In \u201cSurvival in Auschwitz,\u201d Primo Levi spoke to his experiences in an Auschwitz concentration camp for ten months.\u00a0 As the title suggests, Levi spoke to how he managed to survive in such awful conditions.\u00a0 Early on during his time in Auschwitz, Levi spoke to a time in which he was thirsty and opened the window, hoping to snatch an icicle.\u00a0 However, a guard on duty quickly took the icicle away from Levi. When he asked the guard why, the guard responded, and said, \u201cthere is no why here,\u201d (29). From this experience, Levi learned, \u201cin this place everything is forbidden, not for hidden reasons, but because the camp has been created for that purpose.\u00a0 If one wants to live on must learn quickly and well,\u201d (29).\u00a0 With this, it became clear that one way method of survival in Auschwitz was to never question guards, for questioning was a sign of disrespect.<\/p>\n
Another example that Primo Levi gave in his account is that \u201ceverything is useful,\u201d (33) and \u201cthe value of food,\u201d (33).\u00a0 Levi argued that in order to survive, a prisoner must understand that \u201ceverything is useful\u201d because prisoners were not given much and it was imperative to hold onto the things you did have.\u00a0 Furthermore, Levi argued that prisoners must be aware of their surroundings and hold onto their possessions, for \u201ceverything can be stolen,\u201d (33). \u00a0This was especially important for prisoners, for they were not given much and if you had something stolen from you, that could mean the end for your survival. \u00a0In regards to \u201cthe value of food,\u201d Levi argued that food was crucial because food was hard to come by.\u00a0 With food being so hard to come by, Levi argued that prisoners must \u201cscrape the bottom of the bowl,\u201d (33) for that food had to sustain you for a day\u2019s work.\u00a0 Lastly, Primo Levi spoke against the idea of hygiene.\u00a0 The reason?\u00a0 Levi believed that taking the time to wash yourself simply was not worth it, for you were wasting your energy when you could have been resting.\u00a0 Ultimately, Primo Levi and his account provide tremendous insight on what life was like in Auschwitz and how best to survive such terrible conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In \u201cSurvival in Auschwitz,\u201d Primo Levi spoke to his experiences in an Auschwitz concentration camp for ten months.\u00a0 As the title suggests, Levi spoke to how he managed to survive in such awful conditions.\u00a0 Early on during his time in … Continue reading