Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Lorenzo and Steinlauf

From these two, Primo receives his most valuable lessons in survival. Lorenzo, who risks his own life to provide Primo with extra soup, teaches him about compassion and kindness. Steinlauf gives him a valuable lesson in cleanliness, which is a metaphor for the larger issue of retaining one's standards of civilization and not buying into the efforts at dehumanization that the Nazis use to rob the prisoners of their self-worth and dignity.