Ideas from class
Levi tries to find philosophical ideas from his experiences, Kundera does the reverse, showing philosophical ideas through the use of his characters.
Levi also describes the behaviour of other people in the concentration camp, this adds validity to show how others behaved and common themes. The characters in If this is a man, are all real people who once lived, are given names, given life and a soul. In the other texts, the characters are fictional, so they do the author’s bidding, not what they can due to their free choice in the situation they are in. In Auschwitz, the men lost their souls and individuality, in the text, Levi gives their individuality back by recounting an aspect of their life and their names.
Basic ideas from class taken further
Levi suggests that ‘every stranger is an enemy.’ This is said to be an infection, that it is inherent that a stranger is an enemy, and that it is random and illogical. In We, having a Soul is said to be a type of disease. Theses inherent haspects of human nature, having a soul and regarding strangers as enemys, do not appear logical, nor can they be controlled or in the case of We, removed completely.
Order of events in the text: In If This Is a Man, events are described in order of importance and it it is a memoir. Levi is selecting the events that he recollects to us. He is showing what he wants the reader to see, this emphasizes certain aspects allowing the author to choose the focus. In The Unbearable Lightness of Being, events appear less orderly, fitting under the titles of the 6 parts. Events seen earlier in the text are returned to later to emphasize them.
He had a strong need to tell the story, create understanding for ‘the rest’ and satisfy Levi. He wrote the story within a few months. This is his way of getting over the event. ‘My need to tell the story was so strong in the Camp that I had begun describing my experiences there, on the spot, in that German laboratory... I knew that I would not be able under any circumstances to hold onto those haphazardly scribbled notes because if they were found they... would cost me my life.' A similar even is seen in We, D-503 has a desire to put his feelings into writing. He is also forced to keep his writing hidden as it his feelings go against what is censored by the ruling body. Primo Levi's writing, although not blaming the Germans, shows the negitive form of life in the Monowitz Buna. Zamyatin's character, D-503 becomes different by developing a soul, so he experiences life differently, therefore his writings are 'illegal' due to a fear of other ciphers following his thoughts.
Comparison: If This is a Man is purely non-fiction (a memoir) and phylosophical ideas are drawn from it, The Unbearable Lightness of being explores philosophical ideas through real events, and We explores philosophical events in a fictictious, futuristic, mathematical environment (the abstract mind os looked at mathematically).
