The Holocaust was a mass dehumanization of millions. Dehumanization can be defined as the deprivation of human potential or of individuals. There are numerous examples that demonstrate and illustrate dehumanization throughout history and Elie Wilesel’s Night. Examples of dehumanization include: when the Jews were given the star David, their numbers and the relationship among the prisoners and the guards with the prisoners.
The Davids patch was required to be worn by the Jews in Wiesel’s Night. Elie’s father stated that “The yellow Star?” It’s not lethal. It’s not fatal.” This assertion would be proven false. The star placed them above all others and made them targets. This was one of many tactics used by the Jews to dehumanize other Jews. The numbers were used to substitute for names by the jews while they were in camp. Wiesel said, “I was A-7713.” “I had no other name from that point on.” Wiesel stated, “I became A-7713. It was just a random assortment of letters and numbers. The Nazis took the names of the people and a part of their humanity. Another problem faced by the Jews was that they were also forced to choose between merchandise or cattle. This is a clear example of how prisoners came to view each other as animals and objects. Kapos are the ones who point at Wiesel’s father and Wiesel. They have special authority to make other prisoners miserable. The prisoners needed to forget everything in order to survive and could even have to use one another to save themselves. Wiesel describes, “One of the prisoners took a piece from his bag and placed it in a wagon. A large group of people rushed forward all at once. Dozens upon dozens of hungry men struggled for a handful of crumbs. “The worker watched the spectacle closely.” This quote confirms that Jews were not treated with respect. Hitler created an image that made Jews seem worthless and terrible, which was accepted in the country.
Wiesel claims “…climb inside the cars. There were eighty people. “We had about 100 people in this wagon. Twelve of them left it.” These quotes demonstrate the progress of bodies in cattle cars over time. After being starved, they started with 80. They eventually reached 100. Only twelve of them survived. Prisoners arrived at the camps by a variety of means. Most commonly, they traveled by train. But, if they were closer to their destination, they could travel by foot.
Although they were not usually told where they were going, it was often stated that they were being sent to the east. Most prisoners heard rumors about camps in the east and their conditions by the 1940s. These fears and anxieties, along with the past experiences, could have caused crippling fear. While the trip to the camps was usually a few days long, others could take several weeks. It was often impossible for prisoners to sit or kneel on their transports. An average transport could hold approximately 1000 people.
The Nazis used dehumanization as a deliberate tactic. They caused mental and physical suffering to people. They made them feel like machines and stopped them from feeling or reacting. The Jews stopped resisting death and were no longer afraid of it. They accepted that death was their fate. The star of David was given to the Jews, along with their numbers and the relationships between prisoners. This is how the Jews were transported. All of these are important to consider when discussing “dehumanization”.
