Tattooed Number Symbol Analysis

The tattooed number printed on each prisoner’s arm represents the replacement of their old identity as an individual with their new identity as Häftling, ultimately dehumanizing them. Every aspect of the camp is designed to dehumanize the Jewish prisoners and crush their spirits and their sense of individuality. In this vein, the tattooed number becomes each Jew’s new identity, the only name which they are called by the Germans, and a permanent reminder that they do not even own their own bodies. By one’s identifying number alone, a German official or an astute prisoner can know everything about a man that is relevant to their role as a prisoner: their nationality, when they arrived in the camp, and how long they have managed to survive. The tattooed number’s symbolism of the replacement of human identity is most poignant when Levi, newly tattooed, habitually looks to where his wristwatch—representing a civilized and sophisticated life—should be on his arm, but instead only finds the tattooed numbers in its place. This is a painful reminder that in the eyes of the Lager, he is no longer a civilized man, a sophisticated professional. He is only a Häftling.