Summary Of Survival In Auschwitz By Primo Levi

The book, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi, is an autobiography that talks about the brutal experience of him in Auschwitz. The book is written as if the reader were to be talking one on one with Levi. He describes to the reader's how he saw the men and women lose their humanity overtime because of the treatment in Auschwitz. Throughout his story he describes the dehumanization and slowly realizes that it was not just his survival and dehumanization, but it was everyone’s. He also explains to the readers how all the prisoners came together as one to retain their humanity because the suffering of one was also the suffering of all. This books teaches the readers that one

Having only the memories of loved ones that you will never see again. Being stripped of all your pride and dignity and the only person you have is yourself. Feeling like you are losing yourself in the process, these are the feelings of being in Buna concentration camp. Auschwitz survivor stated “Today in our times, hell must be like this."

Primo Levi was one of these survivors. In Survival in Auschwitz, Levi struggles to articulate the atrocities that occurred in Auschwitz while simultaneously admitting the impossibility of such an undertaking. As he confesses in his book, “…our language lacks words to express this offence, the demolition of a man.” A scientist by trade, Levi speaks of his time in Auschwitz in bare, almost clinical terms. Two popular critiques have arisen from this approach: the first, that Levi does not explore his emotions, and the second, that he does not court readers. I’d argue, however, that it is this very boundary built between author and reader that makes Levi’s testimony so effective.

Primo Levi once stated “Today I think that for no reason other than that Auschwitz existed, no one in our age should speak of providence.” Levi, the author of “Survival in Auschwitz”, could not be more wrong. Auschwitz, one of the most infamous concentration camps in history, absolutely destroyed ones identity, as thoroughly described in his book. Levi states “Imagine now a man who is deprived of everyone he loves, and at the same time of his house, his habits, his clothes, in short, of everything he possesses: he will be a hollow man, reduced to suffering and needs, forgetful of dignity and restraint, for he who losses all easily losses himself.” (Levi, page 27) The prisoners were exposed to countless hardships such as: starvation, dehydration,

Reading the novel Survival in Auschwitz by author Primo Levi leads one to wonder whether his survival is attributed to his indefinite will to survive or a very subservient streak of luck. Throughout the novel, he is time and again spared from the fate that supposedly lies ahead of all inhabitants of the death camp at Auschwitz. Whether it was falling ill at the most convenient times or coming in contact with prisoners who had a compassionate, albeit uncommon, disposition, it would seem as though the Gods were always smiling upon him. Although throughout the novel primo is characterized as a very willing ands competent individual, one can not say that his personality or his training as a chemist were the sole factors of his survival. For

85 years ago, over a 12 year period, nearly six million Jews were killed in a genocide called The Holocaust. The Holocaust was led by the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler was their leader. The mass murders took place at concentration camps throughout Europe. The majority of concentration camps resided in Poland and Germany. Many people believe there were only a few concentration camps. “However, researchers found that the Nazis had actually established 20,000 camps between 1933 and 1945” (“How Many Camps,” n.d.). In this paper I will be discussing the largest concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Primo Levi, in his novel Survival in Auschwitz (2008), illustrates the atrocities inflicted upon the prisoners of the concentration camp by the Schutzstaffel, through dehumanization. Levi describes “the denial of humanness” constantly forced upon the prisoners through similes, metaphors, and imagery of animalistic and mechanistic dehumanization (“Dehumanization”). He makes his readers aware of the cruel reality in the concentration camp in order to help them examine the psychological effects dehumanization has not only on those dehumanized, but also on those who dehumanize. He establishes an earnest and reflective tone with his audience yearning to grasp the reality of genocide.

Reading the novel Survival in Auschwitz by author Primo Levi leads one to wonder whether his survival is attributed to his indefinite will to survive or a very subservient streak of luck. Throughout the novel, he is time and again spared from the fate that supposedly lies ahead of all inhabitants of the death camp at Auschwitz. Whether it was falling ill at the most convenient times or coming in contact with prisoners who had a compassionate, albeit uncommon, disposition, it would seem as though the Gods were always smiling upon him. Although throughout the novel primo is characterized as a very willing and competent individual, one can not say that his personality or his training as a chemist

Primo Levi was a Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor from the concentration Auschwitz. Primo Levi talks about in his book called “Survival in Auschwitz” about what it means to survive. There are many quotes that stand out in his book and have strong importance to them.

This is a question that is, in part, taken from the last paragraph of the preface of the book which asks of “the response to Auschwitz” (XV). As scholars of history, the glaringly obvious answer is to not allow this history to repeat itself ever again. Although it would be convenient to simply stop the answer there, it is far less simplistic than this. I think a lot of times through the lense of history we look at the Nazi’s as being some form of evil spirits, and not humans. It is as if we refuse to accept the fact that humans who have their own sense of judgements, and their own morals were the ones that were facilitating death camps. As a student of Psychology, I am fascinated by Milgram’s Experiment on obedience to authority figures.

There used to be places that were known for torture, forced labor, and murder. People were dragged out of their own homes to be brought there. These places were called concentration camps. They were the largest Nazi killing centers and they took the lives of over a million Jews. The camps are an important part of history that we will never forget.

He makes the reader feel that they were there with him every step survival. He does not write Survival in Auschwitz with any rage but instead with crucial facts. Primo Levi does not talk about any hatred towards the Germans. He believes that his “actions and thoughts be the product, as far as possible, of reason” (new republic). He knew that if he detested the Germans he would be following the “precepts of Nazism” (new republic).

which would later save his life in the concentration camps. By learning these few things of Levi’s personality made understanding they way he writes possible. In Levi’s foreword he explains his reason for writing his memoir; it was not to be read as an account of atrocities because his added nothing to what is already known. Instead he wanted this book to, “furnish documentation for a quiet study of certain aspects of the human mind.” For his personal use this book was “First and foremost, as an interior liberation.” Overall I believe that Primo Levi wrote this book to satisfy a personal need, to liberate himself the memory of his time at Auschwitz.

“Survival in Auschwitz” is Primo Levi’s account of the horrors inflicted upon the prisoners contained within Auschwitz and their struggle to remain themselves and survive within the camp. The sign placed at the entrance of Auschwitz read the words “Arbeit Macht Frei”, or “Work Gives Freedom”, an ironic statement considering the Nazis took everything away from these individuals that constitutes established human rights and freedom. Without the elements that make up a human being, there was limited freedom for the prisoners. What are the possible meanings of “Arbeit Macht Frei”, and could the prisoners obtain any “freedom”? While the freedoms of the prisoners were limited in Auschwitz, Primo Levi shows in his book that the prisoners could gain a sense of freedom through the hope of release, death, or mental suppression.

If This Is a Man by Primo Levi is a story about his personal experience of the journey through Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Right from the very first trip to the unknown destination, to the point of near death, Primo’s life was a constant battle between life and death. Throughout the book, Primo portrays his walk through living hell in a way that is both powerful and painful.