Elie Wiesel Commonlit Answers

9th Grade
Lexile: 1310

Source: Elie Wiesel by The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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Assessment Answers

Question	Answer
Which statement best identifies the central idea of the text?	Wiesel has been recognized for sharing his experiences in the Holocaust as a way to advocate for human rights.
PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?	“His personal experience of the Holocaust led him to use his talents as an author, teacher, and storyteller to defend human rights and peace throughout the world.” (Paragraph 2)
PART A: What impact does the phrase “deportation by cattle car” in paragraph 4 have on the reader’s understanding of the text?	It emphasizes the degrading treatment Wiesel and other Holocaust victims faced.
PART B: Which quote from paragraph 4 best supports the answer to Part A?	“stripped of their humanity”

How does the conclusion of the article in paragraph 10 contribute to the central idea of the text?

The conclusion in paragraph 10 talks about the Elie Wiesel Award, which is like this super big honor given to people who do awesome stuff to fight hate, prevent bad things like genocide, and help people be treated with dignity.

Naming the award after Elie Wiesel, the dude we’ve been learning about, is a huge deal because it shows just how important his work was. He didn’t just survive the Holocaust; he used his tough experiences to make the world a better place by standing up for human rights.

This part of the text helps us see that all the stuff Wiesel did—writing books, teaching, and talking about peace—wasn’t just important back then. It’s still inspiring people today to keep fighting against hate and to treat everyone right.

This conclusion wraps up the article by highlighting how Elie Wiesel’s legacy continues to impact the world, which is the main point the article has been making all along.

Discussion Answers

Given what you have learned about Elie Wiesel, do you think he would consider himself a hero? Why or why not? In the context of this article, what makes a hero? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

If I were to consider whether Elie Wiesel would consider himself a hero, I’d guess he might not. From what we learned in the article, Wiesel seems more like a humble guy who used his tough experiences to help others and improve the world.

He didn’t do it for fame or to be called a hero; he did it because he knew what it was like to suffer and wanted to prevent that kind of suffering for others.

In the context of this article, being a hero isn’t about doing something big and flashy; it’s about making a positive impact on the world, standing up for human rights, and fighting against hate and injustice.

The text shows that Wiesel dedicated his life to these causes, like when it says, “His personal experience of the Holocaust led him to use his talents as an author, teacher, and storyteller to defend human rights and peace throughout the world.” This shows he’s focused on helping others, not on being seen as a hero.

From my own experience and what I’ve seen in literature and history, heroes are often the people who don’t think of themselves as heroes. They’re the ones who do what’s right, even when it’s hard, just like Wiesel.

In books and movies, the heroes often overcome big challenges and use those experiences to help others, kinda like Harry Potter or Katniss Everdeen. They don’t do it for the glory; they do it because they care about others and want to make a difference.

So, even though Wiesel probably wouldn’t call himself a hero, the things he did—writing about his experiences, teaching, advocating for human rights—fit what many of us think of as heroic. He made a huge impact, and that’s what really matters.

What other figures from history or literature remind you of Elie Wiesel? What shared experiences or characteristics do they have? In the context of this article, what can we learn from tragedy? What did Elie Wiesel try to teach the world from his own tragedies? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

Elie Wiesel reminds me of other figures from history and literature who have used their difficult experiences to bring about positive change or to share important messages. One such figure is Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban.

Like Wiesel, Malala used her harrowing experience not as a reason to retreat but as a platform to advocate for others’ rights and education.

Both faced unimaginable horrors, yet chose to speak out for the betterment of humanity, demonstrating incredible resilience and courage.

Another figure is Anne Frank, whose diary offers a poignant, deeply personal insight into the Holocaust, much like Wiesel’s “Night.” Both were young when they faced the atrocities of the Holocaust, and both left behind works that serve to educate and remind future generations of the horrors of hate and the importance of empathy and human rights.

From the context of this article and these comparisons, we can learn a lot from tragedy. Tragedy, while devastating, can also teach us resilience, the importance of memory, and the power of using one’s voice to advocate for change.

Elie Wiesel tried to teach the world that it’s crucial to remember and speak out against injustice, as seen when the article states, “His personal experience of the Holocaust led him to use his talents as an author, teacher, and storyteller to defend human rights and peace throughout the world.” Wiesel used his tragic experiences as lessons to fight against forgetting and to promote peace and human dignity.

Wiesel and figures like Malala and Anne Frank show us that from deep personal tragedy can come profound messages of hope, resilience, and the importance of standing up for what’s right. They teach us that our voices are powerful and can be used to change the world, even in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Through literature, history, and their own lives, they demonstrate the impact one person can have by sharing their story and fighting for a better future.

This text describes the numerous awards Elie Wiesel was given, but does not speak to the full scope of Wiesel’s teaching and writing. Which do you think is more important for success: your work, or your recognition?

I think Elie Wiesel’s life really shows that it’s the work you do that’s more important for success, not just the recognition you receive. Sure, the text talks about all those awards he got, like the Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which are super big deals, but those awards resulted from his incredible work.

His writing, teaching, and activism were all about sharing his Holocaust experience to fight for human rights and peace. Those efforts were what really made a difference in the world.

Wiesel himself probably would have said that his work—like writing “Night” and speaking out for human rights—was the most important part of his success. His aim wasn’t to get awards; it was to ensure that the horrors of the Holocaust were never forgotten and to advocate for a better world.

The recognition he received was just a way for the world to say “thank you” for his important work.

In our own lives, it’s a good reminder that while getting recognized can feel great, it’s the work we do and the impact we have that really counts.

Like, if you volunteer to help others, the real success isn’t getting a certificate or a pat on the back; it’s knowing you made someone’s life a little better.

In literature and history, the people we remember and respect the most aren’t always those who were recognized in their time but those whose work stood the test of time and continued to inspire and make a difference.

So, based on what I’ve learned from Elie Wiesel and this article, true success comes from the work and the difference you make in the world, not just the recognition you might get for it.