Night by Elie Wiesel - Holocaust Shoe Symbolism Essay, Assignment, & Activity
Night by Elie Wiesel - Holocaust Shoe Symbolism Essay, Assignment, & Activity: Invite students to explore powerful symbolism with this engaging activity inspired by Night by Elie Wiesel and the essay “Walking With Living Feet” by Dara Horn. Students examine the symbolic role of shoes during the Holocaust, analyze a related nonfiction text, and connect it all to a creative, introspective art project where they design a symbolic shoe representing their own identity. This resource fosters literary analysis, emotional insight, and creative expression. This activity works best after students have read Chapter 4, where the importance of shoes is emphasized in Elie’s memoir.
This is included in a unit plan:
>>> Night by Elie Wiesel Unit Plan
Included in the Night by Elie Wiesel Shoe Symbolism Activity:
➡️ Presentation Slides: Use this 20-slide PowerPoint presentation to introduce students to the symbolic meaning of shoes in Night and the Holocaust more broadly. The presentation includes discussion prompts, historical context, and a guided analysis of quotes and themes from Night by Elie Wiesel and Dara Horn’s essay, “Living With Walking Feet.”
➡️ “Walking With Living Feet” Essay: Students read and analyze Dara Horn’s reflective essay about her visit to the Majdanek concentration camp. The essay is not included for copyright reasons, but a link is provided for you to access the essay.
➡️ Essay and Night Analysis Questions: A set of five detailed questions guides students in making meaningful connections between Horn’s essay and Night by Elie Wiesel, with a focus on memory, setting, identity, and the personal significance of shoes during the Holocaust.
➡️ Walking in My Shoes Identity Art Project: Students design a symbolic shoe that represents their own identity, using visual symbols, words, and personal reflection. Guided planning sheets help them brainstorm elements such as roots, hobbies, values, connections, and future goals, before transferring their ideas to a creative final product.
How the Night Shoe Symbolism Activity Works:
- Begin with the presentation to introduce the symbolic meaning of shoes in Night and Holocaust history.
- Assign Dara Horn’s essay, “Walking With Living Feet,” and use the included questions to guide close reading and critical reflection. Review and discuss the answers to the questions as a class using the presentation.
- Transition to the “Walking in My Shoes” design project, where students use a brainstorming sheet to plan out eight elements of their identity. Have students complete their shoe design using one of the provided templates or a blank canvas. You may choose to display the finished projects on your wall.
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