Elie Wiesel's The Last Night

The Last Night is an excerpt that describes the deportation of two young boys, Andre and Jacob, along with other deportees. The author makes use of the title, choice of words, the inclusion of young children and contrast to capture the reader’s attention and to gain their sympathy and empathy.
What strikes us first is definitely the eye-catching title: The Last Night. It gives the readers a sense of foreboding, allowing us to speculate about the sequence of events that are about to take place. The ominous feeling makes the readers interested in learning more about what will happen. The title is successful in capturing our attention, thus engaging readers to continue reading.
The author makes use of precisely chosen words to evoke certain feeling in the readers, for example, readers may associate the word ‘spared’ with images of death or the inevitable. We understand that even young children are not spared of this horrible fate that mankind has brought upon itself. Also,

For example, ‘the soft bloom of his cheek laid, uncaring, in the dung’. In this sentence, we can clearly see the contrast between the young, innocent boy and the unhygienic environment which he is in. But we can see that he no longer has the energy left to care, and just accepts the fate awaiting him. We are also in awe of the naivety a child can posses even in the worst of times, thus we pity him as he is totally unprepared for what is to come. Readers tend to feel more sympathetic when children are involved. Also, it is mentioned that ‘children were too small’ and had to be ‘pulled in by grown-ups’. This further emphasizes on their vulnerability and fragility. It also expresses the helplessness of children who are involuntarily involved in the cruelty of war. Naturally, we feel sorry for them and this will captivate our attention in learning more about the fate of these