Examples Of Dehumanization In Night By Elie Wiesel

Throughout the Holocaust, the Jews were continuously dehumanized by the Nazis. However, these actions may not have only impacted the Jews, but they may have had the unintended effect of dehumanizing the Nazis as well. What does this say about humanity? Elie Wiesel and Art Spiegelman both acknowledge this commentary in their books, Night and Maus. The authors demonstrate that true dehumanization reveals that the nature of humanity is not quite as structured as one might think.

While dehumanizing the Jews, the Nazis also unintentionally dehumanized themselves, showing that being humane has strict qualifications. In Night, Elie Wiesel shows the Jews being dehumanized when they are being loaded into cattle cars. On page 22, Wiesel says, "The next morning we walked toward the station, where a convoy of cattle cars was waiting." The Jewish people are being herded onto a train for deportation. They are being treated as if they actually were cattle. Does this not also show characteristics of dehumanization in the Nazis?

By treating the Jews like animals, the Nazis are behaving like animals. This behavior shows they are not acting within the parameters of being humane. They are not showing compassion or apathy; they are simply doing what they are told. These Nazi soldiers are failing to think for themselves and therefore failing to act in accordance with being human. In order to be humane, one must think for themselves and resist the urge to comply with the pressures of society. How strong must one be to accomplish such a feat? What does it say about humanity that we can be so easily stripped of it? The Nazis took humanity away from the Jews, while also taking it away from themselves. What does it say about humanity that we can lose touch with it without even realizing