The phrase “Arbeit macht Frei” is engraved in iron above the gates of many concentration camps, including the Auschwitz camp in Poland, where Elie Wiesel was held by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Although this statement is often met with cynicism, this phrase contained an ironic truth for those who shared Wiesel's position. The simplest example of the irony of this statement is the hard work they did in the camps under the guards, which ultimately led them to escape selection. Alternatively, there are less direct interpretations of this phrase, such as extreme effort freeing the mind from pain or thought of horrible conditions and working to preserve someone's life only to free oneself from the role of caretaker. Ultimately, the truth of the saying "Arbeit macht Frei" resonates throughout Elie Wiesel's Night and can be interpreted as an underlying theme in his book. Considering the phrase displayed above countless concentration camps during World War II, the most important interpretation has always been that working for the Nazis would prevent them from outright killing you. In Wiesel's Night, this same interpretation is used to explain the enormous amount of work the Jews accomplished under Nazi orders and why they withstood countless hours of this hard labor. It was for this reason that when the Jews were chosen during the selection for transfer to the crematorium, they begged to be spared, insisting that they could still work. This situation was expressed in chapter five when the prisoners who had been promised to be saved discovered that in reality they were still going to be killed: “Save us! You promised... We want to go to the depot. We are strong enough to...... middle of paper ......d to his desire and gaining freedom from the need to care for him. In conclusion, the interpretation of the statement “Arbeit macht Frei” has many meanings, both direct and indirect. There is obviously the simplest interpretation that work freed you from crematorium selection, but there are also more significant indirect interpretations. From these implicit explanations, the meaning one gets is that intense physical stress allows a person's mind to wander, essentially freeing them from reality both physically and mentally. It also provides an explanation for Wiesel's struggle to abandon and break free from his father. Ultimately, “Arbeit macht Frei” is validated throughout the Night and can be seen as an overarching theme. Works Cited Wiesel, Elie and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1982. Print.