Xenophobia in Literature

Xenophobia, defined as the fear and hatred of foreigners or strangers, has long been a tragic aspect of human society. On May 17^th 1954 the Supreme Court declared that separate is inherently unequal. In this decision the highest court affirmed that segregation of people according to ethnic, racial and religious divisions is inherently discriminatory. Groups of people have, throughout history, sought to identify themselves according to such divisions and have also classified themselves according to what groups they do not belong to. This xenophobia has led to countless acts of discrimination, segregation, racism and outright genocide. The theme of xenophobia conceptually links the novels Survival at Auschwitz and Sitt Marie Rose. In these works both the oppressors and the oppressed define themselves according demographic divisions in which hatred of the "other" becomes a motivating force. This system of classification in both novels only leads to an entrenchment of divisions and allows for the tragic escalation of misunderstanding and violence.