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Writer, Chemist, and Auschwitz Survivor 🕊️

Primo Levi was born in Northern Italy to a Jewish family. He trained as a chemist at university; however, because of the racial segregation laws in Italy, he struggled to find a job after graduation. After the German occupation of Northern Italy, he joined the resistance, for which he was arrested and later deported to Auschwitz. He spent 11 months there before the camp was liberated. He wrote Se questo è un uomo (If This Is a Man), which recalls his time there. This is one of the most important post-war works of Italian literature. Published in 1947, it was one of the first books written by a Holocaust survivor to openly talk about the experience.

💡 Things to consider

• Language: the camp contains people from all over Europe, who speak a wide variety of languages. Levi doesn’t speak Yiddish, German or Hungarian which are the main languages of the camp - this often leads to an inability to communicate properly with others and him feeling isolated. In one part of the book, Levi calls the camp a ‘new Babel’, referencing the story of the Tower of Babel from the Bible, due to the sheer number of languages spoken. A new language has to be formed for everyone to communicate, made up of words from dozens of different languages. In one chapter, he is with a French prisoner and feels the urge to translate Dante’s works into French to share his heritage. Levi says recalling Dante makes him feel connected to his heritage and also helps him recall his humanity. Being able to keep hold of his native language is a form of resistance. How important is language in retaining identity? Why does Levi refer to Biblical stories to describe the camp?

• Dehumanisation: throughout the book, Levi introduces the reader to the different stages of dehumanisation and the varying effects it has on different prisoners. Upon arrival at Auschwitz, the prisoners had their personal belongings removed, their heads shaved, and numbers tattooed on their arms. Levi notes that any reminder of their free lives is gone, the prisoners have had their entire humanity removed, including their names, and they have no thoughts of their own. In one chapter, Levi recalls trying to drink from an icicle when a German guard takes it away from him, in defence of his behaviour the guard says ‘there is no why here.’ Levi acknowledges slowly becoming dehumanised, however, he comes to regain his humanity when an older prisoner informs him he should keep washing. This act of resistance is a way to keep his dignity and his humanity.

• Genre and Tone: there is a big debate surrounding the genre of the book because it doesn’t conform to many genres. It is autobiographical as it is an account of his life. However, certain episodes and chapters read more like essays, based around a certain theme rather than chronology. The final chapter of the book is written in the style of a diary, recounting the last 10 days before liberation, contrasting the ‘essay’ style found in the other chapters. The book opens with a poem whose tone contrasts greatly with the rest of the book – it is extremely damning and fuelled with emotion. His style of writing at times is more scientific, focusing more on the details of what took place instead of his emotions, which he accredited to his profession. This gives it a calm, sober tone, and leaves the reader able to judge the events for themselves with no influence from the author. Does this inability to place the book in one genre contribute to its popularity? Does the calm tone Levi adopts make the book more damning?

🔎 Find out more

• 70 years on, Primo Levi’s If This is A Man is still a powerful reminder of what it means to be human

🍒 The cherry on top

• 🚫 Boycotts: From global sanctions on Russia to consumer-led boycotts of brands tied to unethical practices, avoiding certain products has become a form of modern protest. In this BBC radio episode journalist David Baker investigates whether boycotts are genuine tools for change or just low-risk gestures that make us feel powerful. Do they actually shift policies? Great if you’re curious about Politics or Economics!

• 🎨 Art by Colour: Want a cool way of exploring new art? Check out Google Arts & Culture colour explorer, which lets you discover a range of famous art pieces from global cultural institutions through the lens of colour. A cool site to check out if you like Art.

• 🐼 Record Breaking Animals: From cheetahs that sprint faster than sports cars to emperor penguins diving deeper than skyscrapers are tall, this WWF feature shows how even our best human athletes can’t compete with the jaw-dropping extremes of the animal kingdom. Whether it’s speed, strength, endurance, or agility, nature always seems to take gold. An interesting read if you like Biology!

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for…

• Tuesday 4th November

  • Heriot-Watt University subject webinars (Geography, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology)

• Wednesday 5th November

  • Heriot-Watt University subject webinars (Business Management, Robotics, Psychology)

  • Student finance and budgeting with the University of Leeds

  • The Death Penalty: Is the human right to life absolute? with the University of Law

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