The Language of the Holocaust
Haig Basmajian stated in his Introduction from The Language of Prejudice, that, “One of the first acts of an oppressor is to redefine the ‘enemy’ so they will be looked upon as creatures warranting separation, suppression and even eradication. …Gradually, words lost their original meaning and acquired nightmarish definitions (Valentine 10).
1. How do the legislative acts passed in Germany, beginning in 1933 and finally, the Nuremberg Laws two years later, serve as examples of the idea of “redefinition” of the “enemy” that warrants “separation, suppression and even eradication?”
2. How do you think the language in these laws and in the documents in your packet, reflect the idea of words losing their “original meaning” to such an extent that this concept eventually allowed the creation of Auschwitz and other extermination camps?
Please write a 2- page paper responding to one these questions. You must use the attached documents and at least one document from the packet.
Please focus on a brief, but very clear introduction that leads into a CLEAR and FOCUSED thesis statement that states your position.
The body paragraphs will support your thesis and contain any quotations you choose to include. These must be properly quoted and correctly cited according to MLA in-text citation rules.