AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

This passage was taken from the entry ‘Cerium’ in Primo Levi’s The Periodic Table.  The story is factual; Levi stole rods of Cerium from the laboratory he worked in at Auschwitz, which he and companion Alberto laboriously worked into something they could barter for food.  On the surface, this appears to be a story about survival, and deprivation of the body.  However, this is not a story about Auschwitz – as Levi himself notes as the opening passage in Cerium, he has written extensively on his experiences in the concentration camp elsewhere.  Instead, Cerium is about the man Alberto, choice, and human nature.

Cerium is centrally placed in, and central to, the memoir.  This was purposefully done; the entry acts as a stable anchor, holding the compilation together, much as Alberto holds his companions together.  It also has the effect of somewhat burying the entry amongst the many other elements.  This is, perhaps, a parallel to the fate of Alberto, who disappeared after Auschwitz.

The passage of Cerium considered here details Alberto’s character in-depth, and describes the relationship of Alberto and Levi.  Indeed, the first sentence of the passage establishes their relatioship; “Alberto reproached me”.  The use of the word ‘reproach’ suggests that Alberto was a mentor of sorts to Levi; that Levi had much to learn from him.  Levi goes on to explain just what Alberto understood, and Levi himself didn’t – that surrendering to the enemy by giving up made you as “culpable” as the enemy.  This is detailed using strong, emotive words – “renunciation”, “pessimism” and “discouragement” may seem to the reader to be unhappy but not terrible emotions.  However, Alberto, living the horrors of Auschwitz, considered these to be “abominable” – a powerful word that tells us vividly that Alberto believed that giving in was utterly wrong.

Further, the use of “accept” suggests that there was an active decision to make.  In this way, Alberto took control of a seemingly uncontrollable situation; he took back choice, and thus power.  Likewise, “concentration camp universe” sounds novel-like, or perhaps as though describing a scientific theory – one possible interpretation of reality, to be considered rationally and supported or disputed.  Alberto “rejects” it.  This diction conjures up two distinct images; the physical, “instinctive”, bodily rejection, which occurs when the body identifies a foreign substance; for indeed the prisoners found the concentration camps to be environments outside their experience.  The second image is that of a cognitive, conscious and scientific rejection – that of “reason”.  This comes back to choice, and is supported by the following phrase – “he did not let”.  The word tainted, conversely, suggests disease, or impurity.  The physical tainting of an element made impure, or a body made ill, is combined with the tainting of the mind and spirit – the collapse of will.  Ironically, the concentration camps were built to remove those considered to be ‘impure’ or otherwise ‘undesirable’ from the gene pool; it seems likely that the concept of purity is universal to the human race, although it is clearly defined in many ways.

The phrase “strong will” again reflects that choice is implicit in everything.  The use of “miraculously” seems almost contradictory in suggesting that this choice is not often exercised – or is not often strong enough to succeed.  The word anaphora of the word “free” further emphasises Alberto’s choice in “his words and his acts”.  The diction here is that of slavery; the vivid imagery of “bowed his head” and “bent his back” serve to remind the reader that the situation in the camps was not only a psychological, moral enslavement, but also physical.  This is the antithesis of “free”, “smile”, “liberating” and “virtue” – all powerful, positive words that emphasise the strength exhibited by Alberto in the face of such adversity.  However, he was not merely a pillar of strength in and of himself; he was also the strength of others – or he restored their strength to them, with a “liberating virtue”.  Alberto’s strong will appears contagious after all, as he unshackles the hearts and minds of his companions.  He seems almost angelic, with descriptions such as “good”, “virtue” and “miraculously” lifting Alberto to a pedestal higher than that of a mere human.

The description of the lager (‘camp’) as a “rigid fabric” is a bold metaphor.  Fabric is woven from many smaller threads that together make the whole strong, in an ordered manner.  This is an apt description of the concentration camps, where rules were numerous.  However, as the word “rip” suggests, fabric is damageable.  The implication here is that by returning strength to his companions, by freeing them, Alberto is gradually destroying the power their captors have over them; weave that is torn apart can be patched but never returned intact.

Alberto empowered all, in a way that transcended mere spoken language.  This again suggests that Alberto is reaching a higher truth, a universal understanding of humanity.  This is supported by Levi’s belief that Alberto was “loved” more than anyone else in the camp.  The use of “in that place” is curious – it suggests, perhaps, that love was defined differently in the lager.  It is possible that the act of loving, of being able to love, was an act of defiance; an assertion of one’s humanity in inhumane conditions.  It seems likely, also, that coming to love those inside the camp was a risk; loving perfect memories of distant family and friends would perhaps bolster the spirit, despite fears for their safety, whilst kinship with those you saw everyday, who might die literally before your eyes, might seem more hazardous for survival.

The second paragraph starts with the anaphora of “[Alberto] reproached me”.  This serves to refocus us, from the indepth character analysis to the broader action.  Again, the use of “reproach” seems to describe Alberto as a mentor, although it now seems that he is not only Levi’s mentor but perhaps the guide of everyone in the camp.  “Disheartened”, similarly to the earlier use of “discouragement” connects with ideas of free choice and morality both; the power of the will is to be cultivated, Alberto seems to say.  “Harmful” links to the idea of disease or taint, while “immoral” and “indecent” ssem to imply old-world values – more virtues.  “Therefore” is interesting, in “harmful and therefore immoral”, as the concept of harm as forbidden seems paradoxical in the context of a concentration camp.  Still Alberto holds strong to his virtues, his humanity. 

With “immoral” as the jarring antithesis of “I had stolen... good”, the reader understands that the code of morality has changed, after all: the situation has changed, no matter how virtuous Alberto wished to be.  “High commercial value” is an ironic commentary; Jews were often described derrogatively as merchants and bankers concerned only with wealth – and the very nature of the camps forced the inhabitants into a situation of bartering for survival.

While Cerium is set in the infamous concentration camp Auschwitz, and sketches an outline of survival there, it is an entry of The Periodic Table concerned more with humanity than inhumanity.  Indeed, it reads as a tribute to Alberto, a man who helped Levi and doubtless countless others to survive the daily horror.  Cerium is a reminder to all of us that no matter the adversity we face, we have choice in the way we conduct ourselves – and a little humanity, a little kindness, can go a long, long way.

Reference

Levi, Primo. "Cerium." Trans. Rosenthal, Raymond. The Periodic Table. London: Penguin Books, 1984. 116-22. Print.