History And Memory In Mark Baker's The Fiftieth Gate
Throughout Mark Baker’s The Fiftieth Gate, understanding the past is represented as a continual and dynamic process. Baker gives a holistic representation of his parent’s experience of the Holocaust, demonstrating the complimentary relationship between history and memory. This notion is explored in the autobiographical book through the depiction of his parents’, and his own past. The bricolage style of the text aids in portraying the interplay between history and memory, enabling a more cohesive representation of the lasting repercussions of the Holocaust.
Due to the traumatic nature of her past experiences, Genia finds historical accounts of the Holocaust confronting to reconcile with her own memories. This tension is depicted by Baker, when …show more content…
Rhetorical question conveys Yossl’s inability to entirely accept the past, as he retains a child-like degree of optimism: “Maybe he’s still alive. Could be, you know. Could be. Anything can happen. After the war I met people I thought were dead. Have you ever heard such a thing?” The transcript of Yossl’s interviews expresses a direct connection to his personal memories. Whilst Yossl’s resilience is an admirable quality, it can lead to an attitude of denial. Through Baker’s process of interviewing his parents and ascertaining the history of their Holocaust experiences, the past is re-examined and represented in a more comprehensive manner. This transcript is contrasted with a conversation between father and son, and displays the diverse bricolage style that is integral to the representation of Baker’s parent’s memories. Chapter 16 begins with a portrayal of the difficulty in confronting the historical details of Yossl’s own past: “’I can show you what your father wore when he arrived in Buchenwald.’ My father seems angry at this latest discovery. ‘Do you know when he went to the toilet? The colour of the gatkes he wore under his pants? Maybe you can tell me when I last showered or what I did everyday in Auschwitz?’” However, the chapter ends with Yossl reluctantly expressing a desire to learn the clothes worn by his father. This expresses the ongoing nature of understanding the past, as the ordeals of one’s past retain the potential to cause significant
Due to the traumatic nature of her past experiences, Genia finds historical accounts of the Holocaust confronting to reconcile with her own memories. This tension is depicted by Baker, when …show more content…
Rhetorical question conveys Yossl’s inability to entirely accept the past, as he retains a child-like degree of optimism: “Maybe he’s still alive. Could be, you know. Could be. Anything can happen. After the war I met people I thought were dead. Have you ever heard such a thing?” The transcript of Yossl’s interviews expresses a direct connection to his personal memories. Whilst Yossl’s resilience is an admirable quality, it can lead to an attitude of denial. Through Baker’s process of interviewing his parents and ascertaining the history of their Holocaust experiences, the past is re-examined and represented in a more comprehensive manner. This transcript is contrasted with a conversation between father and son, and displays the diverse bricolage style that is integral to the representation of Baker’s parent’s memories. Chapter 16 begins with a portrayal of the difficulty in confronting the historical details of Yossl’s own past: “’I can show you what your father wore when he arrived in Buchenwald.’ My father seems angry at this latest discovery. ‘Do you know when he went to the toilet? The colour of the gatkes he wore under his pants? Maybe you can tell me when I last showered or what I did everyday in Auschwitz?’” However, the chapter ends with Yossl reluctantly expressing a desire to learn the clothes worn by his father. This expresses the ongoing nature of understanding the past, as the ordeals of one’s past retain the potential to cause significant