This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen _Evan Nierman

Describe an example of dehumanization in the text.  What about this moment made a particularly strong impression on you? Why?

The first words of any work of writing are arranged in such a way to stimulate the reader. To urge his or her attention to continue reading and, perhaps, provoke an understanding of the topic at hand. Tadeusz Borowski’s short story, “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen” does not fail to exceed these expectations. The story begins, “All of us walk around naked”(695). This is the stark reality of horrid life in the concentration camps.  ‘All of us’ is referring to inmates in Auschwitz 11, the largest of the Nazi extermination camps. Immediately, the vision of millions of individuals being stripped of their cloth to ‘walk around naked’ is constructed.  Borowski opens his short story with this vision to embark on the dehumanization men and women face in concentration camps.  The introduction continues, stating,  “Cyclone B solution, an efficient killer of lice in clothing and of men in gas chambers”(695). To compare the extermination of lice in clothing to men in chambers is degrading, but the harsh reality of the conduct taken place.  Later, the text states, ‘Around us sit the Greeks, their jaws working greedily, like huge human insects”(699).   The repetition of the comparison rekindles the dehumanizing conditions of the concentration camps. It is difficult to put into words the disgrace of such vulgarity. 

A tall, grey-haired woman who has just arrived on the “transport” whispers, “My poor boy,” to our narrator.  What does she mean?

A tall, grey-haired woman ultimately preserves Tadek’s life.  Prior to the emergence of the woman, Tadek was ordered by an S.S officer to clean out the remains in the train and then to pass these remains to the accompanying women. Tadek’s frustration is revealed in his approach to these women when he states, “Take them, for God’s sake!’”(702). The women rush away from him in horror due to the blend of the remains in his possession and the attitude of the situation. The failure to cooperate antagonizes the S.S officer to reach for his revolver.  The significance of the tall, grey-haired woman is that she comprehends the situation, unlike the young boy. The young boy is fueled by emotion. She realizes the emotional hardships he encounters during these scarring situations. Without her contribution, the S.S officer may have carried out his intended action when reaching for his revolver. The grey-haired woman whispers, “my poor boy” and smiles at Tadek because she is conscious of the lack of support surrounding him.