Primo Levi's The Periodic Table

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Primo Levi’s The Periodic Table is an autobiographical memoir in which Mr. Levi -an esteemed chemist- uses different elements to represent separate aspects of his life. The book molds fiction and memoir which he connects all through his study of chemistry either metaphorically or literally through his study of these elements in the lab. Specific elements connect to his Childhood and young adulthood as well as through his time in the Auschwitz concentration camp. What makes the memoir extremely unique is how it uses different elements both as literal objects he used in chemistry and also the comparisons and metaphor he creates between characters and the elements he titles the chapters. The main uses of elements in The Periodic Table are; comparisons between characters, representation of his current …show more content…

One example of this is in the first chapter, Argon when Primo Levi talks about the static and slow-changing life of the piedmontese Jews. This chapter is titled Argon because Argon, similarly to the life of his ancestors is inert, and almost never changes. Argon does not react with anything, does not conduct heat, and is named after the Greek word meaning idle. As Argon is not connected to his family explicitly in this chapter the assumption is that Argon is a metaphor for his ancestors lives and it is clear to see in the text that this is true. This metaphor works exceptionally well because it starts to answer the question of “where do I come from” in an extremely simple way. By informing the reader about where he is literally from, Primo Levi helps set the tone for the book of one set in retrospect and based on science. As a chemist it is expected Primo Levi knows more about chemistry than writing but by using chemistry to create strong metaphors it allows for science and elements to be the mean of communicating with the

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