PRIMO LEVI
Primo Levi’s life
1919
He was born
In Turin, on 31th July
He graduated
At the University of Turin, In chemistry
1941
He was deported
Firstly in Fossoli (Italy), then he was moved to Auschwitz
1943
Primo Levi’s life
He published “IF THIS IS A MAN”
His most famous book, in which he tells the story of his imprisonment
1947
He died
He committed suicide
1984
1945
From Auschwitz, 27th January
He was freed
THE PERIODIC TABLE
(1975)
03
This is the work we are going to present, it’s the least famous of the three, and it focuses on the cultural heritage of Primo Levi.
THE TRUCE
(1963)
02
This work is the continuation of the events narrated in “If this is a man” and describes the author’s way back home after the liberation of Auschwitz, from Poland to Turin.
IF THIS IS A MAN
(1947)
01
This book is an autobiographical work and is one of the most important testimonies on the Jewish extermination by the Nazis system. It covers the years from December 1943 to January 1945, which the author spent in the concentration camp until the liberation by the Soviets.
The most famous books:
The periodic table is a collection of twenty-one stories by Primo Levi published in 1975. The main topic is not only the tragic confinement in Auschwitz and the experience of war - as in his previous works - but it also includes autobiographical pages on his life and profession as a chemist.
The title of each story corresponds to an element of Mendeleev's periodic table, which serves as a key to understand the events narrated.
Argon
“Argon” is the first story, it tells the author’s
childhood spent in Turin.
Levi compares his ancestors to Argon, a noble gas.
He defines them as noble and elusive as
the chemical element. He skillfully uses this element
to introduce some Jewish customs and their fusion
with the Italian culture, in particular
the Piedmontese one.
Levi brings to light the paternal dialect as an original mix between Yiddish and Piedmontese which represents his very first experience with the familiar language. In this work each character is called by a nickname, and now we are going to show you a video about one character of “Argon”.
He’s called Barbabramìn from Chieri.