Rosemarie - Connector

I am not a big fan of reading about war, but I have recently read a book called "Ghosts of War". It was a very good book and it was about a GI serving in the war in Iraq. When the camp was going to get bombed, on pages 58-61, it reminded me of "Ghosts of War". There were several bombings in that book, and this made me think of that. This book also uses some of the same terminology that Elie Wiesel uses. For example, I found the words "convoy" and the abbreviation "SS" in both books. I thought it was interesting because I have never really heard of those things before, and I have now seen it twice in two books.

The one thing that I found different about "Night" and "Ghosts of War" was their reactions and feelings towards the bombings. In "Ghosts of War", the bombings made them afraid and they ran from the bombs. In "Night" they prisoners welcomed the bombings because it would mean seeing one of the places that they hated the most in the world, getting destroyed. I guess it shows how a different context can change your perspective on the craziest things. Who would have ever guessed that they would be reading about somebody being happy that the bombings were getting closer to them...?

Rosemarie - Connector

I have read very few books about the lives of people in concentration camps, so when they mention getting their numbers tattooed on their arms, it reminded me of the one other book about concentration camps that I read. That book was called "The Devils Arithmetic". That book is about a young girl who somehow gets travelled back in time to the time of the Holocaust. I remember when she got her number tattooed onto her arm, another prisoner explained to her how she remembers her own number. She made something up for each number on her arm. For example, if her number was B-1397, she would say B: for her middle name; 1: for the amount of times she would pray each day; 9: for the number of aunts and uncles she hopes to reunite with after getting out of the concentration camp; and 7: for the number of days a week she prays to go home. I remember her making most of the numbers about having hope that she would soon return home.

When Eliezer gets his number, "A-7713", tattooed on his arm, I wondered if he would do the same, and then I wondered about what he would make each number represent. I think one of them would have something to do with his father, because it seems very important to him, that he and his father stay together, and get out alive... together.

Rosemarie - Connector

The second place I found that I could connect to another book was a few pages long. It started on page 22 and ended on page 27. This particular section of the book was when they were in the trains on their way to the camp. I read a book in sixth grade called "The Final Journey". That book was about a girl and her grandfather's journey on the train towards the concentration camp. Unlike this book, the entire book was about the train ride and I did not get the chance to read about life at the concentration camp, because as soon as they reached their destination, the young girl and her grandfather were considered unqualified to be able to work, so they were put in the gas chambers upon arrival.

One thing I remember so vividly about the book is the terrible conditions on the train. I remembered reading about excruciating heat and terrible illness. Mrs. Schachter was very ill and I remember reading about the people that went crazy in "The Final Journey". The girl's Grandfather had fallen very ill in that book.

One of the things that grossed me out the most was reading about how there were no toilets anywhere on the train, so they were forced to use a corner to relieve themselves. This book reminds me of that because when they are in the synagogue, they were forced to do the same thing, because they were not allowed outside.

Rosemarie - Connector

The first spot I found that I was able to connect to another book was on page four. Elie Wiesel was describing his family and he said, "There were four of us children. Hilda, the eldest; then Bea; I was the third and the only son; Tzipora was the youngest." This part reminded me of a book I read a long time ago, in like fourth or fifth grade.... It was called "Bridge to Terabithia". They made a movie about it, so you guys probably know what I am talking about. Well, in that book, Jess Aarons was in pretty much the same situation. He was the only boy and he had four sisters. I remember Jess had some problems being the only boy, and I was wondering if in the future of the book, we might see Elie having some problems as well. Being as this book is about him surviving the Holocaust, I think we will see how the family gets split up later on when they enter some of the concentration camps, because I remember learning about the Holocaust, and I am pretty sure some of the women and children got separated from the men, based on how well they would be able to work at the camps.