The Stages Of Dehumanization

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Manny Salazar Period 2 May 12, 2010 The Stages of Dehumanization Is it possible for a man to be changed so much that he would kill a human being for a piece of bread? As it is described in the novel “Night” by Ellie Wiesel, many Jews were changed to these extremities inside concentration camps during the holocaust. Jews were Hitler’s main target during World War Two. They were dehumanized. They were ruthlessly treated by the Nazis as if they were some kind of nonhuman species. Nazis used many methods to slowly dehumanize the Jews. They began by just slowly taking their rights away. In the end, it became a total dehumanization. There are three stages on which Dehumanization takes place in this novel. Hitler was able to dehumanize the Jews to a point far beyond most of us have witnessed. The first stage of dehumanization is perhaps the most common one. Fear towards someone or something triggers this stage since people search for refuge among others. Inside the concentration camps, people were being killed hysterically, most of them Jews. As Jews watch people being killed, being human beings, their minds fill with fear. They begin to search for family members, friends, or perhaps even anyone to give them companionship. For example, in the novel “Night”, Ellie writes that when he arrived at the camp, he held his father’s hand. This simple act of just holding his father’s hand implies that he is searching for some kind of relief. On the first stage of dehumanization, a human being still has compassion for the others. The second stage however, becomes a more drastic experience for the Jews. The words “depression” and “careless” clearly describe the second stage of dehumanization. As Jews become more accustomed to all the murders taking place, they begin to accept it. However, even though the Jews wouldn’t do anything to stop it, they were still aware of the
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