Compare the literary description of the holocaust in Elie Wiesel’s Night with the cinematic portrayal of similar events in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.
Reading: [Nigerian author Chinua Achebe] Things Fall Apart, Part 1 (Chapters 1-13, p. 3-125) and Excerpt from {Elie Wiesel’s} Night (in Constellation text, Ch. 6)
Viewing: Schindler’s List (students should be able to borrow the DVD from their local library) [You may also locate it using other sources.]
Discussion: Compare the literary description of the holocaust in Elie Wiesel’s Night with the cinematic portrayal of similar events in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List. Is literature or cinema more powerful in depicting the [Jewish] holocaust? Why? Cite specific scenes from the film and specific lines from the reading to support your claims. How do you think filmmaker Claude Lanzmann would answer this question? Why?
What do you think Lanzmann would say about Wiesel’s book? Once you have a clear understanding of the issues about Holocaust remembrance, you may want to apply the same reasoning to history in general. Is the holocaust unique in its ethics of remembrance, or does the same reasoning apply to all history? Is literature or cinema a more appropriate tool for depicting historical narratives?