Dawn

What are the motifs in Dawn by Elie Wiesel?

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Physical death and spiritual death are recurring ideas. In this story, the only main character who dies is John Dawson. However, he seems to be the most alive person of them all. The people of the Movement, through their personal tortures and pains, have experienced varying degrees of death of self. Elisha, whose mother tells him of a golden goat that will protect and guide him, loses it shortly after he enters the concentration camp. This signals loss of hope. As Elisha waits for dawn and his mission to kill Dawson, Elisha sees a little boy, who resembles Elisha before the war and everything else happened.