Journal 14: Kraus

Memory is a curious instrument: ever since I have been in the camp, two lines written by a friend of mine a long time agio have been running through my mind: '...Until one day there will be no more sense in saying tomorrow.'
Personally, I would not agree with this statement. In my opinion, optimism is something vital to one's existence. Optimism helps you sustain yourself when circumstances are against you, and everything seems like a whirlwind with you at the centre. However, in retrospect, I do not think Levi was wrong in his judgement, after taking into account the prevalent circumstances and the conditions they dwelt in. After having lost everything one valued including one's individuality, it is but obvious that a sense of pessimism would creep in. Yet, had Levi tried to realize that God was with him even in the most dire occassions, and that he was not alone in his struggle, probably his stay at Auschwitz could have been made simpler.
In this chapter, a new character is introduced: Kraus. Kraus is an innocent and gullible person, who labours and toils, with the belief that it was "honest and logical to work." Levi introduces various characters in his book, and though they may be present for a short period of time, they have a definite impact on the reader's mind. After Kuhn's disgusting outlook in the previous chapter, and other characters including Alberto and Lorenzo, Kraus adds another dimension to this melange of various human attributes. His innocence sustained itself even through this tribulation, and this is what made him significantly different from the rest of the detainees at Auschwitz.