Why did I write it?

This was the question that Elie Wiesel asked himself about his memoir Night, which recounts the story of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp as a young boy. This haunting and impacting piece was my introduction to a genre of non-fiction in high school. Prior to having read this, I mostly enjoyed
literature in the form of fiction and drama. I perceived these hypothetical and imagined stories to be a defining element of literature. I felt comfort in being able to escape in these crafted works and would have dreaded the thought of reading something more connected to reality.

I experienced a BIG change of mind when I read Night, nonetheless.

“Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of madness?”

Not only did I come to understand the importance of non-fiction through this very important story that was being told, but I also learned to appreciate it by examining elements usually observed in fiction or other literary genres that are also very present in non-fiction, defining it as literature. For instance, when reading night I observed how Wiesel used elements such as language and tone to captivate his readers and transmit in the best way he could the sincerity of his experience.

“Blessed be God's name? Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? Because he kept six crematoria working day and night, including Sabbath and the Holy Days? Because in His great might, He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? How could I say to Him: Blessed be Thou, Almighty, Master of the Universe, who chose us among all nations to be tortured day and night, to watch as our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, end up in the furnaces? Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?”

This quote taken from the memoir, for example, illustrates this point. In order to get across his anger towards the injustice he feels regarding his situation, the author uses phrases such as "every fiber in my body," which emphasizes his state, and "chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar?" a phrase that creates impacting imagery. He further uses an intimate tone and serious as he reports the hidden thoughts of contempt he felt towards God.

Why does the author do this? Answering this question would perhaps answer the question the author posed on the preface. As the Elie Wiesel expresses the sincerity of his experiences to the reader through the elements mentioned, he conveys the importance of his incredible story that transcends beyond the Auschwitz camp and explores the horrific extents of human cruelty.