Teaching Night in the secondary classroom

As a secondary-level educator of literature and writing, I have observed the fundamental need for a sensitive, well-developed curriculum in the art of teaching Eliezer Wiesel's Night to high school students. This thesis contextualizes Wiesel's memoir by examining the history of Jewish persecution, the Holocaust itself, and Wiesel's background. Educational strategies and activities that use both literary analysis and creative writing to engender a comprehensive and thorough realization of the history as expressed through the literature are elucidated. Additionally, several ways in which teachers may lead students to examine the effects, implications, and ramifications of Wiesel's legacy are supplied.