The whole book is characterized by ironic twists and deception. The Nazi army used deception, demoralization, and dehumanization of the Jewish prisoners in a bid to water down their faith in God. Every move by the Nazi was calculated and had a specific objective to accomplish. The Jews are known for their strong faith in a sovereign God. However, their experience at the Nazi concentration camps proves otherwise and makes their faith weaver from this reality. It is thus true that the Nazi army used deception, demoralization and dehumanization as a means to water down their strong faith in God.
For instance, at Sighet, the Jews are made to wear yellow stars as a way of identifying them. To the Jews, they felt like it was a better way of bringing them together. However, the reality dawns on them that the yellow star was more detrimental to them than they had actually thought. For instance, Eliezer’s father says, “The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You don’t die of it (Wiesel 9). Eliezer’s father knew little that by wearing the yellow star, they were alienating themselves from the rest of the prisoners. The Nazi used this as a way of identifying the Jews, who were their main target. Eliezer’s father and other Jews do nothing to fight for their freedom and chose to watch as evil is meted against them
At the Auschwitz camp, the inscription on the door ‘work is liberty’ was used ironically to deceive the Jews who were coming into the camp for the first time. The reality is that Jews had no control over their fate at the camp. Whether it was work or death at the crematorium, it was in the hands of the Nazi to decide. At first, the Jewish prisoners were shocked when they saw the crematorium and the inhuman torture of other prisoners. However, after a long time of exposure to brutal torture and mass murder, they were completely dehumanized. Eliezer says, “I have nothing to say about my life during this period. It no longer mattered. After my father’s death, nothing could touch me anymore” (Wiesel 107). The holocaust victims were subjected to extreme conditions that their human sense disappeared and could no longer think of freedom but instead were more concerned with food.”All those who were dreaming more of an extra plateful than of liberty” (Wiesel 49)
The Nazi army also used certain symbols like fire and death to contradict what the Jews believed in. for instance, fire is used to burn people regardless whether or not they were alive. From the Biblical story of Moses and the burning bush, the Jews believed fire to be a representative of God’s presence. In addition, they believed that fire would be used to burn the wrong doers in hell. However, the Nazi army was using the same fire to punish innocent people. They are forced to watch the mass murder of others as a way of demoralizing them and watering down their strong faith in an almighty God. Jews believed that their God could not allow evil to happen. However, it so happens that at the concentration camps, people including children were brutally killed and yet God did not intervene to save their lives.
Work cited
Wiesel, Elie. Night. Trans. Marion Wiesel. 1958. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006. Print.
