How Did Primo Levi Survive

What does it mean to survive? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines survival as being able “to remain alive or in existence: [to] live on.” However, to survive the horrors of the concentration camps in the Holocaust was more than just existing, more than just having a heartbeat. Survival in a concentration camp does not only entail the physical ability to remain alive, but the ability to survive mentally and emotionally as well. In Primo Levi’s, Survival In Auschwitz, survival is a major theme throughout the book as he displays what it took to survive in the camp of Auschwitz.

Primo Levi’s struggle to survive is a constant battle. Levi depicts one of his struggles to survive physically when he makes the decision to go to the infirmary, which

he refers to as the Ka-Be. He decides to because the back of his foot is slashed open by a load of iron. He decides to take the risk of going to the Ka-Be because he is incapable of working with an injured foot. Levi explains, “those who show signs of improvement are cured in Ka-Be, those who seem to get worse are sent from Ka-Be to the gas chambers.” He has to make a choice: go to the Ka-Be and risk being killed, or stay working and risk worsening the infection and possible death. His choice to go to the Ka-Be proves to be the correct one and it saves his life.
To physically survive in Auschwitz, one must also survive mentally.

This can be a daunting task as one must keep hope and remember one’s dignity and humanity which the Nazis successfully wrenched from millions of Jews. Primo Levi nearly becomes one of the victims, at one point even admitting that he found no use in wasting energy on cleaning himself: “Would I live a day, an hour longer? I would probably live a shorter time because to wash is an effort, a waste of energy and warmth… we will all die.” These pessimistic thoughts that Levi has are potentially as deadly as a gas chamber. Without the will to want to live, one will die. Fortunately, one day while in the latrine he realizes this: “...even in this place one can survive and therefore one must want to survive… We must polish our shoes, not because the regulation states it, but for dignity and propriety. We must walk erect, without dragging our feet, not in homage to Prussian discipline but to remain alive, not to begin to

die.”
His mental strength and ability to stay sharp continues to be proven throughout the book. He explains the many strategies he uses to have the greatest chance of survival. He quickly learns that even simple pieces of knowledge are necessary to survive in Auschwitz. He eats his food in a purposeful way to ensure he eats every last crumb, and he knows where to stand in line when meals are served in order to get the most nutritious part of the soup. Additionally, he takes every opportunity to make his situation a little better. For instance, he ingeniously uses rags he finds to cushion his uncomfortable wooden shoes. Furthermore, Primo Levi explains how he could find use in any material at his disposal to help his survival: “the wire to tie up our shoes, the rags to wrap around our feet, waste paper to (illegally) pad out our jacket against the cold.” These lessons Levi learns serves useful and help his mind stay lively as he actively sought ways to use everyday material to his advantage.
Another key factor to survive in Auschwitz is maintaining one’s emotional health and stability.

Levi is fortunate to be able to maintain his emotional health through his friendship with Alberto, who is introduced once Levi is released from the infirmary. Levi describes his best friend as optimistic, “uscathed and uncorrupted” by the circumstances of the horrid situation. Levi goes on about Alberto, “he fights for his life but still remains everybody’s friend… I always saw, and still see in him, the rare figure of the strong yet peace-loving man against whom the weapons of the night are blunted.” Alberto was Levi’s savior, inspiring Levi to stay optimistic. He is Levi’s outlet to confide to and he is Levi’s uplifter. Together they also manage to devise plans to get more rations of bread and improve popularity within the black market and within their block. The reader truly sees the depth of this friendship on Alberto’s last day: As the healthy prisoners were instructed to evacuate, Alberto risks his life by stopping by the Ka-Be to say goodbye to Primo Levi. Levi speaks of Alberto on the last time he saw him, “we were inseparable:... For six months we had shared a bunk and every scrap of food ‘organized’ in excess of the ration.” Levi makes it clear that without this companionship and emotional support to keep him alive, Primo Levi would not have survived the

camp.
In his book, Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi defines what survival is to him. Levi shows the reader that to survive, one needs more than to just have a heartbeat. To survive, one needs a sharp mind and the mentality to want to survive. One needs an optimistic and hopeful attitude even in the most demanding of times. Most importantly, one needs to feel the love and warmth of a true friend. In Auschwitz, these three aspects seem nearly impossible to hold with oneself throughout the years, however those who could were those who lived on, to tell their story of survival.