Dehumanization, the process of depriving a person of group of positive human qualities. It is seen differently by everyone, but some may say that it brings out the worst of people. The Holocaust is a great example of this subject, with its harsh conditions and now empowering lessons. Elie Wiesel’s Night tells the horrific, but real, story of a boy and his dehumanization, and how it changed his life forever. Throughout this time, I have learned the feelings of malice, torture, sorrow.
During this time| have discovered that, stripping the good from others has the power to create intense evil. Injustice has a very controlling power over people. It can make them start to believe that the good things in life, have now turned against them to make them struggle. Elie Wiesel, the author of Night, stated in a documentary, that he had lost his faith in God. I, personally do not have a religious connection with God, but I do still have things that I strongly am passionate about, and people that I believe in. I see them do a bad thing; I have a feeling of betrayal.
It is pretty clear that the level of pain and destruction they experienced would be high if something that they thought would bring them solutions, brought them torture and traumatic agony. In Night, Wiesel writes, ‘Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled. Because He caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves? ” (67). At this point in the story, people have gathered to worship, but he just can not seem to understand how they could. He lost hope in God, because of the time he was going through.
Something that he loved and worshipped has become the enemy and the reason for evil in the world. The Holocaust created problems with the Jews beliefs and built up fiery anger towards the wrong people. This time period destroyed the human inside of many people, and because of that, it changed the way people helped each other. This change was shown a lot throughout the story Night. The story showed how Jews once fought for each other or worked together to get through problems, and how it changed into them refusing to disobey any Nazi and how most fought for their own individual freedom.
In the book, there were many times where a person was beaten in front of all their peers, having to see them watch you until you eventually die. One of these situations really stuck out when it stated, “And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes. And we were forced to look at him at close range. He was still alive when I passed him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished. ” (Wiesel 65). The Jews were forced to watch this young boy, as he was hung until his death.
A human that could have been a great son, or a great friend, taken in front of everybody’s eyes. No one did anything to help him because they were all drained and didn’t have anything left in them that could even begin to help him. They didn’t even have enough energy to fight for themselves. Earlier on in Wiesel’s story, guards are going through and taking away any valuables anybody may have. “Anyone who still owns gold, silver, or watches must hand them over now. Anyone who will be found to have kept any of these will be shot on the spot. ” (Wiesel 24).
The Jews had no way to disobey the Nazis for others, let alone themselves. They were all too scared to try and save the things they care about, for they were slowly being stripped of things from their lives and personalities. Men and women, children and adults, weak and strong, all torn apart while living for themselves. Dehumanization was huge during this time because it took away everything from the Jews, causing them to forget about their own, and other people’s needs. Evil was created and evil was powered.
The Jews who once helped and cared for each other, turned against one another, and the Germans only gained more and more from it. The Nazis were fueled with power and terror. This was shown a lot in the video Night and Fog. Jews have the face of fragility; Nazis, control. In the video, the Jews look so weak, to the point looks like is a thin layer of skin covering their bones. Their facial expressions look emotionless, yet it looks like they’re crying out for help all at the same time. The Nazis on the other hand look empowered and show off a face that contains no mercy.
Jews and Gypsies and the disabled were all killed by one group, yet they showed no concern for anybody but themselves. In another part of Night and Fog, the video shows what the Nazis do with the remains of the victims. The Nazis, instead of disposing of the bodies with care, used the corpses for their own benefit. Hair was used to make rope and mattresses, while the bodies were used for soup that would be fed to others. There was no thought of love or caution, only complete destruction.
The Nazis only gained more when they did this, igniting the flame of their control. They were built up, and it seemed as there was no hope for the good in the world, for evil has taken over. The Holocaust may be over, but it took features away from people that they will never get back in their lifetime. Traits they had, their families, their freedom, all things they never saw again. Although he was liberated from the camp, Wiesel stated that witnesses have the responsibility to share their story with the world. He never was truly released from the camp.
He carried the time and the experience forever. It took a part of him and gave him a story that could never be ignored, and never forgotten. They also lost their families and had to see them go in one of the worst ways. They were taken over and lost because of the control and harsh conditions the Nazis brought. Elie’s father had his own struggle between life and death in Night. “He was worn out. Saliva mixed with blood was trickling from his lips. He had closed his eyes. He was gasping more than breathing. ” (Wiesel 108).
The sight of death changes a person, and it sticks in their mind forever, especially if it’s someone you deeply cared for. Elie has to live with the image for the rest of time, and he’s lost that peace. He’s lost the missing piece that his father would have filled. This corresponds with Maslow’s belongingness and love needs because he lost his father, taking away the family part of those needs. The camps gave the victims memories and responsibilities that they will never be able to get rid of, ripping away the simplicity of their life that they would have received if they weren’t under destructive orders.
Evil has the ability to strip people of the good hat they contain, and it only adds more fuel to the burning fire. The Nazis had so much control over many different groups of people and with that they ripped people apart. Apart from each other, and apart from themselves. It created more evil within the German Nazis, as well as the Jews because they lost some of their good qualities. Many things were lost during the Holocaust, some of it to never be seen again.