What Is Dehumanization In Night By Elie Wiesel

Kevyn Aucoin once said, “Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it, ” Humanity is about choices and being able to make mistakes as well as successes. The Jews during the Holocaust, however, had no opportunity and any revolt against orders resulted in death. The lack of will the Jews faced in the Holocaust resembles a form of dehumanization of the Jews. The dehumanization of the Jews, specifically Elie Wiesel, in his memoir Night, results from his horrific treatment during enslavement by the Nazis in the concentration camps. This indicates …show more content…
After learning that the Nazis threw the dentist in prison and Elie could save his gold filling to barter for necessities later, Elie ponders, “The bread, the soup— those were my entire life. I was nothing but a body. Perhaps even less: a famished stomach. The stomach alone was measuring time” (Wiesel). Elie can only think about his next meal and how to get by living in the camps. Elie no longer loves his religion as he used to, nor do most other Jews enjoy the activities which they used to find pleasure in. The prisoners turn into animals, not true humans, as they await their next meal. Elie sees himself as nothing more than an empty stomach, not even as his whole body. While on the death march from Buchenwald, the Nazis shout, “‘Faster, you filthy dogs!’” which causes Elie to think, “If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog” (Wiesel). Elie sees no point in thinking that the prisoners are still human as there is no point. Elie uses names that the Nazis use to describe himself and others, showing the break down to the point where the Jews have lost all hope and point in life. While on the journey in the train, chaos breaks out in a train car as ”In the wagon where the bread had landed, a battle had ensued. Men were hurling themselves against each …show more content…
Similarly, the harsh conditions factory workers face in China dehumanizes the workers as they are forced to work long hours, take minimal breaks, and work in dangerous conditions. These workers face slavery in every single way but in name and is similar to how factories operated in the Industrial Revolution, before regulations were passed. The modern day slavery affects us as we often purchase products which may come from one of these harsh factories in a distant