Is It Possible To Stop Being “human”, And If So, What Determines This ...

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HomeNightQ & A Is it possible to stop being "h...

Is it possible to stop being "human", and if so, what determines this humanity? What is the essential factor in being "human". What makes us human vs. animal?

Asked by Tobio K #1110732 on 2/8/2021 2:50 PM Last updated by jill d #170087 on 2/8/2021 2:53 PM

Answers 1

Add Yours Answered by jill d #170087 on 2/8/2021 2:53 PM

Perhaps one of the most salient themes is Wiesel’s insight into human nature, his descriptions posing the reader with the question of where animal instinct ends and civility begins. The breakdown of civility happens very early on, when people are first herded onto the cattle cars and some young couples begin to openly copulate with each other. As comfort is substituted for violence, people in Wiesel’s world are frequently described as beasts, and their survival instincts supersede their emotions and relational ties, even when it comes to family: the most tragic example is when a young man kills his own father for a piece of bread. By the end of the book, the reader understands that countless people lost more than their lives: they were also robbed of their humanity.