The Cycle Of Power And Oppression In The Holocaust By Levi

The human race is considered by many to be the most advanced and intellectual species to inhabit the earth. Over the course of time, we have sailed the oceans, domesticated wild animals, harnessed the power of electricity, and even put a man on the moon. These remarkable feats are evidence that as humans, we have unique cognitive abilities that differentiate us from other animals. These abilities give us the power to determine right from wrong, create abstract thoughts, and truly empathize with others. However, oftentimes humans use these inherent gifts to inflict pain and commit unspeakable acts. One example of a heinous crime committed by mankind is the Holocaust. The Holocaust was an attempt of the Nazi Regime to systematically destroy what …show more content…
One theme throughout the book is power and the affect it has on people. There is one section in the book where Levi analyzes the cycle of power and oppression in the camp with the Jewish prominent and the regular prisoners. A Jewish prominent, also known as a Kapo, is a prisoner out in a position of authority over his fellow comrades. He describes how the power leads the once oppressed turn into the oppressors “Moreover, his capacity for hatred, unfulfilled in the direction of the oppressors, will double back, beyond all reason, on the oppressed; and he will only be satisfied when he has unloaded onto his underlings the injury received from above. He will only be satisfied when he has unloaded on his underlings the injury received from above” (Levi, p. 91). A specific example of this seen is in Alex, the Kapo of chemical Kommando treated Jews with more brutality than the German soldiers, one time even wiping grease on Levi. This shows how easily people can get sucked into the power structure of a long chain of oppressive