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Dehumanization In Elie Wiesel's Night

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No Longer Human “Night”
Dehumanization, a word that haunts millions during the time of the 1930s. Throughout the Novel Night, written by Elie Wiesel, dehumanization plays a major role. Wiesel portrays much of his story through similes and other forms of literary devices. Dehumanization is the process of stripping a person of every quality that makes him/her human, including his/her identity, individuality, and soul. Throughout the book dehumanization occurs in different situations, some examples are “If anyone goes missing, you will all be shot, like dogs.” (24) “He looked at us as one would a pack of leprous dogs clinging to life.” (38) “He went by me like a shadow, passing me without stopping, without a glance.” (107) These similes are what …show more content…
“If anyone goes missing, you will all be shot, like dogs.” (24) In this part of the Novel the soldiers are giving humans the connotation of a dog. I think that Wiesel wanted to make it clear that the Jews were being treated like animals and had no mercy whatsoever. In the text he blatantly takes away the human like characteristics of the Jews. Dehumanization of the Jews did not just start in the journey of the holocaust, but even before. Nazi’s saw no use for the Jews and look at them as if they were worthless. “He looked at us as one would a pack of leprous dogs clinging to life.” (38) In this quote from the text they are being treated wild animals, animals that are experiencing abuse and the struggle to survive.
Towards the end of the Novel the dehumanization reaches to the souls of the main characters. “He went by me like a shadow, passing me without stopping, without a glance.” (107) Their will to feel , fight, and live has been demolished. Not just their bodies, but their souls have been beaten and abused. All the hope they have ever had has been taken from them. It’s harsh but there is no other way to describe the experiencing these people have

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