THREE : Initiation

Through an abundant lifestyle that people today are accustomed to, we are always concerned about the ‘huge’ matters of the world and our surroundings. By living so in such an environment, it is easy to say that we are not habituated with certain types of elements that support our life. In the third chapter, Primo Levi mainly debates on whether how washing his body is significant, given the fact that the camp itself is already unsanitary. During this chapter, Primo Levi mainly states that even if he concentrates on personal hygiene, it is a pointless act because his environment is already filthy.

But how can such a small matter such as washing hands be a topic upon debate? It is said that in a state of hopelessness, a human being will begin to concentrate and realize small matters, anything they can grasp on to in order for their own survival. For example, a child punished and locked into his room might contemplate on the mechanism of the lock on his door or sense methods to escape from his situation. Although the door was probably there forever, the child would have never thought about its locks and mechanisms.

The same was with Primo Levi and his fellow inmates. Because they were in a state of hopelessness, they began to focus on small matters such as washing hands.

As a personal experience, recently, during my lunar break, I had the chance to experience physical labor through the mission trips. By supporting Habitat for Humanity, I had the chance to build houses, and perform manual labor. Similarly, as I felt physical pain and environments surrounding me changed, I began to notice matters taken for granted at home. With the change of my surroundings, I too concentrated on matters I would have never thought of at home. As similar to Primo Levi, even the smallest matters had a sense of significance to it. Different functions worked to thrive inside my body compared to those used inside the environment of civilization.

Through physical labor, even the most rudimentary thoughts in my mind began to change. I believed it wouldn’t be that hard to show significance and to make a difference through helping, but this was not true. I noticed how studying was the easiest job ever, and how making a difference in the world is difficult. I found myself a mere grain of sand on an endless beach. And through the mission trip, I began to think of thoughts I would have never arrived to when I could sleep in a bed.