scholarly journals History with Heart: Canadian Holocaust Literature for Young People

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 128-142
Author(s):  
Joanna Krongold
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Historical Fiction ◽  
Holocaust Literature ◽  
Narrative Strategy ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
The Holocaust

This article addresses the emergence of the Canadian Holocaust literature canon for young readers, closely examining the work of Carol Matas and Kathy Kacer to explore how the Holocaust can be narrated for children. Largely understudied despite their productivity and popularity, Matas and Kacer rely on the narrative strategy of blending invented or imagined characters with factually accurate situations and experiences. By using the tools that historical fiction offers, these two prolific Canadian authors demonstrate the possibilities of multifaceted, educational, and engaging texts about the Holocaust for young people while preserving the “open hearts” of the characters at the centre of their stories.Cet article traite de l’émergence de la littérature canadienne sur l’Holocauste pour les jeunes lecteurs, en examinant de près le travail de Carol Matas et de Kathy Kacer pour explorer comment l’Holocauste peut être raconté aux enfants. En dépit de leur productivité et de leur popularité, Matas et Kacer n’ont pas fait l’objet d’études approfondies. Elles s’appuient sur une stratégie narrative qui consiste à mêler des personnages inventés ou imaginés à des situations et des expériences factuelles exactes. En utilisant les outils qu’offre la fiction historique, ces deux auteures canadiennes prolifiques démontrent les possibilités de textes à facettes multiples, éducatifs et engageants sur l’Holocauste pour les jeunes,

Out of the Whirlwind Reconsidered

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Michael Berkowitz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personal History ◽  
Historical Writing ◽  
Holocaust Literature ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mutual Accountability ◽  
Union College

This article argues that Albert Friedlander’s edited book, Out of the Whirlwind (1968), should be recognised as pathbreaking. Among the first to articulate the idea of ‘Holocaust literature’, it established a body of texts and contextualised these as a way to integrate literature – as well as historical writing, music, art and poetry – as critical to an understanding of the Holocaust. This article also situates Out of the Whirlwind through the personal history of Friedlander and his wife Evelyn, who was a co-creator of the book, his colleagues from Hebrew Union College, and the illustrator, Jacob Landau. It explores the work’s connection to the expansive, humanistic development of progressive Judaism in the United States, Britain and continental Europe. It also underscores Friedlander’s study of Leo Baeck as a means to understand the importance of mutual accountability, not only between Jews, but in Jews’ engagement with the wider world.

scholarly journals Wojciech Żukrowski (who We do not Remember) – for the Young Reader

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (31) ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Anna Wzorek
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Young Reader ◽  
Historical Novels ◽  
Educational Values ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Cognitive Values ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The One

The main objective of the article is to discuss the forgotten works of Wojciech Żukrowski written for young people. The author is remembered by young readers as the one who created the fairy places of Tiutiurlistan and Blabancja (from the novels of Porwanie w Tiutiurlistanie [Kidnapping in Tiutiurlistan] and Na tronie w Blabonie [On the Throne in Blabon] and collected Vietnamese legends (Ognisko w dżungli [Fire in the Jungle]). However, Żukrowski wrote numerous texts addressed to children and young people which did not gain so much popularity, such as two modern novels of Słoneczne lato [Sunny Summer] (1952) and Poszukiwacze skarbów [Treasure Hunters] (1954), a “Vientamese” short story Mój przyjaciel słoń [My Friend the Elephant] (1957) as well as historical novels Szabla Gabrysia [Sabre Gabriela] (1952) and a short poem Bal w agreście [The Ball in a Goosberry Field] (1943). The article analyses the present titles and poses a very important question concerning the causes of the works being so unsuccessful. It is stated in the summary of the article that the forgotten works by Żukrowski written for young people are not devoid of values and comprise numerous aesthetic qualities (Bal w agreście), cognitive values (Poszukiwacze skarbów, Mój przyjaciel słoń) or educational values (Słoneczne lato or Mój przyjaciel słoń). The works by Wojciech Żukrowski analysed in the article are, however, anachronistic for a modern reader and outdated mainly due to the subject matter they tackle as well as included socrealistic elements.

