Linguistic and Stylistic Aspects in Primo Levi's The Giraffe in the Zoo

Abstract

The paper examines the linguistic and stylistic features of Primo Levi’s short story La giraffa dello zoo, focusing on the relationship between scientific language and narrative register. By applying Tullio De Mauro’s marche d’uso and the readability metrics provided by the READ-IT software, the study highlights how Levi achieves a dynamic balance between terminological precision and expressive irony. Although devoid of plurilingual elements, the story reveals a complexity comparable to Levi’s most studied works, turning language itself into a laboratory of knowledge where the codes of science and narration reach a state of “linguistic homeostasis”.