Humanity In Elie Wiesel's Night

484 Words1 Page

Humanity “He threw himself on me like a wild beast, beating me in the chest, on my head, throwing me to the ground and picking me up again, crushing me with ever more violent blows, until I was covered in blood”(Wiesel 58). It's horrible to think how quickly a person can lose their sense of humanity. This struggle with humanity throughout Night, is the main idea that makes this book so powerful and heartbreaking. The thought that so many people can be slaughtered like cattle, and thrown away like garbage is unbelievable. Throughout the book, Elie’s alias, Eliezer, is forced to witness some of the most horrific and inhumanly cruel acts that the world has ever seen. From seeing truckloads of babies dumped into a pit of fire, to watching his own father beaten over and over within an inch of his life. …show more content…

If anyone goes missing you will all be shot, like dogs” (Wiesel 24). Eighty people being forced into a single car already is inhumane. The fact that these cars are used for cattle and are barred up makes it worse. Once they are in the cars, they are forced to stand for days, very little food and water, no bathrooms, and terribly stale air make the trip unbearable. But this is only the beginning, as the prisoners arrive at Birkenau. In Auschwitz they are separated from parts of their family, “Men to the left, Women to the right!” (Wiesel 29). Stripped of their clothing “Strip! Hurry up! Raus!” (Wiesel 35), and given numbers in place of their names. This method of dehumanizing is frighteningly effective, driving sons to kill their own fathers over scraps of food “Meir, my little Meir! Don’t you recognize me… You're killing your father…” (Wiesel 101). This being the only way that the German soldiers can condemn so many people to their deaths. For those who have been able to survive this long a quick death will be a blessing more than a

Open Document