3,4 & 5 "Initiation", "Ka-Be" & "Our Nights"

• Engels
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

Rate the word 1 to 4

1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 

2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 

3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 

4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Obsequious 

Word of the day

Obsequious (adj)  - trying too hard to please somebody, especially somebody who is important (negative)

Divide these words into antonyms and synonyms: 

brazen, servile, sycophantic, presumptuous, spineless, arrogant

 

At the opening, politicians lined up to flatter the company in the most obsequious terms.

<div><b>synonym &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Antonym</b>&nbsp;</div>servile &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;brazen,&nbsp;<br><div>sycophantic &nbsp; &nbsp; arrogant</div><div>spineless. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;presumptuous,&nbsp;</div>

How does this image relate to the reading you have done so far? 

What is an initiation? 

1. an occasion when something starts (noun).
2. an occasion when someone is first introduced to an activity or skill (noun). 


3. a special ceremony or responsibility that signals the acceptance of someone into a group​ (noun). 
   

How do these definitions relate to Levi’s experiences so far?​ Answer in your exercise book. 

The Tower of Babel - allusion 

Do some reasearch about Babel and The Tower of Babel. What it it? What human sin does it represent?&nbsp;<div><br></div>

Language and communication 

• Babel: comes from the Bible story of the Tower of Babel - Genesis 11: 1-9 Old Testament. 
  
• Humanity was trying to build a tower that would reach the heavens and as they all spoke one language, this was easy. But God punished humanity for its pride/hubris  by creating multiple languages, so nobody could understand each other therefore the tower could not be completed. 
• The behaviour that was punished was human pride, disobedience, and the consequences of challenging divine authority.
  
• How does this refer to the situation Levi is in? 

Language and communication 

In the camps, there is similar confusion. Language in the camp is difficult as there are no words to articulate the horror of what is happening. Even Levi is an outsider from other Jews because he can’t speak Yiddish (the Judaeo-German language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews).

p.41

Steinlauf

• “Ex-sergeant Steinlauf of the Austro-Hungarian Army, Iron Cross of the ‘14-’18 war” – a German who fought in WW1 and was awarded Germany’s highest military honour is now rotting away in a concentration camp. His loyalty was meaningless.
• Levi begins to neglect himself and stop washing because it seems pointless, but his encounter with Steinlauf gives him a little hope.
• This is their only resistance to the dehumanising treatment they receive; to maintain the routines of their old lives and be defiant about their humanity.
  

Steinlauf

1. What is the purpose of this extract?

2. How does Levi achieve this purpose? What techniques does he employ?

p. 44 - 45

Steinlauf

Anaphora/modality

Tricolon 

Metaphor 

Repetition 

Inclusive pronouns 

Verb usage & choice 

Em dash (instead of a colon)

Alliteration 

Structure of content

Find examples and discuss their effects on the content 

Root of the week - Poly 

Poly - is a prefix from Greek that means "many" 

We can remember the meaning with the word 

Polygon = a two- dimensional figure that has many sides and angles 

Rate the word 1 to 4

1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 

2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 

3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 

4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Polysyllabic&nbsp;

Word of the day

Polysyllabic (adj) - a word having more than one syllable 

How many syllables does the most polysyllabic word in English have, do you think? 

The teacher encouraged her student to replace his short words with longer, polysyllabic ones. 

19-syllable word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Null Achtzehn 

" He is Null Achtzehn. He is not called anything except that, Zero Eighteen, the last three figures of his entry number; as if everyone was aware that only a man is worthy of a name, and that Null Achtzehn is no longer a man. I think that even he has forgotten his name, certainly he acts as if this was so. When he speaks, when he looks around, he gives the impression of being empty inside, nothing more than an involucre* like the slough* of certain insects which one finds on the banks of swamps, held by a thread to the stones and shaken by the wind." 

pgs 46 - 47

* one or more whorls of bracts situated below and close to a flower, flower cluster, or fruit

* the exoskeleton left behind when an insect grows 

Null Achtzehn - Zero Eighteen 

1. Explore the description of 'Null-Achtzehn'. What idea does he represent? What techniques are used? 
   
2. In what way can he be considered a foil to Steinlauf? 
   
3. What idea does Levi want to convey to us through these two characters? 
   
4. Write your commentary in your class notebook

Tone 

Pick an adjective that describes the tone of the description of Steinlauf and one that describes the tone of the description of Null-Achtzehn 

Goals for today 

Levi's consideration Ka-Be and the crematoria

Levi's consideration of the term 'Heimweh' 

Homework check 

Rate the word 1 to 4

1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 

2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 

3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 

4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Impudent&nbsp;

Word of the day

Impudent (adj) – rude and not showing respect, especially towards someone who is older or in a more important position

Are there character(s) that we have met in our literary explorations that you could describe as impudent? 

The sad thing was that Lindsey had incurred the internet's wrath because she was impudent and playful and foolhardy and outspoken.

