Survival in Auschwitz

by

Primo Levi

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Alberto Character Analysis

Alberto is an Italian Jewish man and Levi’s best friend. Alberto arrives at Auschwitz in the same convoy as Levi and the pair spend as much time as they can together, working in the same Kommando, living in the same hut, and sharing all of the additional resources they are able to acquire equally between themselves. Alberto is cunning and knows which camp supervisors to befriend and which to avoid, making him well-suited to surviving in the camp. Although he does not play a particularly large role in the story, Alberto is often present and clearly provides a critical support to Levi throughout their shared year in Auschwitz. Alberto survives until the Germans evacuate Auschwitz, fleeing the Russian military’s approach. Since Levi is sick with scarlet fever, Alberto is forced to march without him, leaving him to fend for himself in the camp. This turns out to be fortuitous for Levi, however, since everyone, including Alberto, who marches out of the camp with the German guards “vanishes,” implying that they died on the journey.

Alberto Quotes in Survival in Auschwitz

The Survival in Auschwitz quotes below are all either spoken by Alberto or refer to Alberto. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dehumanization and Resistance Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2. On the Bottom Quotes

And do not think that shoes form a factor of secondary importance in the life of the Lager. Death begins with the shoes; for most of us, they show themselves to be instruments of torture, which after a few hours of marching cause painful sores which become fatally infected.

Related Characters: Primo Levi (speaker), Alberto
Related Symbols: Shoes
Page Number: 34
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16. The Last One Quotes

At the foot of the gallows, the SS watch us pass with indifferent eyes: their work is finished, and well-finished. The Russians can come now: there are no longer any strong men among us, the last one is now hanging above our heads.

Related Characters: Primo Levi (speaker), Alberto
Page Number: 150
Explanation and Analysis:
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Alberto Quotes in Survival in Auschwitz

The Survival in Auschwitz quotes below are all either spoken by Alberto or refer to Alberto. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dehumanization and Resistance Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2. On the Bottom Quotes

And do not think that shoes form a factor of secondary importance in the life of the Lager. Death begins with the shoes; for most of us, they show themselves to be instruments of torture, which after a few hours of marching cause painful sores which become fatally infected.

Related Characters: Primo Levi (speaker), Alberto
Related Symbols: Shoes
Page Number: 34
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16. The Last One Quotes

At the foot of the gallows, the SS watch us pass with indifferent eyes: their work is finished, and well-finished. The Russians can come now: there are no longer any strong men among us, the last one is now hanging above our heads.

Related Characters: Primo Levi (speaker), Alberto
Page Number: 150
Explanation and Analysis: