Literary Terms in Night

1. Activity D2
Literary/Rhetorical Devices

2. Similes
• Page 16
“By eight o’clock weariness had settled into our
veins like molten lead.”
This is a simile because it is comparing the
weariness they felt to molten lead because it
weighs down on their hearts.

3. Metaphors
• Page 21
“The stars were sparks immense fire that were
consuming us.”
This is a metaphor because it is comparing the
stars and fire without using like or as.

4. Personification
• Page 84
"Around me everything was dancing a dance of
death. It made my head reel"
This is personification because it is personifying
the pronoun everything which isn't a human but
giving it human characteristics.

5. Verbal Irony
• Page 95
• "Why not, I like to give charity“
This was happening when Elie and his father
were in the cattle cart and men were throwing
bread into the cart. It is ironic because this
generally innocent statement has a bad double
meaning.

6. Direct Characterization
• Page 13
• “ They called him Moche the Beadle-
physically he was awkward as a clown.”
• This is direct characterization because the
author is describing the character through the
text.

7. Indirect Characterization
• Page 17
• “Poor fellow, he’s gone mad.”
• This is describing Moche the Beadle through
dialogue which makes it indirect and not
directly from the author.

8. Foreshadowing
• Page 33
• “Fire! I can see a fire! I can see a fire!”
• This is Madame Schaffer foreshadowing the
gas chambers which will be in the
concentration camps.

9. External Conflict
• Page 39
• “ you shut your trap, you filthy swine, or Ill
squash you right now!”
• This is external conflict because the SS officers
are threatening to harm Elie and his father.

10. Internal Conflict
• Page 42
• “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me.
Why should I bless his name?”
• This is internal conflict because Elie is
struggling with himself to find faith in God
during this horrible time.

11. Irony
• Page 53
• “I’m going to see them tomorrow. They’ll be
sure to have good news.” “We were not to see
him again.”
• This is ironic because it was expected that his
wife and children were alive and that is what
he was living for. It turns out they were not so
he stopped fighting to live.