Mla Citation Of Night By Elie Wiesel

Understanding the MLA Citation for Night by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel is a seminal memoir that recounts the author’s harrowing experiences as a teenager in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. Because the book is frequently referenced in academic papers, mastering its Modern Language Association (MLA) citation is essential for students, researchers, and anyone who wishes to discuss the work responsibly. This guide walks you through every element of the MLA citation for Night, explains how to format in‑text citations, provides examples for various editions, and answers common questions that arise when citing this powerful text.

1. Why Accurate MLA Citation Matters

• Academic integrity – Proper citation gives credit to Wiesel’s voice and avoids plagiarism.
• Reader verification – Clear references enable readers to locate the exact passage you discuss.
• Scholarly conversation – Accurate citations allow your work to join the broader discourse on Holocaust literature, ethics, and memory studies.

2. Core Elements of an MLA Book Citation

The MLA Handbook (9th edition) requires the following components for a monograph:

1. Author’s name – Last name, First name.
2. Title of the book – Italicized, using title case.
3. Publisher – The company that issued the edition you consulted.
4. Publication year – The year that specific edition was released.
5. Version or edition – If the book is not the first edition, note the edition number (e.g., 2nd ed.).
6. Medium – For print books, “Print” is optional in the 9th edition; for e‑books, the format (e.g., eBook) is required.

When citing Night, the most common editions are the original 1960 Simon & Schuster paperback and later reprints by various publishers. Below are the standard formats.

3. MLA Works‑Cited Entry for the Most Common Print Edition

Wiesel, Elie. Night. 50th anniversary ed., Hill and Wang, 2006.

Explanation of each part

• Wiesel, Elie. – Author’s name, inverted.
• Night. – Title italicized; capitalized according to title case.
• 50th anniversary ed., – Indicates the specific edition; omit if you are using the first edition.
• Hill and Wang, – Publisher’s name.
• 2006. – Year of publication for this edition.

If you consulted a different print edition, simply replace the publisher and year accordingly. For example:

Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York Review Books, 2015.

4. Citing an E‑Book Version

When you use a digital edition—such as an e‑book from Kindle or an academic database—the citation must note the format:

Wiesel, Elie. Night. 50th anniversary ed., Hill and Wang, 2006. Kindle edition.

If the e‑book is accessed through a library database, add the database name and a DOI or URL (without “http://” or “https://” per MLA style). Example:

Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York Review Books, 2015. ProQuest eBook Central, doi:10.1080/12345678.2020.00123.

5. In‑Text Citations: Pinpointing the Narrative

MLA in‑text citations consist of the author’s last name and the page number(s) where the quoted or paraphrased material appears. Because Night is a continuous narrative without chapter titles, page numbers are the most reliable locator Practical, not theoretical..

• Direct quote:
  “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into a dark nightmare” (Wiesel 34).

• Paraphrase:
  Wiesel describes the moment he first realized the magnitude of the Nazis’ cruelty (45).

If you are using an e‑book that does not provide stable page numbers, use the chapter or section number, if available, preceded by “ch.” or “sec.” For example:

(Wiesel ch. 2)

When multiple works by the same author appear in your bibliography, include a shortened title to differentiate them:

(Wiesel, Night 78)

6. Handling Multiple Citations from the Same Page

If you refer to the same page in consecutive sentences, MLA permits the omission of the parenthetical citation after the first mention, provided the reference is unmistakable. That said, many instructors prefer a citation after each sentence for clarity.

7. Quoting Poetry or Short Passages

Night contains occasional lyrical passages that read like poetry. When quoting fewer than four lines, treat them as a standard prose quotation. For longer excerpts (more than four lines), use a block quote:

The night was silent. The wind howled. The snow fell
in a soft, relentless cascade, covering the
remnants of humanity that lay beneath the black
ash of the crematorium (Wiesel 112).

Indent the block quote one inch from the left margin, double‑space it, and omit quotation marks.

8. Citing a Specific Chapter or Section in a Multi‑Volume Set

Some libraries hold Night in a two‑volume collection with other works by Wiesel. In that case, include the volume number in the citation:

Wiesel, Elie. Night. Vol. 1, Hill and Wang, 2006. Print.

In‑text citation then becomes:

(Wiesel 1: 57)

where “1” indicates volume 1.

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

10. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Do I need to cite the original French title?

A: No. In MLA, cite the version you consulted. If you used an English translation, list the English title. If you consulted the French original, the citation would be: Wiesel, Elie. La Nuit. Les Éditions du Seuil, 1958.

Q2: How should I cite a passage that appears on different pages in different editions?

A: Use the page numbers from the edition you consulted. If you compare multiple editions, include a parenthetical note indicating the edition for each citation.

Q3: Can I use a shortened title in the Works‑Cited list?

A: Only in the in‑text citation. The Works‑Cited entry must contain the full title.

Q4: What if my professor requires a “Works Cited” page with double spacing and hanging indent?

A: Follow the formatting guidelines: double‑space the entire page, use a hanging indent of 0.5 inches for each entry, and list entries alphabetically by the author’s last name Which is the point..

Q5: Is it acceptable to cite a secondary source that discusses Night instead of the primary text?

A: Yes, but you must cite the secondary source directly. If you quote Wiesel’s words, you must still reference the primary text.

11. Sample Works‑Cited Page Featuring Night

Works Cited

Wiesel, Elie. Day to day, 50th anniversary ed. *Night*. , Hill and Wang, 2006.

Wiesel, Elie. New York Review Books, 2015. *Night*. Kindle edition.

Wiesel, Elie. Vol. So 1, Hill and Wang, 2006. In practice, *Night*. Print.


Each entry follows the MLA 9th‑edition rules: author first, title italicized, edition (if applicable), publisher, year, and format when relevant. The list is alphabetized and double‑spaced with a hanging indent.

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## 12. Integrating the Citation into Your Argument

When you weave *Night* into a larger thesis—whether you are exploring themes of memory, the moral responsibilities of witnesses, or the literary techniques Wiesel employs—use the citation to reinforce credibility:

> Wiesel’s stark, first‑person narrative strips away any romanticized view of survival, presenting instead a relentless account of dehumanization (Wiesel 72). This unflinching style aligns with the broader tradition of testimonial literature, where the author’s lived experience serves as both evidence and moral testimony (Smith 45).

Notice how the citation naturally supports the claim while allowing the reader to verify the source.

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## 13. Conclusion

Mastering the MLA citation for *Night* by Elie Wiesel is more than a bureaucratic requirement; it is an act of respect toward a survivor’s testimony and a cornerstone of scholarly honesty. By following the guidelines outlined above—identifying the correct edition, formatting the Works‑Cited entry, using precise in‑text citations, and avoiding common pitfalls—you see to it that your writing honors both academic standards and the profound legacy of Wiesel’s memoir. Whether you are drafting a high‑school essay, a college research paper, or a graduate dissertation, a well‑crafted citation empowers your argument and connects your readers directly to the harrowing truth that *Night* preserves.

And yeah — that's actually more nuanced than it sounds.