Final answer:
Steinlauf's statement to Levi about possessing the power to refuse consent underlines a deep existential principle - the ability to maintain one's dignity and identity in the face of dehumanization.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Steinlauf tells Levi, "We still possess one power to refuse our consent," he is speaking to the fundamental human ability to resist the reduction of one's identity and humanity, even under the most oppressive conditions. The phrase suggests a refusal to be diminished to less than what one inherently is as a human being. This notion ties closely with themes explored by existential philosophers and writers who emphasized the enduring power of the human spirit and the primacy of personal choice and responsibility under duress.
The line highlights an inner strength and agency, which allows individuals to maintain their dignity and humanity, even when virtually all other freedoms have been stripped away. It is a call to the indomitable will to assert one's humanity by not consenting to be reduced to mere objects or beasts. This internal power can manifest in many forms, from physical resistance to the more subtle, yet equally potent, acts of mental and emotional defiance.