Survival in Auschwitz

by

Primo Levi

Henri Character Analysis

Henri is a young, frighteningly astute Jewish man who survives Auschwitz by learning how to manipulate various people, eliciting their compassion and making them believe he is their most genuine friend. Levi describes Henri to demonstrate how one may survive the horrors of the camp through cunning and manipulation, though Henri is so skilled at this that Levi finds it deeply unnerving. Although Levi knows that Henri survived the Holocaust, he remarks that he never wants to see him again.
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Henri Character Timeline in Survival in Auschwitz

The timeline below shows where the character Henri appears in Survival in Auschwitz. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9. The Drowned and the Saved
Dehumanization and Resistance Theme Icon
Adaptability, Chance, and Survival Theme Icon
Henri is a young, astute man, well-educated and well-read, with an almost frightening ability to understand... (full context)
Chapter 16. The Last One
Adaptability, Chance, and Survival Theme Icon
...their social standing amongst the Häftlinge as keen organizers, and Elias, Alfred L., and even Henri constantly interact with them. On top of the soup, Alberto and Levi have both undertaken... (full context)