Symbols of Humanity
In Night, bread along with soup symbolizes the good side of humanity. In the camps one of the only things that was good were people sharing their small rations of bread and soup with others. After Elie is beaten by Idek he stumbles across the French girl who he worked with in the camp. "I was aching all over. I felt a cool hand wiping the blood from my forehead. She was smiling as she slipped me a crust of bread". The French girl sharing her bread is a sign of kindness and also it symbolizes the good parts of humanity. Other humane people who share bread or soup with Elie are his father and a distant cousin, they were all people who loved or cared about him.
The cattle cars used to transport Jews in ghettos to concentration camps symbolize the darker sides of humanity. It was inhumane how the Nazi's put about 60 Jews in a cattle car where they couldn't move and barely breathe. When I think of the cattle cars I think of a place barely fit for animals much less fit for humans. On Elie's journey to Buna a woman goes insane and starts to have delusions and this causes men, Jewish men to beat her up ""Look at the fire! Look at the flames! Flames everywhere…"
Once again, the young men bound and gagged her. When they
actually struck her, people shouted their approval". Everything about the cattle cars were inhumane. It was inhumane how the Nazis allowed the Jews to be in the cars for such a long period of time (Elie was in the car for about 3 days) and also it was inhumane how the Jews turned against each other.
In the book, religion can be viewed as a symbol of humanity. Religion is used to unite people, give them a sense of belonging, hope, strength, and also for evil things. For example Islamic terrorist use their religion to justify their acts. Religion is in all types of humanity. Before the camps religion was actually a very important part of life to Elie and his community but when the Nazi's dehumanized the jews or got rid of their humanity them they no longer used religion in their everyday lives. Religion also was the sole reason why Hitler prosecuted the Jews. Religion is a sign that humanity is strong and united.