Literary Representation Vs Visual Testimony Essay

A multitude of books, both nonfiction and fiction, have been published with the main focus of or setting during World War II. But specifically, on members who experienced the Holocaust. In the words of Elie Wiesel, “Novelists made free use of [the Holocaust] in their work…In so doing they cheapened [it], drained it of its substance. The Holocaust continues to be a hot topic, fashionable, and guaranteed to gain attention and to achieve notoriety…” Public fascination with the despicable acts of Nazi Germany promotes novelists to write more stories about it. One such book is Sophie’s Choice by William Styron. Critically acclaimed and deemed a classic, his book has never been viewed as trivializing the Holocaust in the manner that concerned Wiesel.

Running and screaming. Burning and freezing. The survivors of the Holocaust have been through it all. Their stories describe each and every detail of the horrendous events they experienced. Although the book Nightfather is fiction, the stories described depict the actual Holocaust exactly. By dissecting the time period of Carl Friedman’s Nightfather, a reader can understand the elements of fiction and realize the impact of history on fictional literature.

The Holocaust was the mass murder of six million Jew and millions of other people. Those who have tried to write about the experiences of the Holocaust have failed. These survivors have tried to convey their involvement in the Holocaust by using words as symbols, imagery and simply retelling their experiences.

The Holocaust is arguably one of the most horrific events in human history. As the last Jewish survivors are passing away from old age, the importance of Holocaust related documentation is going to be imperative in teaching the next generations about the monstrosities that went on during this time. In the 1960 novel, Night, Elie Wiesel utilizes several literary devices, including the symbology of nighttime, motif of religious practices, and theme of father-son relationships, in order to emphasize the atrocities of the Holocaust specifically for Jews. Wiesel’s first hand experience in concentration camps allows for a vivid retelling of what many people had to endure.

I agree with the author, but since she details many other writer’s criticisms of the use of a graphic novel to portray the Holocaust, there are many points of view mentioned that I have opposing views to. In this essay I will be articulating my thoughts on these claims and criticisms.

What if you were a holocaust survivor and asked to describe your catastrophic experience? What part of the event would you begin with, the struggle, the death of innocent Jews, or the cruel witnessed? When survivors are questioned about their experience they shiver from head to toe, recalling what they have been through. Therefore, they use substitutes such as books and diaries to expose these catastrophic events internationally. Books such as Maus, A survivor’s tale by Art Spiegelman, and Anne Frank by Ann Kramer. Spiegelman presents Maus in a comical format; he integrated the significance of Holocaust while maintaining the comic frame structure format, whereas comic books are theoretically supposed to be entertaining. Also, Maus uses a

An author’s form of word usage and manipulation provides stories their feeling, tone, and pace while simultaneously creating a reader’s suspension of belief. Elie Wiesel in his book Night tells us of the year he spent in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Like many people have said and proven true, a lot of things can happen in a year making it almost impossible to retell every experience down to a tee; with this information in mind Wiesel writes of the moments that stuck with him, and would possibly with readers.

As the famous journalist Iris Chang once said, “As the Nobel Laureate warned years ago, to forget a holocaust is to kill twice.” After experiencing the tragedies that occurred during the Holocaust, Eliezer Wiesel narrated “Night”. Eliezer wrote “Night” in an attempt to prevent something similar to the Holocaust from happening again, by showing the audience what the consequences are that come from becoming a bystander. Elie illustrated numerous themes by narrating the state of turmoil he was in during the Holocaust. In Night, Eliezer provided insight into what he experienced in order to teach the unaware audience about three themes; identity, silence, and faith.

The mass killings of entire races are important events to recognize and understand so that history won't repeat itself. One genocide that was clearly documented was the Holocaust. Ellie Wiesel was a survivor of the Holocaust who wrote a fluent account of his experience in the camps in his memoir Night. In the memoir, Wiesel creates an articulate style with the use of a few style devices which help portray his narrative clearly.

The word Holocaust refers to the mass murder of 6 million European Jews by the German Nazi regime during World War II. It began in 1933 and ended in 1945. The ruler of Germany during this time was Adolf Hitler. He and the Nazis put the Jew in concentration camps, where thousands were killed everyday. This was one of the worst if not the worst genocides in history. Many books have been written to document survivors’ testimony of this horrific event. Elie Wiesel shares his story and Art Spiegelman shares his father’s story in the books Night and Maus. Comparisons can be drawn between Maus and Night through the author's purpose for writing , the survivor’s experiences, and the author's perspective.

In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, shares the tragic occurrences that he has lived through in the various concentration camps during the Holocaust. Judy Cohen, Holocaust survivor, spoke about the horrors of the Holocaust by using rhetoric to persuade her audience. Therefore, these two sources both give accurate descriptions of a historical documentation of the life of a prisoner during the Holocaust and use rhetoric to help visualize the events of the prisoners struggles. In Night, Elie Wiesel uses rhetoric to persuade his audience about the true actions of the German Nazis by using pathos, ethos, and logos.

When read for the first time, “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen” could complicate the true meaning behind the ironic story and the minutiae used by Borowski to portray his experiences at the concentration camp in Auschwitz. The first chapter of this novel displays how survival and death have a close relationship, as well as how the political hierarchy is subdued to the events befalling. With a lack of morality the narrator becomes a key constituent to the facilitator’s efforts, that is the persecution of the Jews and anyone deemed worthy of death. The overturn of values of Tedeusz reflects on how the civilization as a whole is in a sense suffocated by Nazi control. Not only is it essential to endure these issues in order to survive,

A powerful and provocative graphic novel, Maus, generates a Jewish individual’s life of grotesque and horror. With its ability of perception and interpretation, it tackles the main points of the ominous Holocaust and delivers a spooky aura to the absorbed audience. In comparison to Schindler’s List, the graphic novel shines brightly than the pale movie due to its realism and humor that is constantly present throughout the storyline. The novel has the ability to connect to the audience; thus, it gives an in-depth look and overall comprehension of the massacre that Spiegelman is trying to communicate. The graphic novel, Maus by Art Spiegelman, brings an honest account of the Holocaust to a wide audience because of its historical truth and intriguing viewpoints and characters that shows the effect and process of the genocide.

The books Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman over a thirteen-year period from 1978-1991, are books that on the surface are written about the Holocaust. The books specifically relate to the author’s father’s experiences pre and post-war as well as his experiences in Auschwitz. The book also explores the author’s very complex relationship between himself and his father, and how the Holocaust further complicates this relationship. On a deeper level the book also dances around the idea of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. The two books are presented in a very interesting way; they are shown in comic form, which provides the ability for Spiegelman to incorporate numerous ideas and complexities to his work.

When most people refer to literature that concentrates specifically on the Holocaust as the subjects, the first thought usually isn’t in the form of a graphic novel. Most people would believe a graphic novel is something only a child would read or someone to the same educational equivalent. Due to their engaging stories and appealing visuals though, graphic novels are idea for visual learners, inexperienced or unenthused readers, and just about anyone else who may not find traditional print books enticing. Graphic novels tend to show a relationship between the images and the text that makes for an experience in itself (1.). Sometimes even taking on a difficult subject, an example being the Holocaust can make for a different kind of experience. In Maus I & II, the author chose graphic novels as his medium. For that, “Maus shines due to its impressive ability to ‘speak the unspeakable’ by using the popular maxim, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ to perfection” (3).