Falling Silent

Abstract This article argues that Merethe Lindstrøm’s 2011 novel Dager i stillhetens historie portrays a collapse of the familial memory transmission structures that are normally involved in the making of postmemory, as defined by Marianne Hirsch. My analysis of the novel describes how i...

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Main Author: Dean Krouk
Format: Article
Language:Danish
Published: Scandinavian University Press 2017-01-01
Series:Edda
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.idunn.no/edda/2017/04/falling_silent
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author Dean Krouk
author_facet Dean Krouk
author_sort Dean Krouk
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This article argues that Merethe Lindstrøm’s 2011 novel Dager i stillhetens historie portrays a collapse of the familial memory transmission structures that are normally involved in the making of postmemory, as defined by Marianne Hirsch. My analysis of the novel describes how it represents traumatic memories related to the Holocaust and how it portrays the struggle of listening to traumatic memories. Further, I describe the character Simon’s retreat into the isolation of silence as an engagement with traumatic loss and an attempt to reconnect with his former identity and lost family. Lastly, I draw on Hirsch’s analysis of the role of photographs in familial memory transfer to analyze passages in the novel that show what I call the breakdown of postmemory.
format Article
id doaj-art-c5aea0007f224ed8b73e61724ef3c362
institution DOAJ
issn 0013-0818
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language Danish
publishDate 2017-01-01
publisher Scandinavian University Press
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spelling doaj-art-c5aea0007f224ed8b73e61724ef3c3622025-08-20T03:03:50ZdanScandinavian University PressEdda0013-08181500-19892017-01-0110435436910.18261/issn.1500-1989-2017-04-0418948693Falling SilentDean KroukAbstract This article argues that Merethe Lindstrøm’s 2011 novel Dager i stillhetens historie portrays a collapse of the familial memory transmission structures that are normally involved in the making of postmemory, as defined by Marianne Hirsch. My analysis of the novel describes how it represents traumatic memories related to the Holocaust and how it portrays the struggle of listening to traumatic memories. Further, I describe the character Simon’s retreat into the isolation of silence as an engagement with traumatic loss and an attempt to reconnect with his former identity and lost family. Lastly, I draw on Hirsch’s analysis of the role of photographs in familial memory transfer to analyze passages in the novel that show what I call the breakdown of postmemory.https://www.idunn.no/edda/2017/04/falling_silentContemporary LiteraturePostmemorySilenceTraumaHolocaust StudiesContemporaryLiterature
spellingShingle Dean Krouk
Falling Silent
Edda
Contemporary Literature
Postmemory
Silence
Trauma
Holocaust Studies
ContemporaryLiterature
title Falling Silent
title_full Falling Silent
title_fullStr Falling Silent
title_full_unstemmed Falling Silent
title_short Falling Silent
title_sort falling silent
topic Contemporary Literature
Postmemory
Silence
Trauma
Holocaust Studies
ContemporaryLiterature
url https://www.idunn.no/edda/2017/04/falling_silent
work_keys_str_mv AT deankrouk fallingsilent