Lack Of Humanity In 'Initiation' By Levi

At the time of World War 2, individuals of Jewish religion were no longer viewed as people. The Nazi Party stripped these people of various aspects of humanity, such as their name, identity, homes, pets, and even separated them from their families, leaving them with nothing. One of the most important aspects of a dignified life that was both challenged and reborn in these camps was kindness. Prisoners in the camps were met with varying levels of unkindness, from beatings to verbal threats. Even in such dark times, kindness was found in the camps through small acts that made a large impact on many lives. Upon being deported to concentration camps created by the Nazis to erase the Jewish race by working themselves to death, some individuals took

This first-person memoir gives readers a glimpse into what life in the camp was like for someone who lived through it and survived. In the chapter “Initiation”, Levi writes, “No one has time here, no one has patience, no one listens to you; we latest arrivals instinctively collect in corners, against the walls, afraid of being beaten.” (Levi 28). This quote spoke volumes to me in the fact that the prisoners, even in fear, managed to find comfort and comradery in one another when faced with unkindness, and it shows just how powerful kindness can be in one’s life. Also, the second to first person shift here provides some perspective and puts the reader in the shoes of a

Part of this short film that really stuck out to me was when the narrator spoke about how the prisoners, after being selfish and turning to lives of thievery, changed their ways to instead help one another get more food, etc. At timestamp 15:49 in the film, the narrator says, “They look after friends who are worse off. They share their food with each other. As a last resort, and with anguished hearts, they take the dying to the camp hospital.” This passage is important to me because it is one of the only instances in the film where camp life is talked about in an optimistic or uplifting manner, as the prisoners find comfort and comradery in one another, therefore, retaining some shred of their humanity that was taken from them. The images presented behind the narration are all black and white, and from the archives. This in turn makes viewers feel sympathy towards the sick, struggling prisoners they see in these images. I feel the most powerful one is of the inmates in their striped uniforms, holding another inmate up as they walk him to a camp hospital. This image really shows the kindness and comradery that was built in the camps, and how it takes effect in such somber moments. The music accompanying this section is slower and eerie, as a piccolo plays high, shrill notes that one would associate with horror or