Dehumanization

The author weaves an extended theme of dehumanization through his plot in order to portray the worst aspects deeply impersonal treatment and murder of millions of Jews during the Holocaust. Though this theme is present in the events Yanek experiences and recounts almost from the very beginning pages, Gratz adds frequent flashpoints over the course of the novel that really drive the recurring idea of dehumanization home in the reader’s analytical imagination.

The stripping of identity is the first major manifestation of this idea. The Nazis symbolically strip their prisoners of their individuality and identity when they brand them with a number, such as Yanek’s B-3087, wiping away their name and assigning them a deeply impersonal moniker in its place. Like a branded steer, they are now known only by this number, and the morning roll calls are frequent reminders that their names are...