"So never be afraid. Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion, against injustice and lying and greed. If you...will do this...you will change the earth."
-William Faulkner
"Address to the Graduating Class" May 28, 1951
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"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no on left to speak out.
-Martin Niemoller
-William Faulkner
"Address to the Graduating Class" May 28, 1951
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no on left to speak out.
-Martin Niemoller
Elements of a Memoir:
- a memory; a description of an event from the past
- written in first person
- based on truth
- reveals author's feelings before and after event
- includes lessons learned
- focused on an experience at one point in author's life
Student Projects
Meet Elie Wiesel
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel
"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." - Elie Wiesel
"Indifference is the sign of sickness, a sickness of the soul more contagious than any other." - Elie Wiesel
"What unites us as human beings is the aspiration to make the world better, more compassionate, with less conflict, less hate and hardship, and with more tolerance and understanding." - Elie Wiesel
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." - Elie Wiesel
"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel
"Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere." - Elie Wiesel
"Teach students to explore human suffering...Teach the stories...Teach them the art of questioning." - Elie Wiesel, 2006 NCTE Address to English Teachers
"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." - Elie Wiesel
"Indifference is the sign of sickness, a sickness of the soul more contagious than any other." - Elie Wiesel
"What unites us as human beings is the aspiration to make the world better, more compassionate, with less conflict, less hate and hardship, and with more tolerance and understanding." - Elie Wiesel
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." - Elie Wiesel
"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel
"Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere." - Elie Wiesel
"Teach students to explore human suffering...Teach the stories...Teach them the art of questioning." - Elie Wiesel, 2006 NCTE Address to English Teachers
Other Books to Read
If you enjoyed reading Night, below are some other novels and memoirs you may enjoy reading.