Comparing Survival In Auschwitz By Levi And Ordinary Men

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The composers of, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi and Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning, both document the transition from men; to valueless and undeserving victims of the Holocaust. Browning tries to analyze how “ordinary men” can create immoral acts of violence, turning them into the most efficient senseless killers. Levi survives his duration at Auschwitz by reminding himself that just a world outside our own, something and someone is pure and whole, not corrupt, not savage, extraneous to hatred and terror; something difficult to define but for which it was worth surviving (Levi 1996, 121). While both books show dehumanization, the personages in the pages are not men; …show more content…

Levi writes about memoirs of the people and the incidents that happened in the Lager. Thousands of individuals were known as the “muselmann” which meant those who were old and doomed to selection, despite the fact that there were those who influenced Levi to reach salvation. In Auschwitz, if you were old, sick or could not work, you were sent to the crematory. If you were lucky, you were sent to the Ka-Be for a doctor to examine you improperly to say the least. Levi spoke about a man named Elias Lindzin, who he described as the Hercules in the Chemical Kommando. Levi was fascinated that Elias, a 5-foot tall dwarf was able to escape death and survive like him momentarily. Elias, a tailor and carpenter was strong and was able to carry more sacks of cement than anyone in his group. Levi never saw him rest, quiet or ill, he imagined Elias a free man, but despite his fame as being exceptional in the Lager, no one could comprehend why this man’s life was ended by …show more content…

While, the commands given to them seemed atrocious, they had to be reminded that they were onset of war. Browning details the shootings of the Jozefow villagers, and while only thirteen took the opportunity to participate in the firing squad, there were those who sought to avoid the killings by taking extra time in the roundup hiding from their officers, and intentionally missing their victims (Browning 1998, 62-65). After the massacre was over, the men returned back to their barracks where they drank the memories away of the killing that was

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