The use of symbols and themes in the story serves to deepen the analysis and give a more complete understanding to the reading audience. Symbols and themes often complement each other to articulate the author's point. In “Night” by Elie Weisel, Elie uses both symbolism and theme to develop the story as it progresses. The use of symbolism throughout the story ranges from the constant reference to fire, the smoke rising from chimneys, and even the presence of night itself. Before arriving at an unknown destination, the Jews of Sighet are crowded together in a cattle train. . In the middle of the night, Mrs. Schachter begins to cry and screams hysterically that she sees a fire and a furnace in front of her. All the other passengers on the train thought the lady was crazy and tried to calm her down, but she kept repeating the same words. It got to the point that she had to be beaten to keep her quiet. What the people on the train didn't realize was that Ms. Schachter may have been predicting the fate of all Jewish people all along. This foreshadows the death of the Jews. Fire and flames are constantly mentioned throughout the story. The entire story is built around the Holocaust itself; in which the holocaust is directly classified as "died en masse by fire". After the Jews were killed, their bodies were burned with fire, mainly so that the Nazis could hide traces of what remained of their bodies. Fire appears throughout this story as a symbol of death or the presence of death. When the Jews first arrive at the concentration camp, they realize what Mrs. Scachter was talking about as they witness the life-threatening crematoria and the smell of burning flesh. This gives the Jews an idea... middle of paper... many people burned. During his nights in the camp, he observes the worst possible forms of inhumanity: the punishments, beatings and murders of innocent people all around him. Another major theme depicted in Night is how inhumanity towards others slowly builds. Although it is no secret that the Nazis themselves were full of darkness and cruelty, Elie also refers to how he feels a darkness entering his soul after inspecting the flames. Here he questions his faith in God again. In Night, Elie Weisel incorporates many different symbols. Symbolism works throughout a story to define the themes and major points of the story. How the reader can interpret the symbols is up to them, but in all cases the themes and symbolism work together for a better understanding of the story. Works Cited Weisel, Elie. Night. Np: Hill & Wang, 1960. Print.