Dehumanization In Night By Elie Wiesel

“Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment” (United Nations). The purpose of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” is to create equality and enforce humanity with justice, peace, and hope. Article 5 of this declaration is violated throughout Elie Wiesel's entire experience in Auschwitz as he is brutally abused and exposed to cruel happenings throughout his stay. The holocaust was the state sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewish people by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933-1945. Eli Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient who went on to write his memoir Night, A look through what Auschwitz prisoners truly

Without a doubt, while imprisoned the author is dehumanized through emotional abuse. The concept of dehumanization is to treat someone as though they are anything less than human, more like they are property or an object. As the narrative resumes, Wiesel is working in Buna when his father is caught in a particular Kapo’s frenzy. Elie watched as his father became yet another victim of Idek. A coherent demonstration of Wiesel losing his values is when the author wrote, ¨I watched the whole scene without moving. I kept quiet. In fact, I was thinking of how to get farther away so that I would not be hit myself. What is more, any anger I felt at that moment was directed, not against the kapo, but against my father. I was angry with him, for not knowing how to avoid Idek's outbreak. That is what concentration camp life had made of me” (Wiesel 37). In this part of the memoir Elie is becoming desensitized to the inhumane actions happening around him, even when the inhumanity is happening to his own father.

The purpose of humanity is to give someone support, confidence, or hope. As the memoir resumes, Elie is explaining the current situation of his father to the head o f his block. In the following moment, the man Elie is talking to says, “‘I'll give you a sound piece of advice, don't give your ration of bread and soup to your old father. There's nothing you can do for him. And you're killing yourself. Instead, you ought to be having his ration’” (Wiesel 73). Here, the man is telling Elie that it's okay to let go and fend for himself. Consolation appears in the phrase ,“I'll give you a sound piece of advice,” as receiving knowledge and support was extremely hard during these times, which makes the man telling Wiesel his advice a strong example of encouragement. As a result of the fortitude the author receives, he is reminded that he did all he could and now has to focus on his own survival. Elie Wiesel will forever be impacted by the moment he had to stop caring for his dying father and put himself first. He learns that one can deeply love someone and still make the decision to let someone go. This moment should help the reader realize how inhumane and disgusting the Holocaust truly was, yet even in mankind's darkest hours kindness can shine through. If society practiced humanity as a whole it could prevent these sickening events from happening