Giving Voice to Silent Destruction

Title: Giving Voice to Silent Destruction
Author: Michelle A Smail
Faculty Advisor: Patricia Goldsworthy-Bishop
Date: 1/1/2016
Abstract: German author W. G. Sebald (1944-2001) studied how historical methodology contributed to this alienation of various groups, particularly World War II Germans, and the consequences of that alienation so that he could develop and use historical countermeasures in his own writing. Sebald’s unique approach advocated for a genre of history that moved beyond narratives of nations, eras, victims, and perpetrators to promote constructive discussions with an awareness of their relevance to the present. Sebald’s refusal to ignore any part of the past resulted in his life-long study of what he called a conspiracy of silence in Germany, regarding the destruction of World War II and the Holocaust, a concept that reached the international multi-century scale in his popular and scholarly works.
Type: Text
Keywords: World War II; Germany; W. G. Sebald; Literature; Historical Philosophy
Language: eng
Rights: Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 06/09/2022, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Department: History
Identifier: his/48