Write a paragraph or two comparing and contrasting  Steinlauf and Null Achtzehn.  Consider the stylistic choices made and the tone. Use the two adjectives  you chose in your response and quotation to support your ideas  

Null Achtzehn is only known by as his number. He is described as being detached and passive, prepared to die. He shows no emotion and does not try to protect himself from danger. This description of Null Achtzehn serves as an example to Levi of what happens when prisoners let themselves become dehumanized.  

 

Steinlauf is a man who fights for his dignity an humanity while Null Achtzehn is a man who gave up and lost his spirit. Levi uses respectful words and shares Steinlaufs advice about keeping your humanity and hope by washing and cleaning yourself like your routine at home. That’s why one of my adjectives is "respectful" as Levi respects Steinlauf beause he refuses to act like a beast under the authoirty of the Germans. 

In If This is a Man, Steinlauf and Null Achtzehn act as foil characters and highlight the varied effects of the dehumanizing efforts of the Lager. When introducing Steinlauf in the memoir, Levi is at a loss, unable to find it within himself the effort to complete the "stupid feat" of washing oneself. Yet Steinlauf's interruption creates a sense of reassurance in Levi from the strange, hopeful message that he is unaccustomed to hearing. This mental shift is evident in the language Levi uses in the extract, that depict the interaction with Steinlauf as creating a sense of hope and communal understanding of their shared suffering within Levi, evident in the inclusive pronouns and modality of "we must," that highlight the fundamental need of not giving in to the Lager. The em-dash used before the statement "the power to refuse our consent" further highlights Steinlauf's optimistic and determined attitude, as despite living in such destitute conditions, he seems to have discovered a sense of purpose that drives him through this terrible experience: the need to maintain one's humanity. On the other hand, Null Achtzehn is introduced as Levi's partner, void of any emotion, and utterly hopeless. This is evident in Levi's refusal to give him a name on the basis that he no longer was "a man." The repetitive motif and comparisons made to work animals such as a "draught-horse" and "sledge dogs," further convince the reader of Null Achtzehn's lack of humanity. Moreover, his indifference to being beat and his hard-working attitude directly contradicts that of Steinlauf, whose hopeful message makes Null Achtzehn's despondency all the more concrete. Despite offering such distinct reactions to the Lager, Levi portrays them both as realistic, evident in the tone that his writing encapsulates. Consequentially, the reader is inclined to recognize the effect of the Lager's dehumanizing efforts and understand the duality of human nature in response to such cruelty, further highlighting the idea that Levi's memoir, though sharing his own experiences, is not the only story of the Lager and that these experiences are not applicable to every individual.  

In If This is a Man, Primo Levi contrasts the characters of Steinlauf and Null-Achtzehn to illuminate differing approaches to survival and human dignity within the dehumanizing context of Auschwitz. Steinlauf, a former soldier, embodies resilience and the insistence on maintaining humanity despite the appalling circumstances. Levi describes him with a tone of admiration, recounting how Steinlauf insisted on actions like washing even in the camp: "Steinlauf [...] asks me severely why I do not wash." Water, in this context, symbolically represents moral superiority and a choice to preserve his dignity and as a form of resistance.  In contrast, Null-Achtzehn represents the antithesis of Steinlauf; he is depicted as entirely dehumanized and passive. Levi describes him with a detached and clinical tone, metaphorically stating that Null-Achtzehn "gives the impression of being empty inside." His name has been lost symbolising the loss of his human identity. While Steinlauf symbolizes the possibility of retaining one's humanity, Null-Achtzehn exemplifies its obliteration. Levi employs tone and figurative language  to emphasise two extremes of responses to horrific adversity and asks the reader to question human resilience and choice. 

Ka-Be - The sick Bay

Levi’s admission to Ka-Be means that he is viewed as “economically useful” (presumably because of his chemistry knowledge) and that the camp has some further purpose in mind for him than just manual work.

 This purpose will be one of several factors that leads to his ultimate survival

Yet the cruelty continues – sick prisoners are forced to stand naked in the cold for hours.

The crematoria 

• The first hints of the crematoria are mentioned – those prisoners whose conditions are serious are not considered worthy of treatment and are gassed then cremated.
  
• By 1943, four crematoria were operational in Auschwitz, and were capable of burning around 8000 bodies a day.
  
• For those selected from Ka-Be, their journey is silent, without any grief, anger, or even comfort from their comrades – yet another form of dehumanisation.
  
• They cannot even react to death appropriately anymore.
  
• “Without display or anger, massacre moves through the huts of Ka-Be every day, touching here or there.” p.59
  

"Heimweh" 

Homesickness 

"Longing for ones home" 

"A strong desire to return to some past period or situation we can never revist or recover"

1. What elements might Levi be yearning for? 

2. Apply these definitions to Levi's experiences so far. Discuss

What is the purpose of this extract?&nbsp;<br>

What stylistic authorial choices are made in this extract?&nbsp;

Imagery: 

Visual 

Auditory 

Tactile 

Kinaesthetic 

Contrast 

dark & light

Rhythmic 

sentence 

structure

First person 

Anaphora - repetition 

Modality 

Symbolism 

Food & shelter

Direct speech 

Language connection

Close detail 

number belief

Tone

Dream-like