Dehumanization of Elie Wiesel
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Dehumanization of Elie Wiesel
Dehumanization is the act of denying the humanity of another group or race, its like if a race of humans are equated with animals, vermins, insects, or diseases. What the Nazis gradually reduce the Jews to little more than “things” which were a nuisance to them. This is what Elie Wiesel, his father and the Jews went through in the concentration camps. During this time, Elies views changed, his attitude, his identity and the way he looked at life while he was in the camps with his father and the rest of the Jews.
This dehumanization process started when they were in Auschwitz. While they were there, they were beaten up by officers on other inmates. They were being commanded to do things fast and without hesitation. Everyone in the barracks was being brutally beaten. They were beaten up as if they werent human but as if they were rabid animals. As if they had nothing to lose in life. Elie Wiesels attitude changes after this experience in the concentration camp. He starts questioning god and at that same time he is also questioning everything he has learned so far in life. Also, while they were in camp, they were still beaten up for many things. One thing they were beaten for was if they had new shoes they will have to give them up. But even though they were given, they were beaten many times after. Elies Wiesel attitude changed because now he saw that for what ever happened they would be hit like if they were animals that had done something wrong. That there was no way to stop them from heating them so they just let themselves been hit.
Another incident of dehumanization happened when they were still in Auschwitz. During an afternoon, the Jews were made to line up in front of a table were three “veteran” prisoners had needles in hand and tattooed on their left arms. Elie got the number A-7713 on his left arm. This tattoo made him lose his identity. By calling a human by a number instead of a name, it makes them non-human. They are treated like animals because animals are branded with numbers and the Jews were tattooed with numbers. Elies identity changed when he got the number on his left arm. He wasnt known as Elie Wiesel, a Jew or a human. He was just known as A-7713, he was a number surrounded by numbers, not humans ( Jews ). After time passed, he was only known as A-7713 and he responded to it as if it has been his name (number) forever. One day he was called block secretary by his number and he immediately responded to it. He was being called to the dentist for a check up. His identity had been removed permanently, he wasnt Elie Wiesel form Sighet but was A-7713 from some block in the camp. He didnt matter to anyone, Elie was just someone or something in a camp full of the same people as him. He was an animal that shouldnt be alive. This happened in the camps but the worst things