preview

Examples Of Dehumanization In Night By Elie Wiesel

Decent Essays
Open Document

Hitler’s goal for the Holocaust was to exterminate all Jews. Night, a memoir written by Elie Wiesel, is about a Jew’s life during the Holocaust. It tells his life story from when he was living in his own house, to when he was put into ghettos, the ride to the camps and so on. Elie Wiesel experiences dehumanization by disinfection, abuse, tattoos, and being treated like merchandise. All of the new prisoner arrivals are put through a sort of cleaning process. They are stripped of all clothing, except their shoes and belts. The Kapos have them go to the “barber” to have all the hair on their bodies shaved off. The prisoners run to the next barrack where they are disinfected and showered. Then to the next barrack where they get their prison uniforms. The process was so barbaric that they“. . . had ceased to be men”. (37) It is inhumane because they are taking away all their rights and belongings, and they're treating them as if they are infected with a contagious disease. …show more content…

They thought so lowly of the prisoners that they often beat them for talking directly to them. When Elie’s father asked the Gypsy if he could use the restroom, he “. . . wished to ascertain that the person addressing him was actually a creature of flesh and bone. . .” The Gypsy stared at his father for a while and “. . . as if waking from a deep sleep, he slapped my father with such force. . .”(39). This is when Shlomo, Elie's father, is being dehumanized because the Gypsy slapped him for asking to use the toilet. He thinks so lowly of the Jewish prisoners that they aren't allowed to speak directly to

Get Access