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TESTIMONY IN TRAUMA: NARRATING THE UNSPEAKABLE IN ELIE
WIESEL’S
NIGHT
D . S. San hi
Associa e P o esso o English
Sa ee ha Ins i u e o Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17283305
Abs ac
Wa has always been a pa o human li e, whe he di ec ly o indi ec ly and i has long haun ed
mankind. People o en engage in wa o a ain eedom and o b ing peace and ha mony o he wo ld.
Howe e , e en a e peace is achie ed— ollowing immense ha dship, bloodshed, and iolence— he wounds
and unspoken mise ies emain wi h people o many yea s.
I emains a p o ound ques ion: why ha e wa s been so e ible, and why do hey claim so many li es?
Families become oo less, child en lose hei belo ed a he s and mo he s, many lose hei li es, and coun less
o he s a e dep i ed o hei che ished possessions and aluable p ope ies. Wa is always meaningless—i
up oo s li es and des oys humani y a i s co e.
Li e a u e e lec s li e. The s uggles o human exis ence a e po ayed h ough li e a u e. W i e s use
li e a u e as a medium o exp ess he ho o s o wa . These exp essions can ake many o ms—poe y,
d ama, ic ion, li e na a i es, memoi s, es imonial na a i es, and mo e. Th ough hese o ms, w i e s gi e
oice o he pain, auma, and de as a ing impac o wa .
This pape , en i led “Tes imony in T auma: Na a ing he Unspeakable in Elie Wiesel’s Nigh ,” analyses
he auma and he ho o o wa h ough he lens o Elie Wiesel’s wa expe ience in he concen a ion camp.
This memoi becomes a es imonial o he wa na a i es, speaking he eali y o he wa ho o s on he
millions o people.
Keywo ds: Holocaus , Tes imonial, Ho o s o Wa , T auma.
The pu sui o powe is o en seen as cen al o human ambi ion, and people end o place
oo much impo ance on achie ing i . They a e o en willing o go o any ex eme o a ain powe .
I is iewed posi i ely when people wo k ha d o achie e hei goals, bu many choose he w ong
pa h o ul ill hei d eams o gain powe . The wo ld is well awa e o he a ack by Nazi Ge many,
led by Adol Hi le , be ween 1941 and 1945. As a esul , six million Jews we e mu de ed, and
millions o o he s died du ing he con lic . Adol Hi le chose a ho i ic pa h o mass killing, o
genocide, in his ques o powe .
The Holocaus happened because o deep- oo ed ha ed, acis ideology, and a u hless
desi e o powe and con ol. Du ing he Holocaus a ack, many los hei li es, and he
su i o s o he Holocaus su e ed endless bo h physically and emo ionally. They unde wen
many physical abuses and emo ional auma. They aced much physical ill- ea men , eelings
o guil , and dep ession e e y day in hei li e in he concen a ion camp. Many Holocaus
su i o s we e le wi hou homes, los hei amilies, and we e o ced o li e in displaced places
as aloo indi iduals. These ho o s o he Holocaus a e e y well cap u ed in he memoi Nigh
by Elie Wiesel. He documen ed all his su e ings as a su i o o he Holocaus in he memoi .
Thus, he p esen s udy aims o p esen he Tes imony in T auma: Na a ing he
Unspeakable in Elie Wiesel’s Nigh , e ealing he ue colou o he concen a ion camps.
His o ical Backg ound o he Holocaus
The wo d “Holocaus ” s ands as he mos e i ying chap e in he his o y o mankind. The
whole wo ld was unde a li e h ea when he Holocaus ook place in 1933 in Ge many. The
Holocaus esul ed in he dea h o o e six million Jews in Ge many by he Nazis. The Holocaus
began when Adol Hi le ook cha ge o Ge many. As soon as he assumed powe , he wan ed o
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wipe ou he Jews om Ge many, hinking hey we e he main easons o he all o Ge many
du ing he Fi s Wo ld Wa . So, he s a ed punishing and mis ea ing he Jews.
When Hi le ook ull con ol o Ge many, he decided o comple ely wipe ou he Jews,
belie ing ha hey uined Ge man cul u e and loo ed Ge man easu e. Many Jewish o ice s
we e emo ed om hei pos s, and many we e pu in o p ison. A he inal s age, Jews we e no
allowed o be like Ge mans. They we e gi en badges o disc imina e hem om Ge mans. They
we e o ced o li e in he ghe os, whe e men and women we e sepa a ed. Child en we e
allowed o be wi h hei mo he s, and adul child en we e allowed o be wi h hei a he s. Many
we e sen o concen a ion camps and hen o places whe e hey we e massac ed.
The Holocaus became he mos e i ying e en in he his o y o mankind. Media was one
o he majo easons o sp eading he e ible na u e o he Holocaus . Apa om media, many
newspape s and jou nals con ibu ed o po ay he da k and e il side o he Holocaus . Many
w i e s happened o be Holocaus ic ims. Many p oli ic w i e s ha e aced he his o y o
auma in hei wo ks. The mos no able wo ks a e F eud’s Beyond he Pleasu e P inciple and
Ca hy Ca u h’s impo an wo k T auma: Explo a ions in Memo y. No only ic ion and memoi s,
bu also mo ies played a majo ole in p esen ing he auma ic expe iences o he Holocaus .
