According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “literature” means “pieces of writing or printed information on a particular subject.” Basically, literature provides information about something. This information can serve two purposes, to reflect or to shape culture. In Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi uses descriptive language to express his viewpoints on cultures he witnessed during Holocaust and to share the culture that he observed.
Depending on one’s perspective and position in culture, one culture may mean two opposite subjects to two different people. “I was twenty-four, with little wisdom, no experience and a decided tendency – encouraged by the life of segregation forced on me for the previous four years by the racial laws – to live in an unrealistic world of my own, a world inhabited by civilized Cartesian phantoms, by sincere male and bloodless female friendship” (Levi 13). In this quote, the reader can clearly see how Levi feels injustice towards “segregation.” To many “Italian Jews,” segregation may seem like a despicable act; however, to Germans, Jews or Jew-looking people belong to concentration camp according to the racial law. Segregation is a righteous, justified action for Germans. Because the readers are oblivious to German’s perspective of concentration camps, they automatically come to a conclusion German culture is full of affliction. Thus, in a way, Levi shapes German culture by limiting a variety of perspective on segregation.
Levi shapes who the prisoners are by telling the prisoner’s status in the civilian’s perspective. “They [civilians] hear us speak in many different languages, which they do not understand and which sound to them as grotesque as animal noises; they see us reduced to ignoble slavery, without hair, without honor and without names, beaten everyday, more abject every day, and they never see in our eyes a light of rebellion, or of peace, or of faith” (Levi 121). By reading this passage, the reader has a picture of prisoners as slaves and animals. The literature or the novel created a new group of people.
Among the violent, tormenting descriptions of tattooing, killing, and experimenting taking place in the concentration camp, Levi’s reflection on cultural issues in the concentration camp is found. “…man is never content. In fact it is not a question of a human incapacity for a state if absolute happiness, but of an ever-insufficient knowledge of the complex nature of the state of unhappiness…” (Levi 73). Levi realizes that one can never be completely unhappy because of the complexity involved in unhappiness. Other people may disagree with Levi and say that one can be completely unhappy but can’t be completely happy. What is brilliant about literature is that the author has the power to set the reader’s mind on one subject on one perspective. Hence, Levi’s literature reflects on culture.
Experiencing such violent and tormenting suffering in the concentration camp, Primo Levi indirectly uses his literature to shape and reflect on the cultures he experienced and observed. In my opinion, I think literature is limitless to its functions. All types of literature have a voice and a unique style that allows the author to share his or her perspective on a particular subject. The author can also use literature to form a particular image of a subject. The subject can be an idea, culture, or simply anything. As long as the author’s purpose of writing is clearly present, literature can do anything to deliver the message to the reader.
Depending on one’s perspective and position in culture, one culture may mean two opposite subjects to two different people. “I was twenty-four, with little wisdom, no experience and a decided tendency – encouraged by the life of segregation forced on me for the previous four years by the racial laws – to live in an unrealistic world of my own, a world inhabited by civilized Cartesian phantoms, by sincere male and bloodless female friendship” (Levi 13). In this quote, the reader can clearly see how Levi feels injustice towards “segregation.” To many “Italian Jews,” segregation may seem like a despicable act; however, to Germans, Jews or Jew-looking people belong to concentration camp according to the racial law. Segregation is a righteous, justified action for Germans. Because the readers are oblivious to German’s perspective of concentration camps, they automatically come to a conclusion German culture is full of affliction. Thus, in a way, Levi shapes German culture by limiting a variety of perspective on segregation.
Levi shapes who the prisoners are by telling the prisoner’s status in the civilian’s perspective. “They [civilians] hear us speak in many different languages, which they do not understand and which sound to them as grotesque as animal noises; they see us reduced to ignoble slavery, without hair, without honor and without names, beaten everyday, more abject every day, and they never see in our eyes a light of rebellion, or of peace, or of faith” (Levi 121). By reading this passage, the reader has a picture of prisoners as slaves and animals. The literature or the novel created a new group of people.
Among the violent, tormenting descriptions of tattooing, killing, and experimenting taking place in the concentration camp, Levi’s reflection on cultural issues in the concentration camp is found. “…man is never content. In fact it is not a question of a human incapacity for a state if absolute happiness, but of an ever-insufficient knowledge of the complex nature of the state of unhappiness…” (Levi 73). Levi realizes that one can never be completely unhappy because of the complexity involved in unhappiness. Other people may disagree with Levi and say that one can be completely unhappy but can’t be completely happy. What is brilliant about literature is that the author has the power to set the reader’s mind on one subject on one perspective. Hence, Levi’s literature reflects on culture.
Experiencing such violent and tormenting suffering in the concentration camp, Primo Levi indirectly uses his literature to shape and reflect on the cultures he experienced and observed. In my opinion, I think literature is limitless to its functions. All types of literature have a voice and a unique style that allows the author to share his or her perspective on a particular subject. The author can also use literature to form a particular image of a subject. The subject can be an idea, culture, or simply anything. As long as the author’s purpose of writing is clearly present, literature can do anything to deliver the message to the reader.
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