1. D-2 Literary/ Rhetorical Devices
Foreshadowing (Page 33) “Fire! I can see a fire! I can see a fire!” (Madame
Schachter) Madame Schachter is claiming that she can see a fire. This outburst
causes the other passengers of the train to think she is crazy. She is actually
referencing the crematories at the camp. The flames burn the people thrown
into the crematory.
Metaphor (Page 33) “The world was a cattle wagon hermetically sealed.” (Elie
Wiesel) Elie is saying that the world was a cattle wagon which means the cattle
wagon is all that he could see or feel. It was the only thing that existed at the
moment. Also, the wagon was sealed hermetically (airtight) which means that
there was no fresh air entering the wagon.
Suspense (Page 37) “We had arrived-at Birkenau, reception center for
Auschwitz.” (Elie Wiesel) Elie is creating suspense with this quote by using the
hyphen as a pause. Then he ends the chapter after he ends the quote so that
you want to keep reading to see what happens next. He is creating suspense for
the reader.
Inference (Page 38- 39) “I did not know that in that place, at that moment, I was
parting from my mother and Tzipora forever.” Elie is saying that he will never
see his mother or sister again which infers that they die in the camp. The reader
is not told what happens, but is told that they did die.
Simile (Page 40) “We can’t go like beasts to the slaughter.” (Random Prisoner)
The prisoners have just been told about the horrors that they are about to face
at Auschwitz. There are murmurs going around the crowd. This prisoner is
saying they can’t be sent to the crematories like beasts are sent to the
slaughter houses.
Figurative Language (Page 41) “The weight from my heart was lifted” (Elie
Wiesel) Elie is saying that he is glad to have been sent to have been sent to the

2. left since it means his conversation with the doctor was over. He is not terrified
at the moment.
Imagery (Page 45) “Through the blue-tinged skylights I could see the darkness
gradually fading.” (Elie Wiesel) In the reception area, Elie is looking through the
skylights that are tinged a blue color. He is saying that the darkness of night is
starting to fade away and daytime is on its way.
Symbolism (Page 71) “…we saw three gallows rearing up in the assembly place,
three black crows.” (Elie Wiesel) Elie is saying that the prisoners saw the gallows
and also that the gallows are black crows. Black crows usually means death
which is what the gallows were for.
Metaphor (Page 74) “…had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many
factories of death?” (Elie Wiesel) Elie is mad at God because He allows such
horrors to occur to the people that worship Him. Elie is saying that Auschwitz,
Birkenau, and Buna are factories of death because they are places where people
work just to die later on.
Imagery/Symbolization/Metaphor (Page 119) “From the depths of the mirror, a
corpse gazed back at me.” (Elie Wiesel) Elie is in the hospital and he wants to
look at himself in the mirror. Elie is saying that he looks like a corpse. He looks
dead and his emotions are dead. He is the closest thing he knows to the living
dead. He will never forget the way he looked at one of the lowest points in his
life.