dehumanization-through-language

Dwayne's violent actions are justified by his belief that others are unfeeling machines, illustrating how mechanistic language can lead to dehumanization.

3 chapters across 2 books

Breakfast of Champions (1973)Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Chapter 23 > 4 Dwayne Hoover read on: “You are surrounded by lov- ing machines, hating machines, greedy machines, un- selfish machines, brave machines, cowardly machines, truthful machines, lying machines, funny machines, sol- emn machines,” he read. “Their only purpose is to stir you up in every conceivable way, so the Creator of the Uni- verse can watch your reactions. They can no more feel or reason than grandfather clocks. “The Creator of the Universe would now like to apolo- gize not only for the capricious, jostling companionship he provided during the test, but for the trashy, stinking con- dition of the planet itself. The Creator programmed ro- bots to abuse it for millions of years, so it would be a poisonous, festering cheese when you got here. Also, He made sure it would be desperately crowded by program- ming robots, regardless of their living conditions, to crave 254

In this chapter, Dwayne Hoover reads a book describing humans as various types of machines programmed by the Creator of the Universe to provoke reactions, highlighting the deterministic and mechanistic view of human behavior. As Dwayne internalizes this, he embarks on a violent rampage, attacking several people including his son and others he perceives as unfeeling machines, culminating in his arrest. The chapter explores the interplay between free will and programming, and the dehumanizing effects of viewing people as mere automatons.

Tender is the Flesh (2017)Gonzalo Bazterrica

Chapter 5

The chapter presents the protagonist's harrowing experience as a worker in a dystopian world where humans are bred and slaughtered for meat following a viral outbreak that made animal meat inedible. It explores his psychological torment, memories of the violent societal transition, and the euphemistic language used to dehumanize the victims and normalize cannibalism. The narrative reveals the systemic cruelty, societal complicity, and the protagonist's internal conflict in a world that has institutionalized human consumption.

Chapter 7

The chapter details a visit to Tod Voldelig, a breeding centre supplying human heads for meat processing, where the protagonist accompanies El Gringo and a German buyer, Egmont Schrei. The narrative explores the industrialized breeding, genetic control, and commodification of humans as livestock, highlighting the dehumanizing practices such as isolation, mutilation, and artificial insemination. The interaction reveals the chilling normalization of violence and exploitation in this dystopian world.