This is nuts, the solemn retelling of the horrors of Auschwitz and the extermination camps. What's even more nuts, though, is the descriptions provided by Levi. I have always been under the impression that all of the Holocaust related books would be about the pain and fear of the times. It would be about the journey there, not the time spent. However, I was poorly mistaken with this book.
This glimpse into everyday life lets the outside world see just what kinds of acute torture happened every day, not just the overall picture. For instance, one of the first things Levi points out as the main torture instrument were the shoes. The blocks of wood made to look like shoes that the men of this camp had to wear would literally slice their feet like a cheese grater. What is worse is the fact that all of the walking that they had to do eventually led to severe and eternal foot problems.
I never realized until reading this book why the piles of shoes in Holocaust museums were so important until now; I just thought they were there to represent the people lost. However, I know now that they represent the lives that walked through those hardships and survived.
I commented on Leanne's and Osten's posts.
This glimpse into everyday life lets the outside world see just what kinds of acute torture happened every day, not just the overall picture. For instance, one of the first things Levi points out as the main torture instrument were the shoes. The blocks of wood made to look like shoes that the men of this camp had to wear would literally slice their feet like a cheese grater. What is worse is the fact that all of the walking that they had to do eventually led to severe and eternal foot problems.
I never realized until reading this book why the piles of shoes in Holocaust museums were so important until now; I just thought they were there to represent the people lost. However, I know now that they represent the lives that walked through those hardships and survived.
I commented on Leanne's and Osten's posts.
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