moshe the Beadle is very important in the novel because he helps set the foundation for Elie's faith, which Elie constantly struggles with in the novel. Moshe the Beadle is also important because he foreshadows what will happen to Elie, Elie's family, and the rest of the Jews.
-Ms. Sinn
-Ms. Sinn
*Moshe the Beadle is more than a minor character but the two major main characters of the novel are Elie and his father (Shlomo).
Minor Characters
Juliek
Juliek is a young violinist whom Elie first meets in Auschwitz. As he is a Jewish prisoner, Juliek is not allowed to perform pieces by Beethoven because Jews are not allowed to play German music. Despite this, he reappears later in the memoir just before his death and performs a concert before the dying and the dead. This moment was important for Elie because whenever Elie hears the song today, he can still see the face of his Polish friend, playing out his life.
-Ms. Chmielewski
-Ms. Chmielewski
Yossi & Tibi
Yossi and Tibi are two czech brothers who only lived for each other and whose parents died in the Birkenau concentration camp. While Elie was at the Buna Concentration Camp, he worked in the electrical warehouse next to Yossi and Tibi. Elie and the brothers soon became friends because Yossi and Tibi had many things in common with him. For example, Yossi and Tibi had once belonged to a zionist youth organization and knew numerous Hebrew chants. While they worked, they would hum Hebrew songs together Elie, Yossi, and Tibi also dreamed about moving out of Europe once the war was over. Finally, both of their parents had ignored the warnings to leave and flee but had instead decided to stay and be optimistic of the future. All of these similarities helped to create a special bond between the brothers and Elie, the main character.
-Ms. Sinn
-Ms. Sinn
Idek
Idek the Kapo had been Wiesel's Kapo at the electrical equipment warehouse in Buna. He had often flew into a rage and would beat the Jewish prisoners. One time, Elie caught Idek with a women and Idek whipped him relentlessly for being nosy and not minding his own business. Another time, Idek beat Elie's father who wasn't working fast enough and being "lazy". Idek is constantly a threat to Elie and the other's prisoners survival and is one of the major antagonists in the novel.
-Ms. Chmielewski
-Ms. Chmielewski
Page by Ms. Sinn and Ms. Chmielewski
Edgewater High School
Last Edited: 5/21/17
Edgewater High School
Last Edited: 5/21/17