Dehumanization of Concentration Camps
In Elie Wiesel’s autobiography Night, Wiesel explains the dehumanization of Eliezer, his family, and his fellow Jews throughout World War II. Wiesel also describes how the characters all through the autobiography change from civilized humans to vicious beings with animal like behavior. The process of dehumanization starts when Elizer and the rest of the Jewish community are evacuated from their homes in Sighet, then through the harsh treatments the Jews receive in the concentration camps, and finally when the Jews begin to turn against each other trying to survive the move from one camp to the another towards the ending of World War II.
The dehumanization process begins when Elizer’s family and the citizens of Sighet are forced to evacuate the ghettos by the Hungarian police. The following signifies how the Jews were not able to keep any objects that had meaning to them, when the Hungarian police barged into Sighet, “A Jew no longer had the right to keep in his house gold, jewels, or any objects of value” (Wiesel 8). Later they were forced to sit in crowded wagons that had no space to move about in. A German officer told the Jews, “‘There are eighty of you in this wagon,’ added the German officer. ‘If anyone is missing, you’ll all be shot, like dogs….’” (Wiesel 22). This shows that the Germans had no respect for the Jews. It also shows that they thought nothing of them; instead the Germans compared the Jews to being like “dogs” or animals, which showed that the Jews were not capable of the good qualities a human could possessed.
The process then continues when Elizer, his family, and the fellow Jews reach Auschwitz, which was one of many concentration camps Hitler made in Germany. When the Jews were let off of the wagon the first thing one SS man says to the group of Jews is, “Men to the left! Women to the right!” (Wiesel 27). Here they treat the Jews as if they were a herd of animals giving commands men, women, and children to separate from their families and loved ones. After the separation Elizer comes across the crematories, “A lorry drew up at the pit and delivered its load-little children. Babies!...those children in the flames” (Wiesel 30). This dehumanized the Jews because they could smell, hear and see their fellow Jews be burned to death. Also most of the people that were being thrown into these flaming ditches were unclothed. This shows that the Germans did not care nor had the respect if they killed a full grown adult, a young child, or a baby.
The dehumanizing of the Jews was again displayed later on when Elizer becomes a member of Block 17. Here Wiesel states, “Our clothes had been left behind in the other block, and we had been promised other outfits. Toward midnight, we were told to run.” (Wiesel 38). This dehumanized them because the Germans made the Jews run in the cold night air with no clothes on. Later, while still running the guards tells the Jews, “The faster you run, the sooner you can go to bed.”(Wiesel 38), even though it was cold the guards made the Jews work for the clothes they had wear and for the bunks they had sleep in. Another example of dehumanization is when Elizer becomes “A-7713”. Wiesel says, “The three “veterans,” with needles in their hands, engraved a number on our left arms. I became A7713. After that I had no other name.”(Wiesel 39). This shows the dehumanization of Elizer because now he is referred to as a number in a line rather then himself. No one now will ever know him by name Elizer but for a number for the next couple of years he will spend in the concentration camp.
The final part of dehumanization in Wiesel’s autobiography is how the Jews attitudes toward each other began to change as they move from one camp to another camp at the end of World War II. The following explains the beginning of Elizer’s dehumanization, “I did not move. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, before my very eyes, and I had not flicked an eyelid.”(Wiesel 37). This quote shows that Elizer has lost his respect for his father because he did not try and stop the gypsy from hurting his father. Another example of dehumanization as the Jews are being transferred to another camp is, “‘Throw out all the dead! All the corpses outside!’…‘Here’s one! Take him!’ they undressed him, the survivors avidly sharing out his clothes, then to “gravediggers” took him, one by the head and one by the feet, and threw him out the wagon like a sack of flour.”(Wiesel 94). This shows that the Jews no longer had respect for their own people. They dehumanized the corpses as well as themselves as they gave up where the dead bodies were, and how they took their clothes leaving the dead bodies naked in the snow. Also they degraded their people by letting the Germans leave the bodies there, thus proving their savage behavior. The final example of dehumanization is how the Jews’ attitudes changed towards each other, when they get moved to another concentration camp. In the following it shows how the Jews acted on the train, “Meir. Meir, my boy! Don’t you recognize me? I’m you father…you’re hurting me…you’re killing father! I’ve got some bread…for you too…for you too….” (Wiesel 96). This shows that even son would turn against his own father for a bit of bread to snack on. It also shows the savage like behavior the Jews have adopted within the concentration camp.
Wiesel’s autobiography Night clearly displays the dehumanization of Elizer, his family, and his fellow Jews. Wiesel explains the process thoroughly from the start of the autobiography to the end where Elizer finally sees how he became dehumanized. It reveals the harsh treatments given by the Germans. Also the affects due to the vicious behavior inherited during the time spent in the camps In World War II.
