Starvation and Bond-Breaking in Night by Elie Wissel Essay Example

Over 6 million lives ended at the hands of Hitler. These Jewish people men, women, and children that Hitler deemed the inferior race. As a result, he set out to destroy every last one of them. Author of Night and Holocaust survivor Elie Wissel speaks of tactics such as starvation and, bond-breaking, used to strip the humanity from the Jewish people. 

As starvation sets in around the camp, Elie paints a vivid picture of how humanity was gone and now only animalistic survival instincts remained. “Wild beasts of prey, with animal hatred in their eyes; an extraordinary vitality had seized them, sharpening their teeth and nails” (Wissel 73). He explains that he is shocked to see the men he once knew so quickly turn on each other, scrambling and killing over a bite of bread. Elie goes on to say, “His eyes gleamed; as a smile, like a grimace, lit up his dead face.  And it was imminently extinguished” (Wissel 74). As the man puts the bread in his mouth Elie is saddens and dumbfounded at the joy the man took with the small amount of bread. Hitler reduced these Jewish people to nothing more than starving, abused animals, fighting for their next meal. With every minute of being starved, beaten, and humiliated, the compassion and humanity, was forever turned into the instinct to survive. 

Not only were Jewish people torn apart, but families, friends, co-workers, and loved ones no longer stood together, but rather chose to detach themselves. In doing so the Jews lost all emotion, all empathy, and another part of what made them human. Elie was faced with this too, the question floated around in his mind as almost more of a prayer than a thought. “If only I could get rid of this dead weight, so that I could use all my strength to struggle for my own survival, and only worry about myself” (Wissel 101). Though he never rejected his father, Elie made it clear that he wished he could be rid of him, so that he may focus on himself. He did not wish to be burdened with his father, none of the Jews did. “Here, every man has to fight for himself and not think of anyone else. Even of his father. Here, there are no fathers, no brothers, no friends” (Wissel 80). Elie did not fall into cutting of family ties, however, he wanted to. He made the fact that his father burdened him clear. In the end he was free of the dead weight. His father was gone, he could focus on himself. 

Hitlers plan for the Holocaust was simple, it was to annihilate the Jewish race. He used very effective tactics in an attempt to achieve this goal. By starving and destroying the bonds between families, friends, and fellow humans, he exterminated over 6 million lives, Elie’s family included. Elie was fortunate enough to survive the horrific events that took place in the camps; however, many were not. Hitler’s plan was to starve and break the bonds between Jewish prisoners in order to annihilate their humanity, and eventually end the race.