Fiction and reality in "The Kindly Ones" of Jonathan Littell
Keywords:
Holocaust, World War II, Jonathan Littell, Hannah Arendt, Hayden White.
Abstract
This paper studies the novel The Kindly Ones, whose main plot charts the anguished memories of a Nazi officer. The reader of this novel is plunged into the harshest atrocities of the Holocaust and WWII, as these are recounted by a perverse conscience who is unmoved by the most terrible actions. Fiction and reality are contrasted in the novel against the framework of history writing and the subsequent debates sparked by historical elaboration. This novel perceptively captures historical truth, thus calling for critical attention upon the collective responsibility which will prevent the repetition of events.Downloads
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Published
2016-05-12
How to Cite
Borshchak O. y Hernández García M. L. (2016). Fiction and reality in "The Kindly Ones" of Jonathan Littell. Thélème. Revista Complutense de Estudios Franceses, 31(1), 39-54. https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_THEL.2016.v31.n1.51655
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