COMMENT
In a previous discussion (The Leopard) I asked everyone to analyze a small DETAIL, a small aspect of the film that captured your attention. I kept emphasizing "small detail": instead a lot of comments were about how long the film was and how great the customs were. Those are not exactly details.
Try again with STORY OF TEN DAYS. Avoid repeating something that was already mentioned by a classmate. Find the small detail (or a quotation) that meant something deeper to you, that to you has deep symbolic value.
REPLY Choose a comment that opened your eyes on something you had not noticed but that "makes sense" when you put it side by side with the detail you chose.
A small detail from the chapter "The Story of Ten Days" that captured my attention was the juxtaposition of those that have been in Auschwitz for a while, like Primo and Alberto, with those that were new. By writing his experiences in this memoir, Primo shows the clear differences between those who have had more time in the camp and those who have not. Those who were held prisoner for longer learned what to do and what not to do. Primo explains in the beginning of the chapter that he stole flints from the Laboratory that were worth several rations of bread. He learned to do this over time to help him survive. He also stated that "they had only been in the Lager for a week and had not yet learnt that one does not ask questions" (182), when referencing new comrades. Another instance that showed the naivety of the new prisoners was when two Hungarians got too excited when they heard about the evacuation of the camp, tried to escape Ka-Be to leave with the healthy prisoners, and were killed by the SS. The prisoners who have been there longer had to learn things as a matter of circumstance and survival. The prisoners also had to learn pieces of different languages to understand what was being said by those around them. How Primo subtly compares new and old prisoners was an interesting detail to me because it shows how much the concentration camp changed those trapped in it over time. It is scary to read about how the new prisoners are still naive and hopeful, but how the older prisoners like Primo have become helpless and numb as an effect of Auschwitz's horrors.
ReplyDeleteThis is not really a detail, just a comment, but I think it is ironic that the scarlet fever turned out to be Levi's saving grace. If he was healthy he would have ended up in the death march- possibly dead before his time (or not. Who knows...)
ReplyDeleteIt's also interesting that Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi were both at Monowitz on January 18th 1945, except Wiesel got up from his hospital bed and joined the march, he also survived.
The scarlet fever detail you talk about is very interesting when I consider what I wrote about with the sick suffering even more without the heat in the cabins.
DeleteThat's honestly interesting that Wiesel was able to survive the death march even after being in the hospital.
DeleteA small detail I noticed was when Primo talked about the heat going out in the cabins. It was symbolic of how long and excruciating their journey was. During this ordeal they were tortured, killed and treated like animals. When they were finally being evacuated, they could not even enjoy a warm bed before going home. It seemed as though this tragedy took place over a century for these innocent men, women and children.
ReplyDeleteA small detail I noticed is when Primo was trying to stay and bed and lose all of his will to stay alive, but Charles was already preparing the stove for the day. This highlighted to me Charles optimism and how Primo needed Charles in order to survive and not lose hope. Primo called him "active, trusting, alive friend" Charles was the opposite of Primo and didnt give him the opportunity to stay in bed and die.
ReplyDeleteA small detail I noticed was the way Primo described himself and others as, "unshaven with hallow eyes, greyish skeleton bones in rags"(192). The entire reading has so much imagery in each sentence. Even though this line is a small detail of what he is witnessing, I can imagine it in my mind. It makes me think back to every horrifying image of the Holocaust survivors.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was kind of astonishing that Primo had scarlet fever and was relieved about it. He was happy that he was finally going to get some rest and some alone time. It's strange to me because the last thing I would feel if I had scarlet fever would be relief. He says this in the very beginning of the story and it stuck with me throughout the entire story and I kept thinking about just how hard and horrible it must have been for them.
ReplyDeleteI did not notice that remark initially, but now I see how counter intuitive and, thus, remarkable it is. Primo is happy to have a serious illness because it means he will be able to lay in the warm hospital, away from the others and free from work. As I pointed out below, "The law of the Lager said: 'eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbor." That Primo would prefer to suffer from disease than live under that 'law' shows the horror of the situation.
DeleteI found this to be pretty interesting as well! It shows that the conditions the refugees were in so horrid that having scarlet fever was sort of a blessing in disguise.
DeleteThe most striking moment in the chapter is when the men in the infirmary offer bread to the three men, including Primo, who had worked to ascertain food and a stove. Primo states that, before the evacuation, such an offering would be unheard of -- "The law of the Lager said: 'eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbor." This truth within the camp is accepted without scorn among the prisoner's of the camp, which shows the dog-eat-dog mentality they operated under. Such a moral code contrasts with the usual proverbs in the Judeo-Christian tradition that suggest that one should not eat until he is sure others are fed first. The blunt nature of this short part of the paragraph and greater story speaks loudly about the psychological toll of living in a concentration camp.
ReplyDeleteI also thought this was a shocking moment in the chapter. I like how you brought up the psychological toll living in the camp must have had on the prisoners.
DeleteI think a small detail that captured my attention and demonstrated how horrendous conditions were was when Primo described that there was no water accessible to the sick patients and they had to melt the snow on their own and drink dirty snow water. This detail was just a small indication of how poorly and inhumanely these people were treated at Auschwitz.
ReplyDeleteThe conditions they lived in were horrid. They didn't have proper care and when given medical aid it was superficial.
DeleteA quote that spoke a lot to me was “the Germans were no longer there. The towers were empty.” I felt like this wasn’t only stating what It said, but also showing that anywhere the Germans came or touched automatically felt empty. They took the feeling out of people’s lives. Eventually towers weren’t the only things that were empty but so were the people. The broke them down piece by piece. No freedom. No home. No life.
ReplyDeleteThe small detail that stood out to me was when Primo talks about the law of the Lager, "eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbor." This caught my attention because it shows that the conditions the refugees were in and the treatment they had undergone at the hands of the Nazis stripped some of the them of their empathy and tenderness.
ReplyDeleteA detail that stood out to me was when Somagyi drops dead off of the top bunk. Thinking about how it must have felt to watch a life fall in such a way and then having to dwell amongst it because you are physically incapable of doing anything differently really resonates with me in grasping the conditions of the time.This really symbolizes the value of life and how little value there was and it also just screams helplessness.
ReplyDeleteThat was an emotional moment for me too. I really like that you talk about how little value is placed on life during this time. I never thought to think of it like that but it truly resonates. The horror of what these people saw made everything almost numb to them.
DeleteI felt emotionally affected when Primo described the bombings that happened. Men were naked and on fire and sought shelter in Primo's hut, yet the men all decided to barricade the doors because of the threat they would bring. To be in such a primitive state of survival that you would willingly let others die was very hard for me to grapple with. Of course I understand these actions because of the horror these people have seen but it was difficult nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of Primo and the men's selflessness that you bring up is very accurate and something I did not even think about. They put others above themselves, despite the grave circumstances they faced. True bravery...
DeleteA small detail that I found particularly telling and provocative was Primo mentioning that he had to bite the frost off of frozen cabbage in order to get food. However, there were too many of him to do it to and carry off with him. The extent of this really showcases the dire situation.
ReplyDelete