Dehumanization

2. Dehumanization • To deprive of human qualities such as individuality, compassion, or civility

3. Dehumanization • Exposure to inhuman cruelty can deprive even victims of their sense of morality and humanity. • By treating the Jews as less than human, the Nazis cause the Jews to act as if they were less than human—cruelty breeds cruelty • How do we see the Jews start to act less than human?

4. Dehumanization • In the ghetto, Jews maintained their social cohesion, their sense of common purpose and common morality. • But once robbed of their homes and treated like animals, they begin to act like animals. • lose their modesty and sense of sexual restraint • beat Madame Schachter to quiet her, and others vocally support those who are doing the beating

5. Dehumanization • Wiesel suggests that one of the great psychological and moral tragedies of the Holocaust is not just the death of faith in God but also the death of faith in humankind. • Not only does God fail to act justly and save the Jews from the cruel Nazis; the Nazis drive the Jews into cruelty, so that the Jews themselves fail to act justly.

6. Dehumanization • This is not to suggest that all Jews acted unjustly or all Nazis acted unjustly—there are ALWAYS exceptions. • Fact: survival instincts kick in and humans do things they might not normally do when faced with their own desperation. • What are some examples of when that desperation might kick in? • Struggle between helping yourself and helping others