Common Themes in Holocaust Narratives: Night and Life is Beautiful

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Night by Elie Wiesel and Life is Beautiful share common themes. Both of these stories take place during the Holocaust, which was when Hitler wanted to annihilate all of the Jews. One theme they both share is father-son “bonding”. In both stories, 2 of the main characters are the father and son who are both going through the Holocaust. Another theme is silence. There are times in both Night and Life is Beautiful that silence plays a key role. A third theme between the two is innocence. Elie was very young when he entered into the concentration camps. Joshua is even younger when he goes through the Holocaust. The first theme that Night and Life is Beautiful share is father-son “bonding”. When people bond, it is usually during good times and they reminisce over good times they’ve had together. This type of bonding is not like that. Both of these stories revolve around a father and a son going through the Holocaust together which already is a horrific thing. But, in both situations, the father tries to make the best of the times he is sharing with his son. In Night, Elie witnessed many examples of when sons are not nice to their fathers. He even witnesses son's sacrifice their fathers just to survive. Elie was not like that. He had a strong bond with his father. He
In Life is Beautiful, Joshua has to be silent at many points of the movie. When Guido tells him to hide in the bunk beds, he must be completely silent at all times. If someone walks into the room, he is not to make a sound. Another time is when he is eating a meal and Guido gives him a piece of pie. Joshua accidentally says “thank you” in Italian which brings suspicion to the Germans. In Night, Elie finds God’s silence to be troubling. God does not seem present in his life throughout the Holocaust. In one scene when the Nazi’s are hanging a child, someone in the crowd asks where God is. None of the Jews answer which leaves silence across the whole

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