Journal 6: The Work

This particular section of the novel, though short, was rather significant to me since it conveyed the author’s intention in writing this novel. Referring to the story of Resnyk, a Pole, Levi says, “He told me his story, and today I have forgotten it, but it was certainly a sorrowful, cruel and moving story; because so are all our stories, hundreds of thousands of stories, all different and full of tragic, disturbing necessity.” Primo Levi, though this work wants to ensure that the story of the struggles at Auschwitz should transcend any parameter of time, and should be reckoned with by generations to come. Levi intends to show the brutality of life at Auschwitz and how it was a poignant struggle for dignity and humanity, an unimaginable nightmare and above all, a story of human survival in conditions impossible to sustain one self in. The name of the chapter, “The Work” was not only labour of the body, but labour of the soul as well. While they had to struggle physically to cope with life at the Lager, their mind and soul had to toil to provide determination and resilience in dark hours of struggle, when all hope seemed to have faded out. Retaining the personal touch in his story, Levi describes his feeling of nostalgia, and his yearning to go back home. He also talks about how he wished he could cry and confront the wind with equal fortitude as before, unlike present times, where he had been reduced to the level of a servile dog. These expressions in the language further intensify the depths of the trauma in the author’s mind, and thus, help the reader connect with the author.
This particular song by Josh Groban from the movie, Troy, in my opinion carries a very strong message, similar to Levi's book with the essence of remembrance and memories of undying struggles, whether it be the Trojan War or Survival in Auschwitz.