Primo Levi's Stay Analysis

Under strict power from Nazi soldiers during World War II, the people of the Jewish population were ridiculed, beaten, abused, and forced to live in horrible conditions, without consent or control. Adolf Hitler had control over Germany, with as many soldiers to obey his every cruel command. As horrible acts are committed during this mass genocide towards the Jewish people, one may begin to question if they still are in control of their humanity, just as Primo Levi was forced to question his own during his stay at Auschwitz.
At the beginning of Levi’s stay, he is unsure as to where he actually is and what is going to take place while he is in this “Rubber facility” producing Buna. Upon further de-humanizing events like being stripped of all his clothes, and being given a number permanently on his body with a “slightly painful tool with a very short needle” (Levi, 27) and “only by showing one’s number’ can one get bread and soup” (Levi, 28) Levi begins to realize that where he is, is not going to be good. Levi’s new friend, Steinhauf, tells him that no matter what, he must hang on to his humanity in any way he can.
The Nazi regime did every thing possible to de- humanize an individual, but were they successful during this attempt? Without question, the Nazis were successful in physically de-humanizing Levi, as well as all his fellow prisoners

through countless acts such as being forced to literally work to death, or by having to use the restroom in a bucket in the middle of a room. Mentally, Levi and his fellow prisoners attempted to hold onto their own humanity in other ways, such as staying clean on purpose to be able to keep their dignity.
De-humanization is fully understood after Levi is selected to work in the laboratory, where women surround him, which is new, and something that Levi questions himself.

“How long is it since I have seen a woman?” (Levi, 142) The reader sees just how de-humanized Levi feels upon these women seeing him working in the laboratory. “Faced with the girls of the laboratory, we three feel ourselves sink into the ground from shame and embarrassment.” (Levi, 142) Levi demonstrates to the reader that he has been de-humanized so much, that something as simplistic as seeing a woman, can make him feel emotions of hatred towards

himself.
Overall, under Adolf Hitler’s power of the Nazi regime, Levi, as well as his fellow prisoners, were de-humanized to the max through different forms of both physical and mental abuse, and torture. Although conditions were terrible, throughout their stay, both Levi and his fellow prisoners attempted many different methods to remain sane, and keep the Nazi soldiers from stripping them of their humanization. The reality of the situation was that every member of Auschwitz were treated like animals, and stripped of humanization, but with a positive outlook on the situation, Levi and his prisoners were able to believe in their own minds that they had humanization if they worked together.