"The Lost" Post 4b

This part of the novel “The Lost” was particularly affecting for me as it explored first-person experiences of the Holocaust (especially pages 227-229). I read “Night” this past year by Elie Wiesel, and although it related some horrendous experiences, I somehow found it hard to relate to his point of view. Mendelsohn offers the perspective of an outsider relating first-hand experiences, which I think makes them easier to understand. He isn’t in a position to relate to them any more than I can because he was not there either, so his reactions make it easier for me to connect to the first person accounts. This portion of the book also relates to the first reason the novel attracted me: it relates to my heritage. My grandparents on my father’s side both emigrated to the United States during the 1930s because of the persecution they were receiving as Jews. Although I have no connection to them, some of my relatives perished during the Holocaust. In some ways I feel guilty that I am not more connected to my personal history, and this book makes a strong case to find out about my relatives. The fact that my family is not strongly Jewish adds to this guilt: it seems sometimes as if I am disrespecting the sacrifice that my ancestors went through for their faith. At the same time, I feel so fortunate that I am growing up here where I can feel safe walking the streets and am allowed (mostly) unbiased treatment because of my religion or my looks. Unfortunately, genocide still exists today, so perhaps the best way to respect the memory of my Jewish relatives is to work until nothing like the Holocaust will ever happen again.