Personal, Philosophical, Engaging
It makes sense that we can describe Levi's style in the book as being personal. After all, he's discussing events that happened to him, or things that he witnessed first-hand. Because of this, some of the writing is very straightforward, as when he's recounting the various routines the prisoners had daily: "One Sunday in every two is a regular working day; on the so-called holiday Sundays, instead of working at Buna, one works normally on the upkeep of the Lager, so that days of real rest are extremely rare" (2.63). No problem, right? This sentence, telling us "Just the Facts" about the routine of the camp, flows right along—one fact after another.
At the same time, though, Primo is constantly deeply considering the connections between the personal and the larger realm of humanity. The long, compound-complex sentences that are heavy on philosophical speculation reinforce this. Just take a look here:
The two classes of pessimists and optimists are not so clearly defined, however, not because there are many agnostics, but because the majority, without memory or coherence, drift between the two extremes, according to the moment and the mood of the person they happen to meet. (2.66)
That one's a bit tougher on the old noggin than the sentence above, right? That's because its structure parallels the exercise in philosophy that Primo is engaging in. He's thinking some pretty deep thoughts about whether prisoners can be pessimists or optimists. With this more complex thought process come more complex sentences, with some ideas subordinated to others.
Levi's book is also engaging. He builds connections between himself and his readers by addressing them as "you" or sometimes speaking in terms of "we," which brings the reader into his world. Another technique he uses to engage the audience is to use the present tense and lots of present participles (those " –ing" verbs), which capture action and immediacy.
We promised you a glossary, and we keep our promises. Here it is:
AN AUSCHWITZ LEXICON:
[Unless otherwise noted, all terms are either English or German]
Arbeitsdienst—Nazi labor service that all German men had to enter at age 18.
Arbeitslager—Labor camp.
Arztvormelder—Prisoner having a medical condition that requires treatment, but who has a good chance for recovery.
Aufstehen—Get up!
Bademeister—Overseer of the baths.
Block—Barracks-style housing where the prisoners lived in extremely overcrowded conditions.
Blockältester
Buna—Type of synthetic (man-made) rubber.
Franzosen—Person of French background.
häftling—Prisoner. The plural is häftlinge.
Jawohl—Very emphatic "yes," implying a submissive stance on the part of the speaker.
Ka-Be—Medical infirmary (short for Krankenbau).
Kommando—Work detail.
Lager—Prison camp.
Lorry—Truck (British).
Meister—Master.
Muselmänner, musulman—German word meaning "Muslim," but used in the concentration camp to mean men who are too exhausted, weak, and hungry to care about what happens to them.
Pikolo—Position responsible for being a Kommando's messenger. Is usually responsible for other odd jobs like cleaning huts, giving out tools, washing dishes, and keeping records of hours worked.
Prominenz—Prominents, or high-profile prisoners who receive various benefits.
Reich—Realm or state. Used to refer to the Nazi government structure.
Ruhe—Be quiet!
Scheisshaus—Toilet. Literally, "s*** house."
Scheissminister—Overseer of the toilets. Literally, "s*** minister."
Sonderkommando—Special Kommando. These Jewish prisoners were kept separate from the others, and worked in the Birkenau death camp. They were periodically purged.
SS—Schutz-Staffel, the powerful quasi-military organization in Nazi Germany.
Tagesraum—Day room, living room.
Vorarbeiter—Foreman.
Wstavac—Get up! (Polish).