1. Dehumanization in Elie Wiesel’s Night

2. What separates us from animals?
What makes us human?
Physical: biological aspects
Psychological: our mind as a function of awareness and emotion
Social: relationships with others and how we function in a community
Physical
Psychological
Social

3. Possible answers
Physical: opposable thumbs, walk upright, able to have a logical conversation
Psychological: high level of intelligence, able to forgive, able to value. Able to reason, able to solve problems
Social: able to love, need for acceptance, need for respect, need for others

4. Abraham maslow
He was smart but shy, and remembered his childhood as lonely and unhappy. Maslow went to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin to study psychology.
He began to investigate primate (monkey) behavior and sexuality.
A Forerunner of positive psychology.
Radically different view of human nature.
Rejected ideas of Freud and Skinner.

5. Maslow rejected Freud’s ideas
Psychoanalysis based on what went wrong.
Theories based on clinically ill patients.
Repressing strong sexual urges.
Animal passions.
“Why pick the wolf?”

6. Maslow’s beliefs Positive instincts to fulfill human potential.
Theories based on study of successful, healthy people (interviews).
Strong motivating force to do good.
Be the best that they could be.
Self-actualization.

7. Belongingness & Love Needs
Maslow’s
Safety Needs
Belongingness & Love Needs
Physiological Needs
Esteem Needs
Self-
Actualization
Hierarchy
Of Needs

8. Hierarchy of Needs Critical Thinking Questions:
Why is the fulfillment of these needs so important?
What could take place if someone is denied these needs?
Hierarchy of Needs
The hierarchy has five levels:
Physiological Needs: oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar, calcium and other minerals and vitamins, shelter and sleep etc.
Safety Needs: security, stability, protection from physical and emotional harm
Belongingness & Love Needs: affection, belonging, acceptance, friendship, community
Esteem Needs: (Internal ones are need for self-respect, confidence, autonomy, and achievement. External ones are need for respect of others, status, fame, glory, recognition and attention.) Maslow feels these are the roots to many, if not most of our psychological problems.
Self-actualization: (doing that which maximizes one’s potential and fulfills one’s innate aspirations)

9. Dehumanization
Dehumanization: To deprive of human qualities such as individuality and compassion.
It is a psychological, and gradual process.

10. Dehumanizing behaviors & a few facts
Stereotyping
Degrading
Verbal abuse
Physical abuse
Racism
Discrimination
Harassment/sexual or otherwise
Denial of rights
When a person is continually dehumanized, their human qualities are being slowly stripped away
They become angry, more apt to lash out at others, alienate themselves from others, feel unloved, and the process can worsen from that point on
They begin to exhibit dehumanized behaviors

11. Consider Hitler's final solution
Esteem Needs:
Jews’ jobs are boycotted then taken awat
“Nuremburg Laws”—proclaim Jews as second class citizens
Jews are forced to wear a yellow star
Safety Needs:
Rumors of Hitler’s plans to exterminate Jews
Deportation to concentration camps
Love Needs:
Families are separated
Prisoners treated cruelly
Biological Needs:
Food is rationed then completely taken away
Forced to suffer winter weather without sufficient clothing or warmth

12. Individual assignment
Locate 7 examples of how the prisoners are dehumanized and how they exhibit dehumanized behaviors .
Make a chart explaining whether or not the conflict used to dehumanize is internal (psychological) or external (physical).
Write an explanation for each example explaining exactly why the prisoners are behaving in an inhuman way (your answers should address how the prisoners are demonstrating the slow deterioration of their human qualities).

13. Example chart Dehumanized Behavior Type of Conflict
Conflict Used to Dehumanize
Franek wants Elie’s golden crown possibly o sell for more food. He beats Elie’s father until Elie gives in.
External
The SS starve the prisoners

14. Dehumanization: Safety
Action: Hitler forced Jews to be deported to concentration camps which caused fear and confusion.
Example of dehumanized behavior: The Jews beat Mrs. Schachter on the train (Wiesel 24). As the Jews become increasingly terrified about their situation, they become more like animals fighting for their safety. Hitler took away their feeling of safety so when Mrs. Schachter began to frighten them on the train, they beat her to shut her up. They are slowly losing their connection to each other and at this point in the book, the Jews are adopting an “every man for himself” attitude.