preview

The Impact Of The Holocaust On Literature

Decent Essays

The outcome of the Holocaust impacted literature in such a powerful way that it resonates through history and reminds us of the wrong that has happened in the past. Literature of the Holocaust consists of diaries or letters that were written in the concentration camps and were kept safe and were ultimately made into books. Myriad of authors since the Holocaust have realized their stories could make an impact for future generations to come and have released their personal stories to educate and promote awareness. Authors such as Anne Frank a 14-year-old teenage girl, Elie Wiesel a survivor of the Holocaust, and Art Spiegelman child of survivors of the Holocaust have all released meaningful literature that has embodied the way we view what happened …show more content…

Night is a dark and twisted story that really takes the reader to the depths of the horrible things that went down at the camps. Wiesel and his father started in Auschwitz, but later got transferred to another camp known as Buna, where they faced and witnessed many horrific things. Having to see murder, death, and torture almost every day for an extended amount time would scare anyone and furthermore Wiesel and his father were victims of starvation and abuse. There came a time when in Wiesel's life where he just stopped believing in God and he felt that taking care his dad was annoying due to fact that he had to survive himself. However, Wiesel faced the adversity with the hope that he could make out alive, he recalls “My hands tightened its grip on my father. All I could think of was not to lose him. Not to remain alone. It was imperative to stay together.” (3.4-10). Sadly, two months before they get freed his father passes and not only did Wiesel have to witness it he was now alone. After being freed Wiesel knew that his story would be good to publish, but he waited ten years to realize the book. The holocaust empowered Wiesel to write his story so people would understand the terrible things that he had to face. If it wasn’t for the hope that he had in the darkest times of his life he might not …show more content…

The Jews are represented as mice, and the Germans are cats, and Americans are dogs kind of a hierarchy. The author himself was not a victim of the holocaust but his parents were and for this story, he interviews his father for the comic. The comic is important because it shows us the importance of passing down the experience that the survivors endured in order to further educate the future generations to come. The hardships that Spiegelman’s parents faced were gruesome and they barely survived, Spiegelman’s father is quoted as “At that time it wasn’t any more families. It was everybody to take care for himself!” which is what it took for Art’s father to survive(I.5.116). However, Spiegelman's father and mother never lost hope even though their family and friends were dead they strived to survive and start a family. Maus takes a serious subject and gives a different twist to it which gives readers a different perspective. The story reminds us to look at the difficulty and adversities in our life in the eyes and face them head on, just like Spiegelman’s father

Get Access