Dawn is an interesting novel for a number of reasons. Though it is work of fiction, it still acts as a narrative sequel to Elie Wiesel's autobiographical account of his time during the Holocaust, Night. In Dawn, Wiesel imagines what could have happened to him had he been in the camps for four years instead of one, and sent to Palestine instead of France. He imagines choices a darker and more defeated version of himself may have made, and it is a fascinating thought experiment.

In Dawn (published in 1961) the fictional Elisha is living in the British Mandate of Palestine, and has joined a group of terrorists fighting to end British occupation. Elisha is nearly 19 years old, and has been tasked by the group to kill a British officer, John Dawson, in response to the execution of David Ben Moshe. The narrative that unfolds follows Elisha as he considers his choices and the role he has been given.

Just as in Night, Wiesel does not shy away from his own inner darkness, as reflected in the fictional Elisha. He thoroughly explores how trauma and cruelty can entrap humans into cycles of violence. As Elisha contemplates the killing he has been asked to carry out, he ponders,

"I certainly wanted to hate him...John Dawson has made me a murderer, I said to myself. He has made me the murderer of John Dawson. He deserves my hate. Were it not for him, I might still be a murderer, but I wouldn't be the murderer of John Dawson. Yes, I had come down to the cellar to feed my hate. It seemed easy enough. Armies and governments the world over have a definite technique for provoking hate. By speeches and films and other kinds of propaganda they create an image of the enemy in which he is the incarnation of evil, the symbol of suffering, the fountainhead of the cruelty and injustice of all times. The technique is infallible, I told myself, and I shall turn it upon my victim."

Given what has happened to Elisha during the Holocaust, it is understandable how he inclined to view his role as something inescapable, and a part in a larger machine that forever churns out trauma. That said, seeing the story from the outside, it is hard to see murder as something inevitable. Unless it is carried out in self-defense, I do feel like there must always be a choice in the matter. Elisha may also see this, as he contemplates what he must do. Elisha may be the main character, but depending on his choice he may not be a protagonist.

Without revealing too much about his final decision, I can say that Elisha's internal dilemma on morality and humanity in general are quite interesting. Also, while this is a novel, the narrative felt like a stage production as much of the events occur in a single house, and many of Elisha's internal arguments have the poignancy of great soliloquies.

All in all, I would recommend Dawn, though do keep in mind that while it is a sequel of sorts to Night, it is a very different type of narrative.