‘Anti-Fascist Literature’ as Holocaust Literature?

2019 ◽  
pp. 409-426
Author(s):  
Richard S. Esbenshade
Keyword(s):  
Second World War ◽  
Holocaust Literature ◽  
World War ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Political Conditions ◽  
Second World

THE long-accepted, fairly universal idea of a ‘great silence’ on the Holocaust in general, and in Hungary in particular, extending from the end of the Second World War until the Eichmann trial, has recently been challenged.1 The return or emergence from hiding of survivors quickly led to an explosion of Holocaust literature. Before the communist takeover, in the midst of difficult material and turbulent political conditions, Jenő Lévai and others published collections of documents;...

‘Live. And remember’: History, memory and storytelling in young adult holocaust fiction

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-174
Author(s):  
Vandana Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Young Adult Literature ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Narrative Strategies ◽  
Holocaust Literature ◽  
Holocaust Education ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Human Rights Abuse

Young adult fiction has emerged as a crucial pedagogical tool for Holocaust education. According to scholars and writers, it promotes empathy and also encourages the readers to become a part of the process of remembering. However, this field of storytelling also grapples with the dilemma of traumatic subject matter and its suitability for young readers. The humanist conventions of young adult fiction are often in conflict with the bleak and horrifying core of Holocaust literature. Young adult novelists have tried to deal with these problematic aspects by using multiple narrative strategies to integrate the memories of genocide and human rights abuse with the project of growth and socialisation that lies at the heart of young adult literature. This paper examines the narrative strategies that make young adult fiction an apt bearer and preserver of the traumatic past. Specifically, these strategies involve fantastical modes of storytelling, liminality and witness testimonies told to the second- and third-generation listeners. These strategies modify the humanist resolution of young adult narratives by integrating growth with collective responsibility.

scholarly journals Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Holocaust Literature

Humanities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Personal Experience ◽  
Ethnic Difference ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Holocaust Literature ◽  
Horror Genre ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Theodor Adorno ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Us

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” has been notorious since its first publication in 1948, but rarely, if ever, has it been read in light of its immediate historical context. This essay draws on literature, philosophy, and anthropology from the period to argue that Jackson’s story, which scholars have traditionally read through the lens of gender studies, invokes the themes of Holocaust literature. To support this argument, the essay explores imaginative Holocaust literature from the period by David Rousset, whose Holocaust memoir The Other Kingdom appeared in English translation in 1946, anthropological discourse from the period on scapegoating and European anti-Semitism, and critical discourse on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism from the period by Hannah Arendt and Theodor Adorno. The analysis finds that, in representing the phenomena of scapegoating and death selection in a small town in the US, Jackson’s story belongs to an abstract discourse on Holocaust-related themes and topics that was actively produced at midcentury, as evidenced partly by Rousset’s influential memoir. A master of the horror genre, Jackson could have drawn on her own experience of anti-Semitism, along with her known interest in the study of folklore, to contribute this chilling representation of the personal experience of death selection to a discourse on Holocaust-related themes. As this article shows, the abstract discourse Jackson’s story joined is marked by skepticism about or disinterest in ethnic difference and anthropological concepts. Due to the fact that this article features comparative analysis of Holocaust literature, a sub-topic is the debate among scholars concerning the ethics of literary representation of the Shoah and of analysis of Holocaust memoir. Jackson’s story and its context invoke perennially important questions about identity and representation in discourse about the Shoah and anti-Semitism.

scholarly journals Broken promises – A novel’s impact on shaping youth identity

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Lundgren ◽  
Mathabo Khau
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
South African ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Language Theory ◽  
Functional Language ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Youth Identity ◽  
Gendered Stereotypes ◽  
Made In

