Nancy Harrowitz, Boston University

“Primo Levi and the Legacy of Identity”

From the 1799 pogrom in Siena to Momigliano’s 1933 declaration of parallel nationalization, and finally to the Shoah, the pre- and post-unification experience of the Jews in Italy is a twisted terrain of obstacles and diverse paths. Often that history presents conflicting stories and messages:  a desire to assimilate and leave behind a difficult and problematic identity, splendid successes after the unification, difficulties resolving conflicts between religious and secular identities, and finally utter betrayal by Fascist Italy.

Considering Primo Levi’s cultural identities and the diverse ways they affected his opus can help clarify our understanding of the development of Italian Jewish identity and how these constructs reflect a broader view of the relationship between trauma and identity.