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“The week of Passover. The weather was wonderful. My mother bustled ‘round her kitchen. There were no longer any synagogues open. We gathered in private houses: the Germans were not to be provoked.” Wiesel, 8Their religious buildings were taken away in an attempt to take away their actual religion. They still celebrated, but it had to be behind closed doors. It was the beginning of taking away their identity, but they were still trying to hold on to it.“That same day the Hungarian police burst into all the Jewish houses in the street. A Jew no longer had the right to keep in his house gold, jewels, or any objects of value. Everything had to be handed over to the authorities - on pain of death.” Wiesel, 8This is loss of identity because it is taking away their personal liberties and denying them basic human rights of property. They were no longer allowed to have personal possessions of value. This also made it difficult for them to have any chance of leaving. ”When three days were up, there was a new decree: every Jew must wear the yellow star.” Wiesel, 9The yellow star was given out to all the members of the Jewish community to separate them from other people. It alienated them and pointed out that they were different. It helped the Germans keep track of the Jews in the community.“Standing. Counting off. Sitting down. Standing up again. On the ground once more. Endlessly. We waited impatiently to be fetched.” Wiesel, 15It is loss of identity because they are being counted and lined up like animals in a slaughter house. Who they are doesn’t matter. It is about how many are there and not losing anyone. “The cherished objects we had brought with us thus far were left behind in the train, and with them, at last, our delusions.” Wiesel, 22Their possessions were the last things to show who they are. When they left them behind, they left their identities. They also left their hopes that things would be okay or return to normal.“Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.” Wiesel, 25Elie is reflecting on how the things that he saw took away his faith which was one of the things that defined him. Before this experience he was studying his religion and such a short time later he was denouncing God. He had lost his identity.“Within a few seconds, we had ceased to be men. If the situation had not been tragic, we should have roared with laughter. Such outfits! Meir Katz, a giant, had a child’s trousers, and Stern, a thin little chap, a tunic which completely swamped him.” Wiesel, 27This shows they were being indiscriminately given clothing. Who they were didn’t matter. There was no special treatment based on size or shape. “I did not move. What had happened to me? My father had just been struck, before my very eyes, and I had not flickered an eyelid. I had looked on and said nothing. Yesterday, I should have sunk my nails into the criminal’s flesh. Had I changed so much, then? So quickly?” Wiesel, 29He had been a boy who would have done anything for his father. Now his father was being beaten in front of him. He wouldn’t and couldn’t do anything about it, because they would have killed him. It shows him losing identity as a son. “In the afternoon we were made to line up. The three prisoners brought a table and some medical instruments. With the left sleeve rolled up, each person passed in front of the table. The three ‘veterans,’ with needles in their hands, engraved a number on our left arms. I became A-7713. After that, I had no other name.” Wiesel, 31This quote represents loss of identity because they took their names of them away, and replaced it with letters and numbers. The sequence of numbers they were given was not even a name. They were being counted because no individual mattered. All that mattered was that they were all there. “’Bare your heads!’ yelled the head of the camp, suddenly. Ten thousand caps were simultaneously removed. ‘Cover your heads!’ Ten thousand caps went back onto their skulls, as quick as lightning.” Wiesel, 45This is loss of identity because the head of the camp is speaking to them all as one entity, and they react together. They no longer act as individuals because in the camp there is no such thing. Each man is part of the whole group and they are all punished for each other’s actions. ................
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