CHILD ABUSE IN WIESEL’S NIGHT NOVEL (A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH)

Abstract

This study analyzes the issue of abuse against children in Elie Wiesel's Night novel through a sociological approach. The focus of this study is to identify the types and impacts of abuse experienced by children during the Holocaust as depicted in the novel. This study uses McCabe and Murphy's (2017) theory on the types of child violence and Shannon's (2009) theory on the impact of abuse. Using descriptive qualitative methods, the writer analyzes textual evidence in the novel to reveal how abuse is depicted and how it affects the characters of children. The research findings indicate that children in Night experience severe physical abuse, such as beatings and forced labor; emotional violence, including fear, separation, and humiliation; and neglect, which manifests itself through lack of food, security, and care.