T H E M E S
The three major themes in the book "Night" discusses dehumanization, family, and the loss of religion.
The first theme that will be discussed is dehumanization. Dehumanization is a process where people are treated inhumanely or say that they're sub-human. Typically people would be treated like slaves or property. An example of dehumanization is when Elie Wiesel is with a large group of inmates and they're all marching. Then, the SS soldiers call them names that metaphorically refer to animals, insinuating they are lesser beings. "Faster, you flea ridden dogs!" and "Faster you filthy dogs!" (Wiesel 85). These statements put the inmates into a lower level that they are just property to the soldiers. Elie Wiesel then states: "If one of us stopped for a second, a quick shot eliminated the filthy dog" (Wiesel 85). The prisoners became accustomed to these hurtful words and began to think of themselves as "filthy dogs". This is one perfect example of how the inmates lost who they really are and shows how the Holocaust was responsible for removing from the inmates' identities.
The second theme is family. Family is an important part in everyone's lives. A family tells a person who they are and how they have got here on Earth.
The last theme is religion. Religion is a set of beliefs that people practice. In the book "Night" Elie Wiesel is Jewish. There have been times whwre Elie Wiesel did not feel religious but he remains to keep his beliefs throuhout the book.