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Examples Of Dehumanization In Night By Elie Wiesel

Decent Essays

Informative Essay Throughout World War ll the Jewish people were subjected to many levels of hate such as dehumanization, murder, and genocide. Elie Wiesel is a 15-year-old Jewish boy from Sighet, who survived the Holocaust. He is religious and rather learn about his religion than play like other kids. The story takes place during World War ll in 1944. Elie is forced to move to the ghettos, then send to Auschwitz-Birkenau to work as forced labor. The living conditions are horrible, and many Jews are murdered. After the Death March to near capital of Germany, his father died of illness. Later on, Elie was released in 1945. The Pyramid of Hate shows how small acts of hate can escalate to ultimate hate. Elie’s experience during the Holocaust …show more content…

In the novel Night, Elie Wiesel experiences an escalation of hate and violence that show how in specific circumstances dehumanization can progress to murder and ultimately lead to genocide. In the beginning of the novel, Wiesel experiences acts of prejudice in the form of dehumanization. At this point in the novel, Elie and other Jews are being dehumanized in the concentration camp. “The three ‘veterans,’ with needles in their hands, engraved a number on our left arms. I became A-7713. After that I had no other name.” (51). Elie describes the process of losing his name. It illustrates how the Jews turned from people with names and feelings to objects with numbers. This makes the Nazis easier to process the killings, to not have respect nor grief for the Jewish people. The author’s description of acts of prejudice is powerful because it shows that dehumanization can lead to something even worse. As his life progresses, the acts of prejudice soon escalate to violence as depicted through murder. At this point, the Jews are fighting each other to death for some bread in the train, fed by the “audience,” who are enjoying this horrifying scene. “Soon, nearly everywhere, pieces of bread were being dropped into the wagons. The audience stared at these skeletons of men, fighting one another to death for …show more content…

The Germans see Jews as not important, not human, and without feelings. They treat Jews as hungry wild animals that would do anything for food. The author’s description of Jews killing each other for a piece of bread shows how acts of prejudice can escalate to murder. As he nears the end of his time in the concentration camp, the violence create environment that makes genocide possible. In the end of the story, Jews are being shipped out of the blocks and murdered. “Every day, several thousand prisoners went through the camp gate and never came back” (118). Elie describes the mass murders in the end of the novel, It illustrates how acts of prejudice to violence can lead to genocide. Jews were first not recognized as human, then murdered, to as last extermination. Acts of Prejudice helped the Nazi’s build up their ruthlessness leading to killing all Jews without hesitation. Elie’s description of the Holocaust is effective in revealing how things can escalate quickly in the Pyramid of Hate to the worst. Dehumanization can process to violence and ultimately lead to genocide, if not stopped in the low levels of the Pyramid of Hate. Elie describes his experience

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