Ethical representation of holocaust trauma in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief
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Abstract
The research entitled “Ethical Representation of Holocaust Trauma in Markus
Zusak’s The Book Thief". Zusak here deals with the issue of ethical representation of
trauma within characters from the perspective of La Capra’s notion of trauma and
Margalit’s notion of ethics. Further, he brings the concept of Emmanuel Levinas and
Jacques Derrida’s sort of ethics into application. It aims to justify the main characters
of the novel as the ethical beings. Markus Zusak here valorizes anti-liberal humanist
characters who are guided by the infinite sense of responsibility towards the needy
‘Others’. The author is aware of the self-centeredness, hierarchical relations, and
universalizing tendency of liberal humanism and critiques them through the portrayal
of ethical or anti-liberal humanist characters like Liesel, Hans, Rudy, Max and others
and tries to show that even in the heart of tragedy morality is still possible that means
good can withstand evil. Characters risk their life to follow what they believe to be
morally right. Liesel care and love Max as her own brother. She prays for his survival.
Ethical representation is most to reduce the intensity of trauma. Liesel and Max
reduce their trauma through literacy and cope up with it but Mitchel cannot reduce his
trauma which results in suicide. Similarly, Frau Holtzapfel gets reduced her trauma
with Liesel’s help. The real solution of the violence is adaptation of Levinasian-
Derridian version of ethics to accept ‘Others’ and respect the particularity instead of
searching for universality as Kantian ethics. Further, Markus Zusak also deals with
the circulatory nature of trauma and almost impossibility of trauma resolution without
revisiting it.