The Holocaust in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a brief glimpse of Holocaust literature by reviewing a few selected examples of diaries, memoirs, fiction, and poetry, besides taking a look at the "Holocaust denial" literature. The author describes how these works express the spectrum of emotions experienced by victims and survivors because they are personal accounts. Each genre that the author includes is described with specific examples. Special attention is given to Holocaust denial as well.

Outline:
Diaries and Memoirs
Fiction
Poetry
Holocaust Denial

From the Paper:

"Apart from the numerous history books on the Holocaust, an enormous amount of literature on the most horrific event of the 20th century exists in the form of memoirs, diaries, letters, works of fiction including novels and short stories, as well as poetry, plays and paintings. Most of them have been written (or sketched/ painted) by Holocaust survivors, providing us with a first hand perspective of the horrors of the Holocaust. Being personal accounts or loosely autobiographical stories, they provide us with something the history books cannot--the survivors' emotions, thoughts, hopes and dreams, and their reactions to the terror of the Holocaust. The literature is a testimony to the resilience of human spirit and the will to survive in the most terrible circumstances imaginable; it also reflects the goodness and compassion of the human spirit as well as its unadulterated evilness. At times the literature even depicts the peculiar emotion of the "survivor's guilt"--the sense of remorse at having survived the terrible ordeal when many of their near and dear ones perished. This paper provides a brief glimpse of the Holocaust literature by reviewing a few selected examples of diaries, memoirs, fiction, and poetry besides taking a look at the "Holocaust denial" literature."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Austin, Ben S. "A Brief History of Holocaust Denial." Jewish Virtual Library. 2006. April 10, 2006. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/denialbrief.html>
• Bernstein, Mordecai, et al., eds. Anthology of Holocaust Literature. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1969.
• Rosen, Philip, and Nina Apfelbaum. Bearing Witness : A Resource Guide to Literature, Poetry, Art, Music, and Videos by Holocaust Victims and Survivors . Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
• "The Voices of Victims." A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust: College of Education, University of South Florida. 2005. April 10, 2006 <http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/arts/litVicti.htm>

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