They also added hei mise able, unspoken, and unexp essed Holocaus aumas in hei p oli ic
w i ing h ough memoi s o es imonial na a i es.
Humans a e in e es ed in w i ing hei pe sonal expe iences whe he i is good o bad, hey
documen hei ha sh eali ies and hei che ished memo ies in he o ms o le e s ,
au obiog aphy , biog aphy, memoi s o es imonial na a i es. They a e many g ea w i e s like
Elie Wiesel – Nigh (Holocaus su i o accoun ), Anne F ank – The Dia y o a Young Gi l (w i en
du ing Nazi occupa ion) Maya Angelou – I Know Why he Caged Bi d Sings ( ace, auma, and
iden i y in Ame ica) Nelson Mandela – Long Walk o F eedom (Sou h A ican an i-apa heid
s uggle) Malcolm X (as old o Alex Haley) – The Au obiog aphy o Malcolm X documen ed he
ha sh eali ies o he expe ienced hey aced in hei li e s uggle. Acco ding o Mau ice
Halbwachs, he objec i e o memo y w i ing is
The memo y o a sequence o e en s may no longe ha e he suppo o a g oup:
he memo y o in ol emen in he e en s o o endu ing hei consequences, o
pa icipa ing in hem o ecei ing a i s -hand accoun om pa icipan s and
wi ness may become sca e ed among a ious indi iduals, los amid new g oups
o whom hese aces no longe ha e in e es because, he only means o
p ese ing such ememb ance is o w i e hem down in a cohe en na a i e, o
he w i ing emain e en hough he hough s and he spoken wo d die(79).
Elie Wiesel, a holocaus su i o documen ed his Holocaus expe iences in his mos amous
wo k Nigh . He was bo n in Sighe on Sep embe 30, 1928. Sighe is a small own annexed wi h
Romania. He unde wen double ha dship being a poo child and as a Jew. Though he unde wen
a po e y s icken condi ion, he has led a happy childhood being wi h his pa en s and wi h he
wo sis e s. He has deep eligious hough s nu u ed by his pa en s, s udied Heb ew, To ah, and
Talmud. Du ing he Holocaus ime he unde wen a big auma ic expe ience. His amily was
asked o lea e hei homeland and was sen concen a ion camp whe e his amily was
sepa a ed. Men and women we e sepa a ed. Wiesel was sen wi h his a he being a male and
his mo he and wo sis e s we e sen o o he concen a ion camps. Being alone wi h his a he ,
he el unhappy, and he was unable o ole a e his pain o being sepa a ed om his belo ed
mo he and his lo ing sis e s. He los his pa en s and wo o his sis e in he concen a ion
camps. A e he wa , being a o phan he li ed in F ench p phanage an dhe la e become a
Jou nalis in Pa is. Being a Jou nalis he ea ned good name and he go in o ela ionship wi h
many Media pe sonals. He be iended wi h a amous F ench w i e called F ançois Mau iac. He
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used o alk abou he su e ing o he Jews in Concen a ion Camps. As Elie Wiesel keeps on
lis ening abou he su e ing o he Jews, he ge s ange ed lis ing o Mau iac. He ang ily shou ed:
I said, "M . Mau iac"... " en yea s o so ago, I ha e seen child en, hund eds o
Jewish child en, who su e ed mo e han Jesus did on his c oss and we do no
speak abou i ." I el all o a sudden so emba assed. ... And hen, a he end,
wi hou saying any hing, he simply said, "You know, maybe you should alk
abou i ” (ii).
This inciden becomes a big momen in his li e as i has kindled him o w i e abou his
su e ing as a pe son in he concen a ion camp. He inally w i es his as a memoi and he also
said a wo d abou w i ing his memoi :
I only know ha wi hou his es imony, my li e as a w i e - o my li e, pe iod-
would no ha e become wha i is: ha o a wi ness who belie es he has a mo al
obliga ion o y o p e en he enemy om enjoying one las ic o y by allowing
his c imes o be e ased om human memo y (ii).
Elie li ed in a F ench o phanage and la e became a jou nalis in Pa is. The e, he me F ench
w i e . Du ing a con e sa ion, Mau iac epea edly spoke abou he su e ing o Jesus, which
ange ed Elie Wiesel.
