Natalia Cordoba
H English Per. 7
Dehumanization Essay
In Wiesel's Night, Wiesel examines the process of dehumanization by reflecting on how
the degradation of the Jews occurs when they feel like objects. Dehumanization is to deprive of
human qualities or attributes, which turns an individual into an object. Elie Wiesel witnesses
dehumanization along side his father during his experiences in the concentration camps
(Auschwitz and Buchenwald). When Wiesel was given a number, he felt he no longer had an
identity and lost a part of humanity. When other Jews were running through the snow like
automatons they were unable to think like individuals and feel a lack of humanity enable to keep
on going. The fathers and sons slowly began to depart in the story because they stray to give up
on each other and they lose their humanity. I believe that Wiesel wrote this book because he's
trying to keep the memories of what happened during the holocaust still present and known. He
wanted this to be a memory but he didn't want it to become resentful.
During the holocaust, the Jews were treated as objects. They were stripped of their name, the one
thing that makes you a person. In Chapter 3 The Nazis had stripped the Jews of their names and
were tattooed a number on their arm. They were no longer addressed by their name but a
number, a thing. I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name. When Wiesel was
given a number he felt he no longer had a name because from then on he was now addressed as
A-7713. This shows how much the Nazis were stripping the human qualities of the Jews and
treated them as if they were objects. Wiesel felt he had no other name because his name had
been replaced with something meaningless, numbers and letters. By the Nazis altering their
names they are renovating a part of all their prisoners. It is showing lack of respect to them as a
person. This is an example of how the Jews were dehumanized by being called something that
had no meaning to them or anyone else.
When Wiesel, his father, and many other Jews were being transported to another camp, they were
forced to think like machines instead of human beings. This is another example of when the Jews
were being dehumanized during the Holocaust as they were marching to Gleiwitz. We were no
longer marching, we were running. Like automaton. When Wiesel says they were running like
automaton it shows how the Jews are being treated like robots. This just goes to show the
treatment the SS officers gave the Jews which were challenging. If one was to give up or couldn't
keep the paste they were to be shot without hesitation. The SS officers were forcing them to run
like an object, causing them to lose their identity. In order to avoid getting killed they had to run
like Automatons. In the result of lack of humanity that the prisoners had this is when you
notice that the sons and fathers are giving up on eachother.
When sons give up hope on helping their fathers it goes to show they have also sacrificed their
humanity. Throughout the story you witness where the sons are giving up on their fathers but that
never led to a great ending. Those who gave up ended up dying because what they dont realize
is that they need each other. For example in Chapter 7 when they were in the wagons the SS
officers were treating them like animals. The officers treating them in this manner shows lack of
respect they had for the Jews. They are being dehumanized in this situation because they
symbolizing the poor qualities of a human by treating them as if they were animals. A man that
had the ration of bread was attacked by his own son. Meir, my little Meir! Don't you recognize
me You're killing your father I have bread For you too For you too .... For the
reason that the son killed his father shows how much the Nazis stripped the Jews of their
humanity. The son was willing to kill his father for his own being but soon died after wards,
when men attacked him for the same ration of bread. Since they have been stripped of humanity,
it's caused these men to turn on each other. Wiesels father is all he had and is all that kept him
from losing his humanity. Without his father he himself would become an object, he is all Wiesel
had.
As a human youre able to feel emotions towards others love, affection, and care but as the Jews
are going threw this they are slowly losing these emotions towards each other and themselves.
The Jews were treated as if they were objects by being a number instead of a name, running like
automatons, and being stripped of their faith and humanity are some examples that go to show
how the Jews were being dehumanized throughout the story. The story shows how the Jews were
treated with lack of respect from the Nazis. When the men started giving up and losing their faith
they were the ones who would most likely end up dying. Wiesel had his father to keep him from
losing his humanity because he was a constant reminder of who he was. Wiesel's father is what
kept him together.