In many emerging economies worldwide, and in South Africa in particular, sizeable investments have been made in education with the hope of increasing literacy rates and hence producing a workforce that will fit into the job market. Thus it is important to understand the context and literacy materials within South African classrooms and their impact. This article looks at the novel Broken promises by Roz Haden, which is read in many South African classrooms. From a post-structural feminist theory and functional language theory, we analyse how the portrayal of characters and storyline can have an impact on young readers’ identity construction in relation to the novel’s predominant discourses. The findings show that men are still portrayed as dominant in their own right within society whereas women are defined in relation to men. Unchallenged, this portrayal can continue to perpetuate gendered stereotypes, which would affect young people’s functionality in society. We therefore argue that while novels are good for improving literacy among young people, the messages they contain should be deconstructed and challenged so that young people can make informed decisions regarding their gender identities.

scholarly journals Niedom. Przekraczenie idei domu rodzinnego w mieszkaniu migracyjnym

2014 ◽  
pp. 541-665
Author(s):  
Magdalena Łukasiuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
History Teaching ◽  
Memory Space ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Historical Education ◽  
The Individual

How is the memory of the Holocaust and Auschwitz seen today among young Poles and Germans, is it different from that of the past? What are the differences in the memory space and education about the Holocaust between the two countries, and what do they have in common? The article is based on three pillars, and what served as foundations for them was a survey conducted with Polish and German youth in late April and May 2013, immediately after their visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau. The first part concerns the individual and family memory of young people from Poland and Germany, who came to the Memorial and Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau (MMA-B); there are also issues related to the intergenerational transmission of war fate of the relatives. The second pillar takes on teaching about the Holocaust at school and the evaluation of historical education from the student’s point of view. There are presented the opinions of many historians, teachers and educators struggling with the effects of the reform of history teaching. The third and most extensive part of the article presents the issues related to historical education in the memorial site and young people confronting their past experience, knowledge, notions with the authenticity of MMA-B. Fundamental questions has been raised about the sense of maintaining authenticity of the memorial site and the reason that makes the memory of the Holocaust such an important task for future generations.

scholarly journals A New Season for Reading Great Books!

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais
Keyword(s):  
Historical Fiction ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Assistant Professor ◽  
Video Content ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Author Interview ◽  
Living Dead ◽  
The University

Spring is upon us, and the new season has ushered in a splendid assortment of books to captivate children of all ages. In this issue, we are delighted to provide our first video-recorded author interview, which can be accessed by clicking on the hyperlink in the review of Thomas Wharton’s The Fathomless Fire. Wharton is a highly accomplished author and assistant professor of English at the University of Alberta who is currently working on a fantasy trilogy for young readers. We are thrilled that he granted us an interview in December 2012 to discuss his latest book and love of storytelling. We plan to offer additional video content in future issues whenever opportunities arise for our reviewers and editors to speak with storytellers, illustrators or publishers. If you believe, like I do, that young readers reap significant benefits by having access to a wide variety of books, then you’ll certainly be pleased to see the range of titles in this issue. If you’re looking for stories from the steampunk genre, do have a look at the highly recommended stories in Steampunk! (Our reviewer awarded it four stars!). If a dystopian novel is more to your taste, you may find enjoyment in reading Carrie Ryan’s The Dark and Hollow Places if you don’t mind that a legion of terrorizing zombies features prominently in the plot. Granted, reading about the living dead is not for everyone, so you might also consider Maile Meloy’s The Apothecary, a prize-winning work of historical fiction, or Kelly Armstrong’s The Calling, the second installment of her Darkness Rising trilogy. Of course, there are numerous picture books in this issue that deserve your consideration, such as Dream Away and The Great Sheep Shenanigans; both were awarded the highest rating by our reviewers. There are many more excellent books that explore a range of themes like health and nutrition, team sports, fun facts, and historical events, but for more topics you’ll have to check out the issue yourself. Enjoy! Best wishes, Robert DesmaraisManaging Editor

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