Slavery: The Dehumanization Of Elephants

The elephants kept in captivity in zoos and circuses have similarities to the African slaves of America. Firstly, the elephants are trained using a bullhook, which they are prodded and beaten with until the sight of it strikes fear in them. In order to force the elephant to perform the desired trick, the handler uses the bullhook to pull the elephant into position. Similarly, the slaveholders would use whips and other weapons to make a slave do what he or she was supposed to. At young ages, slaves would be “broken”, meaning they were beaten into a state of dehumanization. Additionally, both the elephant’s swaying and the slaves singing were ways for them to stay sane and pass the time. When the elephants sway, they are distracting themselves