Life is Beautiful

Based on the Holocaust literature and poetry we have read, what connections can be made between Life is Beautiful and our reading?  What events, scenes, or situations are similar or different? What is similar or different about the mood or tone of the pieces?

Night by: Elie Wiesel and Life is beautiful both had a handful of connections and differences. These differences and connections help show the true nature of what the Holocaust was. In both stories there was a father son connection that was evidently broken by death, by showing these father son connections it showed how the holocaust can rip families apart. In Night it was the connection with Elie and his father that helped you understand how the holocaust can really break people down to just give up. In Life is Beautiful there were many instances were Guido risked his life to save his sons which showed the connection Guido had with his son. Guido helped show how the holocaust can make you do crazy things for your family. In both stories they showed how the holocaust affects families and make them do irrational things.

The two stories were also very different because in Life is Beautiful the story was trying to have a more happy but at times serious tone. In Night they had a serious and sad tone throughout the book. In Life is Beautiful they try to have a more uplifting tone with how Guido would protect his son Joshua. Guido would protect his son by making up a game that would protect his innocents and help him live with the little food they gave them. In Night the father wasn't really taking care of his son the son was taking care of  this father. Elie would take care of  his father by giving him extra food and giving him the will to keep going.

Lastly the biggest difference through both Night and Life is Beautiful was the connection that each family would have. In Night Elie and his family stayed together until they got to the concentration camp then they complete got separated and couldn't talk to each other again. Before they went to the concentration camps though there family would take care of each other, except Elies dad. Elies dad would always be working on religious things. In Life is Beautiful Guido and his family kept in touch. Guido would send signals to his wife any way he could. This showed that they cared for each other even if they knew they might not make it.