Journal 17 :The Story of Ten Days

“It really meant that the Lager was dead. It was the first human gesture that occurred among us. I believe that that moment can be dated as the beginning of the change by which we who had not died slowly changed from Haflinge to men again (pg 160).”

Finally, the Lager, the German controls, was dead. This quote was significant, because it indicated the closure of the Auschwitz Camps, as well as the prisoners being beasts. Before, a rule ‘eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbor,’ was applied to the prisoners. No one cared about their neighbors and began to become self-centered and tried to satisfy only themselves. Eventually, depending on Exchange Markets and theft was the only way to survive. Prisoners had become “beasts,” no longer having any sympathy towards people, but relying on their ways of survival.

However, as the end of the Auschwitz Camp was approaching, people began to change. Primo stated “I had no longer felt any pain, joy or fear, except in that detached and distant manner characteristic of the Lager, which might be described as conditional (pg 152),” which showed how the prisoners did neither express emotions nor feel emotions. As being “beasts,” they weren’t able to feel emotions anymore and did not bother to express it either. But later one, “He also was cheerful and confident, as were all those who were leaving (pg 155).” Only the evacuation was the solution to make people become human.

As I read Primo Levi’s diary for ten days, I realized how the prisoners were desperate to get out from the Germans sights. As the Russians were approaching towards the German troops, the SS soldiers had to run away from the camps, leaving the unsecured Jews behind the bare, cold winter. All the Jews had to believe in their fate and were not brave enough to get out of the camps, because they were the ill ones. As the healthy prisoners were leaving one by one, the sick people had to cooperate together and find ways to survive in the Ka-Be. However, to me, the people seemed not very anxious, while Primo was staying with eleven people inside the Ka-Be, because the Germans were no longer controlling the camps. Although the winter made some people to rest eternally, Primo, and his fellow friends, Charles and Arthur did not gave up. Despite their illness, they were the ones to search for food, water, stove, and other necessary supplies to survive for the ten days. And when they achieved some food, such as potatoes and breads, it was surprising to notice that the people began to share the meals in equal rations. When Primo, Charles, and Arthur fixed a stove for their room, the other eight people agreed to give them some more slice of bread for appreciation. As Primo said, it was starting point of the prisoners becoming human, who are willing to share their food by feeling thankful to the workers.

In this chapter, I really like the character, Charles, who was courageous and caring. One night, inside their room, a sick Dutch Jew, Lakmaker, was suffering and wanted to go to the latrine. However, because of his illness, his body was way too weak to walk to the latrine, that eventually he fell to the ground and couldn’t help himself to stand up. He groaned of pain. If this occurred during the harsh days of Auschwitz, no one would bother to help him either. Lakmaker would have stayed under the ground until the next day, waiting for the death to approach, still groaning with pain. However, Charles lit the lamp and began to help Lakmaker. Even though Lakmaker’s bed was filthy and smelly, Charles silently “lifted Lakmaker from the ground with the tenderness of a mother, cleaned him as best as possible with straw taken from the mattress and lifted him into the remade bed in the only position in which the unfortunate fellow could lie He scraped the floor with a scrap of tinplate, diluted a little chloramines and finally spread disinfectant over everything, including himself (pg 167).” Maybe Charles helped him because he never knew the hardships that occurred in Auschwitz and never been a beast before. He was French, who was a teacher, and just came to the camp several days before. He was not a Jew, but was surrendered by the Germans, as well as Arthur did. But I was truly impressed by his humanity, who silently helped the ill, despite the fact that the illness could also transfer to him and considering about the contagious illness, he also spread the disinfectant over everywhere. I think he wanted to survive with most of the people inside the Ka-Be, that time.

On the last day, January 27, finally the freedom was granted to the Jewish prisoners, as well as the two French, Arthur and Charles. The Russians had arrived to the camp and transferred the ill ones to a local Russian hospital of Auschwitz. Some of the people inside Primo’s Ka-Be room were not able to survive and ended their lives in the hospital, but Primo, Charles, and Arthur managed to survive. At the end, Primo said “Arthur has reached his family happily and Charles has take up his teacher’s profession again; we have exchanged long letters and I hope to see him again one day (pg 173).” After writing his book, I was curious about some facts; did Primo meet Arthur and Charles again? How about Alberto, who left several days before him? How did Primo live for the rest of his life? I heard his committed a suicide, is it true?

Overall, this book was truly a masterpiece as the appraisements stated on the cover of the book. It was a written video of Auschwitz, which makes you to visualize the scenes specifically as you read each sentence. Congratulations to Primo Levi, who managed to survive through all the deadly moments, although the memories will still haunt him down.