Human Dignity In The Drowned And The Saved

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (2006), The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi (1988), and “Out of Despair” by Ellie Wiesel (1990) draw attention to the importance of human dignity during the Holocaust. Human dignity, a basic need that everyone is entitled to, is the sense of self worth and empowerment; the ethical and moral sense humans have. During the Holocaust, many people were stripped of their dignity so they can deteriorate, mediating the actuality of their identity. The he removal of their dignity was used as a trigger to slowly suffocate them into a hollow space. Frankl, Levi, and Wiesel share their perspectives on how one could move forward and face the Holocaust without having to sacrifice their dignity.
Frankl describes
(67) Although he is in confinement, he questions: “Does man have no choice of action in the face of such circumstances” (72)? Through his question, he exposes spiritual freedom: the freedom of consciousness. (72)This spiritual belief makes life meaningful and purposeful, as it helps one perceive freedom internally. (Frankl 67) It proves that even though dignity has been taken away, one can save the remaining pieces of it through spiritual freedom and inner strength. (72)
Levi defines human dignity as an inherited tradition, religion, culture or identity that one prides in; which is necessary to survive. While Frankl concentrates on the inner freedom to choose one’s mindset crucial for human dignity, Levi believes if one’s dignity is lost, one dies spiritually, and without these defences one is exposed to physical death. (128) For instance, Levi’s way of escaping the Holocaust is paradoxical as he accepts his inherited tradition of Judaism; however he rebels against the imposed choice. (129) In doing this he displays a clear identity and a moral sense of oneself. In contrast, he points out: “ Wasn’t it true that we were all capitalists” (133)? By capitalists he means a person with a qualification. That identity one prides in has to be applied, because one’s intellect can be used as a strength to learn how to the work in the Lagers. (134) Levi
Without it, one would either become void of humanity or succumb to the sufferings. To defend oneself from falling as a victim, they must find freedom through spirituality, apply assets one had derived from their experiences, or help others. The testimonies play a significant role towards people who would want to attain knowledge of the Holocaust and the survivors. It gives them an understanding of the victims and the victims themselves a certainty of what they have been through. Frankl and Wiesel see human dignity as internal freedom or obtaining comfort from others , while Levi proposes an alternative. He suggests that human dignity is the knowledge and abilities that one have; it should give meaning and purpose to life. Levi lacks information on human dignity of others and how they correlate to oneself. I believe that Levi could have enhanced his work through adding more details on the victims and of his surroundings that he shared with in the Holocaust. However, both Frankl and Wiesel had a shortfall on viewpoints on one’s dignity and how the lack of human dignity affected one. They could complement their testimonies through further explanation of themselves and their experiences with the Kapos. Through reviewing the testimonies, I believe that the authors neglected a very important question: “How does one tolerate the sufferings of their dignity after the