Research Catalog

Silence in the novels of Elie Wiesel

Title
Silence in the novels of Elie Wiesel / Simon P. Sibelman.
Author
Sibelman, Simon P.
Publication
New York : St. Martin's Press, 1995.

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StatusFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
Book/TextUse in library *PAV (Wiesel) 95-1009Schwarzman Building - Dorot Jewish Division Room 111

Details

Subject
  • Wiesel, Elie, 1928-2016 > Criticism and interpretation
  • Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), in literature
  • Silence in literature
  • Jews in literature
Genre/Form
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-198) and index.
Contents
1. Silence: definitions and degrees -- 2. Victims to victors: the trilogy -- 3. Images of "Teshuva": the beginning of the return -- 4. The dialogue of Peniel -- 5. The mystical union -- 6. Apocalypse and life -- 7. The mute son, the missing one -- 8. Madness and memory -- 9. Conclusion.
Call Number
*PAV (Wiesel) 95-1009
ISBN
  • 0312122144
  • 9780312122140
LCCN
94027525
OCLC
30811666
Author
Sibelman, Simon P.
Title
Silence in the novels of Elie Wiesel / Simon P. Sibelman.
Imprint
New York : St. Martin's Press, 1995.
Description
xvi, 205 pages ; 22 cm
Type of Content
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-198) and index.
Summary
Silence exists as a complex and rich phenomenon in the writings of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. A powerfully active force that has affected all levels of his creative process, silence appears in the early works as a result of the destructive forces of the Holocaust, eventually emerging as a challenge to annihilation. Ultimately, silence becomes a regenerative force that permits Wiesel's protagonists to seek their demolished selves and to reconstruct their lives. Moving from the epicenter of Wiesel's literary universe, La Nuit (Night), to his most recent novel, L'Oublie (The Forgotten), this analysis places his writings within a framework of sacred and profane thought. Such a dual context not only entrenches the novels within Jewish tradition, but also within the development of postwar and contemporary French fiction and thought. Sibelman highlights Wiesel's link to Camus and Sartre, while reinforcing his place among other writers who survived the Holocaust.
By skillfully utilizing the evolving theme of silence, the novels' protagonists come to represent Wiesel's paradigm of post-Holocaust humanity - searching for meaning in life, in dialogue with fellow human beings, and in a new covenant with the silent God of the anus mundi.
Research Call Number
*PAV (Wiesel) 95-1009
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