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In Night, why is the Jewish population of Sighet optimistic right up until their deportation to Auschwitz?

In Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night, chapter one goes into detail about what Elie’s life was like in the two years leading up to the German invasion of Hungary. From these pages the reader learns that Sighet’s Jewish community is not worried about the rumors of what Hitler is doing to the Jewish people. Even the horrific story told by Moshe the Beadle seems to have no effect on them. Even when the Nazi’s invade in the spring of 1944, no one Elie knows attempts to flee.


There are many reasons why the Jews of Sighet are optimistic until the very end. First of all, the radio reports suggest that the advancing Soviet army will drive the Nazis out of Europe for good. Because of this, many Jews in Sighet believe that the war will not last long enough for Hitler to interfere with their lives. The second reason is that the rumors they do hear seem too outrageous to believe. Moshe the Beadle tells the truth when he describes the Nazis using Jewish babies for target practice. Yet it does not make sense to most people that Germany, a country known for its literature, art, and scientific advances, would have the capacity to do something so barbaric.

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