Reading Response

How does the poem opening Primo Levi’s work affect how you read the main body of the text?

I think by starting with the poem, Levi is setting the tone for the story to come. He sums up his story by writing this poem, and then goes into much greater detail in his book. The poem is a great device to allow the reader to become fully engaged in the text prior to the book.

Sum up what the poem is saying in one sentence.

Don’t take anything for granite, cherish your loved ones, and be thankful to those around you.

What are the key characteristics of the narrator which Levi chooses to present in this work; how would you describe the narrator?

I would describe the narrator as an honest man who is trapped in the most horrible circumstance imaginable. He is not trying to have people take pity on him, but simply stating what he went through and how torturous the living conditions were.

Does this add to or take away from your ability to sympathize with the narrator?

I think this adds to the ability to sympathize with the narrator for several reasons. One being that because we do not feel like he is asking for sympathy, but because he is stating the conditions and terms of his internment camp, one understands the grueling pains he must have been presented with and had to go through.

Which moment(s) in the text stand out or make the strongest impact on you? Why?

“Four men with razors, soap brushes, and clippers burst in; they have trousers and jackets with stripes, with a number sewn on the front; perhaps they are the same sort as those others of this evening (this evening or yesterday evening?); but these are robust and flourishing. We ask many questions but they catch hold of us and in a moment we find ourselves shave and sheared. What comic faces we have without hair.” Page 29.

“This is hell. Today, in our times, hell must be like this. A huge, empty room: we are tired, standing on our feet, with a tap which drips while we cannot drink the water, and we wait for something which will certainly be terrible, and nothing happens and nothing continues to happen. What can one think about? One cannot think any more, it is like being already dead. Someone sits down on the ground. The time passes drop by drop.”

I think that these passage stand out because they are so vividly clear with description. I can actually imagine this happening to the poor man and my heart is saddened because of the unfortunate events that occurred in his life. The story of being in the internment camp is one of the most depressing and sad events in the history of this country and knowing exactly some of the events that took place is even more sickening.