Elie Wiesel being a Holocaus su i o documen ed his concen a ion camps expe ience in
his w i ings. Nigh is one such es imonial na a i es ha speaks abou he eal and ha d
eali ies o he pin unde wen by he Jews in he concen a ion camps. Elie Wiesel’s memoi
Nigh was i s w i en in Yiddish, hen in F ench, and la e ansla ed in o English o p ese e
pe sonal memo y and show he ho o s o he Nazi camps. Though he decided o w i e his
su e ing as Holocaus su i o , he could ake en long yea s o comple e i as i is e y di icul
o him o depic he Holocaus su e ings he says:
W i ing in my mo he ongue- a ha poin close o ex inc ion- I would pause a
e e y sen ence, and s a o e again. I would conju e up o he e bs, o he images,
o he silen c ies. I s ill was no igh . Bu wha exac ly was “i ”? ... Was he e a
way o desc ibe he las jou ney in sealed ca le ca s, he las oyage owa d he
unknown? O he disco e y o a demen ed and glacial uni e se whe e o be
inhuman was human, whe e disciplined, educa ed men in uni o m came o kill,
and innocen child en and wea y old men came o die? O he coun less
sepa a ions on a single ie y nigh , he ea ing apa o en i e amilies, en i e
communi ies? O , inc edibly, he anishing o a beau i ul, well-beha ed li le
Jewish gi l wi h golden hai and a sad smile, mu de ed wi h he mo he he e y
nigh o hei a i al? How was one o speak o hem wi hou embling and a
b oken o all e e ni y? (iii)
As a i een-yea -old boy in he Nazi concen a ion camps wi h his a he Elie Wiesel’s Nigh
ells he s o y o his expe ience, om 1944 o 1945. The book clea ly desc ibes he pain and
ho o s. He was o ced o wea yellow s a s, asked o li e in ghe os, he was made o a el
h ough c owded ca le ca s, acing selec ions, and su i ing he concen a ion camps and
c ema o ia. The book no only speak abou he ho o o he concen a ion camp bu also i
de ails he che ished memo ies o Elie spending wi h his amily membe s. Then slowly he
documen s he ho o s o he camp. New go e nmen in Hunga y suppo ed Hi le . They u he
s a ed o a es Jewish leade s, hey banned Jew om lea e hei homes and hey also ook
away hei mos aluable belongings. Then he Ge mans se up ghe os and mo ed he Jews
he e. These ghe os we e su ounded by ba bed wi e, bu Elie el li e he e was s ill somewha
no mal because hey li ed wi h hei own people. Many hoped ha he wa would soon end and
ha he Red A my would sa e hem.
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Li e becomes sadde o Elie because Jews we e depo ed om Sighe in g oups. They we e
asked o go in a ca le ca ds, i was e y ha d and i was wi h ull c owd whe e people can’ e en
b ea h p ope ly and abou a hund ed people we e packed in o each ca . They a i ed a
Auschwi z a nigh , whe e hey we e me wi h he aw ul smell o bu ning lesh. Families we e
sepa a ed — men and women we e sen o di e en camps, and child en we e old o go wi h
hei mo he s. O he s, including he elde ly, women, and child en, we e sen o he le — o he
c ema o ia. Tha nigh , Elie saw he mo he s and child en being bu ned ali e in he lames.
Su e ings and Su i al Nazi Camps
Elie had unde gone c uel and unbea able su e ing in he concen a ion camps. All he
people in he camps we e gi en a numbe . Elie’s numbe was A-7713. They we e kep in hunge
and belie ed ha wo k would make hem ee, bu i was no like ha . They we e gi en
con inuous wo k. So, e e y day Elie and his a he became e y weak. As hey passed he
selec ion p ocess, hey we e made o wo k as labo e s. All o a sudden, on he a i al o he
Russian oops, he Nazi leade mo ed he Jews o di e en loca ions. Elie was mo ed o
Buchenwald. The jou ney became ex emely ha d o him because h oughou he jou ney, he
had o go wi hou ood and wa e . As he was no gi en p ope ood, he says: “I was no hing bu
a body. Pe haps e en less: a amished s omach. The s omach alone was measu ing ime. Ou
i s ac as ee men was o h ow ou sel es on o he p o isions. Tha ’s all we hough abou . No
hough o e enge, o o pa en s. Only o b ead” (p. 115).
Being a e y weak pe son, Elie hough abou he condi ion o his a he in he o he
concen a ion camp. He el so bad o his a he as he e was nobody o ake ca e o him.
E en ually, his a he died on Janua y 28, 1945, which b ough Elie a sense o elie a he han
g ie . A las , all hei su e ing came o an end wi h he en y o he Ame ican soldie s who
libe a ed he camp and eed he emaining p isone s.
Elie’s es imonial na a i e se es as a powe ul dogma o e ealing he ue pic u e o he
a oci ies o he Nazi camps. His auma memoi Nigh e lec s he su e ings and ha dships like
hunge , o e wo k bu den, sepa a ion, genocide unde gone by many o he Jews in he
concen a ion camps. His memoi no only speaks abou his pe sonal su e ing bu also se es
as he hunde bol o unlock he unspeakable o u e and he aumas o he Jews o he wo ld.
Hence, Elie Wiesel’s Nigh s ongly se es as he es imony in auma: na a ing he
unspeakable su e ings o he Jews.
Re e ences
Halbwachs, Mau ice. On Collec i e Memo y. T ansla ed by Lewis A. Cose , Uni e si y o Chicago
P ess, 1992.
Wiesel, Elie. Nigh . T ansla ed by Ma ion Wiesel, Hill and Wang, 2006.
