Night Motif/Archetype

Smoke

24-28  the Jews are crammed in a train car and one of the womewn starts screaming “fire”.  The others are bothered with her after they cannot see a fire and she continues yelling.  Later when they arrive at the camp they see the fire and smoke.

32-33  Elie and his father see the flames in a huge pit while walking forward.  They watched babies being thrown in and were heading there.  They were stopped right before they were to be pushed in.

37---after being at the camp and suffered several beatings, they were standing mostly in silence because of exhaustion and disbelief.  They whispered because of the heavy thick smoke that burned their eyes and stung their throats.

104 –after being evacuated from their camp, and with liberating soldiers on their heels they were transferred to a new camp.  As they walked into the camp, they barely noticed the crematorium’s chimney standing right in front of them.

Smoke in history has either meant communication or danger.  In these examples it not only is communicating to the Jews danger but threatening death.  They will never see smoke again without remembering how it looked or smelled of the death, of their families, friends, community and faith.

Smoke ---burn, smolder, incinerate, char

No, because these synonyms do not bring the smoke into your vision.  Using the word smoke not only allows you to see the smoke but smell it.

Smoke throughout history has been used for communication.  The need to communicate between Indian tribes made smoke necessary.  However, smoke has traditionally communicated danger.  In my life smoke has a third meaning. 

As a child smoke entertained me.  The smoke rising and twirling in the air fascinated me and still does today.  I didn’t ever seem to feel the danger that most people experience when seeing smoke.  Then my grandmother died and I experienced smoke in a different manner.  The priest used incense around the coffin.    I found out later that the use of incense was to symbolize our prayers being sent up to God.  I love this particular tradition of my church.

Therefore, smoke will always remain sacred to me.  How different my vision is than Elie’s.