Thesis
The literature of second generation Holocaust survivors and the formation of a post-Holocaust Jewish identity in America
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2009
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100818
Abstract
Most research on the effects of the Holocaust and its place within modern America has revolved around the survivors themselves--their stories of survival, assimilation, and memories. However, there have been few studies examining the impact of the Holocaust on the children of these survivors and how their responses ultimately demonstrate a larger social trend of a Holocaust-centric Jewish identity in America. The definition of what it means to be Jewish, especially in America, has undergone a number of changes since the end of World War II. Today, the Holocaust has become the solution to the problem of a splintering Jewish community. It has been appropriated as a symbol around which American Jews can firmly establish their identity; being affected by the Holocaust has become what it means to be Jewish. Many of the Second Generation Holocaust survivors define themselves as Jewish because of the Holocaust and their parents' experiences, despite a possible lack of religious practice. This thesis will trace the role of the Holocaust in America, going from the overall lack of awareness immediately after the war and moving towards the sense of hyperawareness that exists today, apparent within the literature of these Second Generation survivors. It will demonstrate that the effects of the Holocaust have reached beyond the original survivors and the repercussions of this historical event are felt even today. Through an analysis of these Second Generation authors and the treatment of the Holocaust throughout postwar American history, this thesis will argue that the influence and results of the Holocaust are still central today to the formation of a collective post-Holocaust Jewish identity. The children of survivors are struggling to define what it means to be Jewish in America and subsequently redefining what a Holocaust survivor is. This thesis will be an attempt to integrate those of the Second Generation into a larger historical discussion of the Holocaust in America.
Metrics
15 File views/ downloads
25 Record Views
Details
- Title
- The literature of second generation Holocaust survivors and the formation of a post-Holocaust Jewish identity in America
- Creators
- Katherine Ann Wright
- Contributors
- Raymond Chien Sun (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- History, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525102601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis