Primo Levis Survival in Auschwitz Essay -- Primo Levi Survival Auschw

Primo Levis selection in Auschwitz Reading the novel Survival in Auschwitz by author Primo Levi leads one to wonder whether his survival is attributed to his unfixed will to start or a very subservient streak of luck. Throughout the novel, he is time and again sp ard from the fate that supposedly lies ahead of every inhabitants of the death camp at Auschwitz. Whether it was f in alling ill at the most convenient times or coming in contact with prisoners who had a compassionate, albeit uncommon, disposition, it would have the appearance _or_ semblance 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 were the sole factors of his survival. For the purposes of this essay, it is necessary to further address the possibility that maybe Primo Levi was conscionable a lucky guy. The very first lines of the novel suppor t without a doubt the fact that even Levi (Hftlinge 174517) himself is aware of the capacity that luck plays in his life. He begins the novel with the phrase It was my good fortune to be deported to Auschwitz only in 1944, that is, after the German government had decided, owing to the growing scarcity of labour, to lengthen the clean lifespan of the prisoners destined for elimi- nation (Levi 9). So, had he been captured prior to 1944, his story might not have been told. Seeing as life in Monowitz (aka Buna or the Lger) was particularly brutal upon his arrival, one can only imagine the conditions that existed before the Nazi war machine experienced its labor shortage. When compelled to consider the conditions in which Levi was coerce to live, it is clear to see that the will to survive must be complemented by another factor, as this will alone is not at all lovesome enough to sustain life. Not only are the authority figures brutish and sadistic, but the code among the prisone rs themselves is even more cutthroat. In addition, the cuisine is terrible and is summed up in the following passage ...every two or three hours we have to get up to discharge ourselves of the great dose of water which during the day we are rackd to absorb in the form of soup in order to satisfy our hunger (Levi 61). Furthermore, the camp is arranged in a hierarchical scheme with each group of prisoners having corresponding... ...urvivors, how fortunate was he to be among them Primo Levis voice in this novel is so emotionless, that one is forced to jettison all biases regarding the Holocaust until completion of the novel. He does not concern himself with how the subscriber will look at his role in the story he tells it is his story, thus the reader need only read and formulate their own conclusions. Because his is the story that so many will never get the chance to tell. He comes off as the quiet submissive type, yet underneath this faade is a very perceptive and clever human be ing. In fact, the saying still waters chip deep just about sums up Levis personality. Recalling what was just written of Levis personality, it was premature to say that pure luck was the only guiding force in Levis survival some credit must be given to the individual also. So it is of utmost importance to mention that his determination to survive and to provide an accurate, albeit, detailed account of what he had endured was also a major factor in Primo Levis Survival in Auschwitz. Works CitedLevi, Primo. Survival in Auschwitz The Nazi Assault onHumanity. Trans. Stuart Woolf. New York Collier-Macmillan, 1987.