Dehumanization in This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen Essay Example

In his short story, “This Way for the Gas, Ladies, and Gentlemen,” Tadeusz Borowski shows how the action of dehumanization causes one to struggle with the decision of balancing survival and morality. Dehumanization is the act of stripping away or depriving people of human qualities. Throughout the short story, “This Way for The Gas” actions like deprivation and mass genocide lead to what is considered dehumanization. Through the situations described, “Their nude, withered bodies stink of sweat and excrement; their cheeks are hollow” (Borowski 2). Borowski painted a picture of how the prisoners were deprived of their necessities and were taken advantage of by the guards. The Greeks for example are seen as hungry insects because they were constantly trying to find food. Throughout the whole story, the reader can watch how basic humanity is taken from the prisoners. Being ridiculed and deprived are prime examples of how the prisoners were being degraded by the guards. “Twenty-eight thousand women have been stripped naked and driven out of the barracks” (Borowski 1). Dehumanization can occur through how people feel about other groups. Borowski displays that because the guards were conditioned to hate groups like the Greeks, Jews, and French, it puts them constant state of depravity. Examining the cause of dehumanization Borowski leads the reader to see multiple effects. Through the actions of degrading, it allows people to lose moral concepts of what is right and wrong. Stripping away the humanity of people gives them nothing to thrive on, as seen in the short story. “It is true others may be dying, but one is somehow still alive, one has enough food, enough strength to work…” (Borowski 14). This is the narrator's response to a day of unloading corpses, families, and infants. Through language, the reader is shown that there is an effect that took a toll on the prisoners. It becomes clear that the only way they can get food is to lower themselves to work on the ramps in hopes of some reward. Prisoners are being denied so many things, their only option is to forget about those going to the gas chamber and focus on surviving another day. “Why not try and ‘organize’ some shoes for me instead…” (Borowski 2). The narrator completely changes by the end of the story by saying, “My God, man, I am finished, absolutely finished” (Borowski 13). Over the timeline of the story, it is evident that dehumanization breaks people down where they simply do not care about anything anymore. Throughout the short story, the audience sees the slow but effective process of dehumanization. This can alter the way people think, it may seem even more acceptable for people to do things they would have regarded as morally wrong. This is played out in the short story when the narrator loses all respect for others and says, “I feel no pity. I am not sorry they are going to the gas chamber. Damn them all” (Borowski 7). At one point the prisoners feel remorse and emotion towards the new campers but eventually lose themselves. This is where it is evident that dehumanization plays a role in switching from morality to survival. “Whoever has grub, has power” (Borowski 2). There was always a massive shortage of food, so being able to go to the ramps was a privilege. This gives the men an opportunity to eat something besides rotten fish or stale bread. The prisoners are so deprived their judgment was made from only wanting to survive. Borowski switches from the point of view where morals matter; to the men unloading these people for the food and loot. Since depriving and corrupting influences emotional responses, it seems likely that it would also influence judgment. Dehumanization can alter the way people think. When faced with the decision of survival or morality, “Human judgment often relies on heuristics or information shortcuts…even though information shortcuts can lead to slightly less accurate decisions” (Fowler 4). This indicates that under the wrong conditions it is easier for humans to coincide with themselves or survive rather than what is right and good. Borowski writes his short story so that it leaves the audience with questions. Not necessarily questions about the story but questions for themselves. He allows the reader to respond by putting them in a place of questioning their own morals and showing them how dehumanization changes the way people see life and survival. There is a change from, “... I can still see corpses dragged from the train, trampled infants, cripples piled on top of the dead…” (Borowski 9). To “Suddenly I see the camp as a haven of peace” (Borowski 14). The narrator had a realization that although he had seen traumatic events and been looked down on, he got the chance to live when many others did not. The emotional trauma that Tadek is going through allows the audience to have an influence on decision-making by establishing an emotional response. As Borowski displays dehumanization and the tough decisions the prisoners make he leaves the readers to question their own morals. It is shown how morality can change when the odds are stacked against someone's survival; choosing whether it is worth giving up morals for the chance to survive is a constant theme the audience is left with. Through the causes, effects, and response of dehumanization Borowski brings to light the concept of survival versus morality. He allows the reader to feel the emotions of the prisoners while seeing them deprived and ridiculed. Seeing the change of the characters due to dehumanization there is a greater picture that Borowski shows. A small deprivation of humanity over time can lead a person to start relying on the basics of survival, setting morals aside. This is made known throughout, “This Way for the Gas, Ladies, and Gentlemen.” The audience is left to question their own moral conduct and ponder on the idea of how they would live in Tadek’s situation. Borowski describes the narrator's experiences of dehumanization to relate the difficult choice of choosing morality when survival is on the line.