The Dehumanization of Jews In Night
During the Holocaust, Jewish prisoners were given numbers instead of names-a signal of disregard to an entire culture, religion,,race, a true form of degrading human beings. Elie Wiesel changes from being a joyful and religious Jewish boy in Sighet, to becoming just another empty void, as well as his comrades at Nazi concentration camps. Elie suffered mal treatment that takes away his own faith,hope, beliefs and strength; all while being treated like nothing more than dirt in a swamp. The Jewish people were dehumanized and became nothing more than “objects” to the Germans, who had unwilling taken control of as many Jewish people as possible. Many parts of the novella Night exercises this mindset, …show more content…
Deep inside me, I felt a great void opening” (Wiesel 69), explained Eliezer. When Elie realizes the low depths of life that have become apparent, Elie feels devastated that now being a prisoner means the amount of food prepared is all that will be provided, and that amount of food is not enough. Wiesel knows how the body breaks down without food though, so whatever provided must be eaten . In all reality, stale bread and watery soup is not even served in on a regular basis. The German people were truly treating those whom had been imprisoned as less than people.longfully, the Jews had to buy into the dehumanization that was occurring as well in order to simply survive. If the Jews did not eat what little was provided, their death would be imminent. So the Jewish people ate the rations given in order to stay alive, but only as depleted, frail, and lifeless figures, a less than human appearance that the Germans no doubt reveled in witnessing. Elie only nibbles because the situation that has made itself present has created a death or life survival situation. Wiesel is shocked to see the limits and torture the Germans have imposed, and how all Jews are subjected to such struggle.When a Jew was taken away to a concentration camp, male or female, though a female barely survived very long, none were recognized as equals in the eyes of Hitler’s German soldiers. Jews were scums and should not have been given respect of a normal human being from the perspective of the Nazi …show more content…
“I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name” (Wiesel 42), Elie stated. When numbers were assigned to the incoming Jews in Elie’s experience, Elie began to realize the harsh reality of what the Germans really thought of the Jewish race. One of the first instances of dehumanization happened when the Germans do finally reconstruct and change the names of all of the Jews. After thinking about the way the Germans will look at every prisoner after being renamed, Elie accepts defeat and proclaims “A-7713” is now the new name of