February 13th, 2012: English Blog #1 - Stages of Genocide

At the beginning of the book All But My Life, not many of the stages of genocide are evident, as World War II and the Holocaust have just begun. However, even at the very beginning of the war, sixteen-year-old Gerda Weissmann can only sit back and watch in horror and confusion as the people she grew up with begin to board trains and vanish, and as the Nazis continue to march through her town and dehumanize the Jewish people and anyone else non-German.
The third stage of genocide is dehumanization. Dehumanization is basically the act of denying a group humanity and making them feel less human and more like "animals" or "germs". (ex. Tutsi were "cockroaches" during the Rwandan Genocide)
There are so many examples of dehumanization in just the beginning of the book. For example, in Chapter 4, Gerda joins Mr. Pipersberg, a lifelong family friend, on his way to visit an old factory where he worked. Upon arrival, both Gerda and Mr. Pipersberg are shocked and horrified to reach the door and see a sign: "DOGS AND JEWS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER." (Klein, 1995, pg. 26) This is a clear example of dehumanization as the sign is basically saying that Jews and dogs aren't any different, making the Jews seem less human. Also, later in the book, the Weissmann family's rights begin to get taken away. The family can no longer buy sugar, jam, eggs, among other items, so they resort to knitting sweaters to trade for food. This is an example of dehumanization as well, as it shows how the Nazi regime deems the Jews so inhuman, they don't even deserve to have the same food as the Germans. In addition, when the family finally regains contact with Arthur, Gerda's older brother, they are thrilled to find out that he is safe in Russia, but they know that, as a Jew, his privacy will be violated as "many prying eyes would read his letters," referring to the censors. (Klein, 1995, pg. 41) All three examples from the book are clear evidence that dehumanization is evident in the book so far.