Character Analysis
Charles and Arthur
These two are French political prisoners who share a hut with Primo in Ka-Be toward the end of the book. The pair also have scarlet fever (like Primo), and they join him after the Nazis abandon the camp, helping to keep each other fed, warm, and clean. They also expand their efforts beyond their own hut to share the meager food they find with the others.
Charles, in particular, is shown to be a caring and selfless individual. When one of their bunkmates is dying, he ignores the danger of disease to himself and cleans up the sick prisoner, and his bed, and tucks him back in "with the tenderness of a mother" (17.103).
These two help Primo retain his humanity while the rest of the camp is devolving into chaos, filth, and despair.
Lorenzo
Primo credits Lorenzo with being the reason he survives his time in Auschwitz. Lorenzo is a civilian Italian worker who takes extreme risks to smuggle Primo some extra soup. He also delivers a post-card to Primo's family for him. Lorenzo does these things out of the kindness of his heart, "and did not think that one did good for a reward" (12.16). He expects nothing in return. He's one of the characters who shows high levels of compassion; Primo tells us that "his humanity was pure and uncontaminated" (12.24).
The Saved (Chapter 9)
The "saved" prisoners that Primo describes in "The Drowned and the Saved" provide us with some of the most detailed portraits of characters in the entire book. It would make sense that he would focus more attention here, since these prisoners show us some of the more successful survival strategies that people used in Auschwitz.