By Chance I Found a Pencil: The Holocaust Diary Narratives of Testimony, Defiance, Solace and Struggle. Fiona Lisabeth Kaufman ―Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.‖ October, 2010 Faculty of Arts School of Historical Studies University of Melbourne Abstract Traditional attempts to write about the Holocaust focused mainly on the Nazi perpetrators rather than the victims themselves. Addressing this historiographical grievance has grown significantly in the last two decades and this thesis intends to add to the corpus of work reflecting the voice of the victims. To this end, the Holocaust diary as a special literary form will be established, constituting its own special genre which constructs meaning, intention and experience of a particular Jewish diarist at a particular point in history. For this express purpose I have conceived my own concept, de emplotment, serving to exemplify the complexity of the process whereby Jewish victims of the Holocaust reinterpreted the self as their familiar life paradigms had all but disappeared. In doing so, the Holocaust diarists constructed individual narrative identities grappling with the seemingly perpetual dilemma of Holocaust scholars even today, namely, representational adequacy. The answer to the questions as to why the diary genre was conducive to de emplotment and became the choice of so many Jewish victims who wrote during the Holocaust will be examined throughout this work. Coupled with the establishment of a hitherto unfamiliar exploration of the Holocaust diaries focusing on the de emplotment concept, the theoretical framework of French philosopher Paul Ricoeur will be drawn upon significantly. Ricoeur‘s contention of narrative construction, the figuration of narrative identity and the complex relationship between these representations and intention therein, are pivotal to the central contentions reflected in my research. De emplotment analyzed in accordance to Ricoeur‘s philosophical paradigm is central to this study, focusing on the reasons diary writing was conducive to the transitional process the Holocaust exacerbated. Accordingly, the role of Ricoeur‘s intention and attestation when formulating a narrative identity is the basis of the diary classifications delineated, namely narratives of testimony, solace, defiance and struggle. Whilst answers may never be assumed definitive, the above contentions will be pondered, analyzed and discussed, enabling conclusions to ultimately be drawn. 1 Declaration This is to certify that (i) The thesis comprises only my original work towards the PhD except where indicated in the preface. (ii) Due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all material used. (iii) The thesis is less than 100,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices or the thesis is (number of words) as approved by the RHD Committee. Signed __________________ Date _________________ 2 Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance, generous advice and suggestions of my supervisor Dr. Dvir Abramovich, from the University of Melbourne. His encouragement and belief in my topic was integral to the completion of this thesis. Dr Abramovich‘s openness to new ideas, ability to visualize the end product and astute grasp of historical research gave me the inspiration I needed to complete this thesis. I would also like to acknowledge the insightful comments, advice, extensive knowledge of Holocaust diaries and organizational skills of Dr. Lael Nidam Orvieto from Yad Vashem. The time she spent with me was invaluable, as was her encouragement. I would also like to thank Dr. Ziva Shavisky from the University of Melbourne for her time and encouragement. The staff at Beit Theresienstadt on Kibbutz Givat Chaym Ichud in Israel, the library staff at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, The University of Melbourne and, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Warsaw, Poland, (Zydowski Instytut Historyczny) were all accommodating, helpful and eager to assist, and I humbly thank all those who assisted me over the last few years. This extends to the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Melbourne, all of whom were unfailingly helpful. I extend a special thank you to Dr. Amos Goldberg from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, who offered insightful and helpful comments in his area of expertise, Holocaust diaries, and was generous with his time and advice. I lovingly acknowledge my parents, Freda and Joseph Kaufman, and husband Philip Symon, without whom this thesis could not have been even contemplated. My parents believed in me, encouraged me and put up with me for weeks on end so I could achieve my goal. Conversely, my husband put up with weeks without me, accompanied me on trips to Europe looking for diaries and researching the lives of diarists, supported my undertaking wholeheartedly from the beginning, and patiently put up with three and a half years of talking about Holocaust diaries. I would like to dedicate this work to my three wonderful children, Sidney, Lior and Adi, who prove on a daily basis that the Jewish people will never be defeated. And, to my diarists, who have been a strong presence in my life for several years, I hope I have stayed true to your words and intentions and have contributed in some way to the words repeated in so many languages, on so many pages and hidden in so many places in the hope that someone, somewhere, would know the fate that befell you. Your diaries survived as testament to the inexplicable, even though most of you did not. The years spent reading your diaries have been a lesson of life which has enriched me far beyond the pages of this work. 3 Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………... 1 Declaration ……………………………………………………………………………..... 2 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………. 3 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………… 4 Forward ……………………………………………………………………….. ………....6 Introduction The Thesis ………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Chapter 1 An overview Historical and Theoretical Considerations ……………………………………………..12 The Theoretical Framework: Narrative Identity Emplotment and De emplotment ………………………………………………………..20 The Questions: Why was the diary narrative conducive to de emplotment .................. 25 What is the Role of Intention and Attestation in Classifying the Holocaust Diaries? …..31 Chapter 2 The Narratives of Testimony……………………………………………………………34 Narrative Identity and the Intent to Testify…………………………………………….. 37 The Drive to Record …………………………………………………………………….44 Testimony and the Paradox of Time……………………………………………………. 49 Describing the Inexpressible: Narratives of Testimony…………………………………55 The Language of De emplotment………………………………………………………..62 A Worm who lives in Horseradish………………………………………………………65 The Voice of the Diary ………………………………………………………………….70 The Private Diary‘s Public Face………………………………………………………. 75 Writing for an Audience…………………………………………………………………81 Chapter 3 Narratives of Defiance Rethinking Defiance: The Dilemma……………………………………………………. 83 Defiance Redefined: Further Considerations …………………………………………... 88 Intentionality as Defiance………………………………………………………………. 94 Breaking the Silence: Authentic Defiance through Narration …………………………..97 The Dichotomy of the Private and Public Face of Narratives of Defiance…………….103 The Narrative of the Self as an Expression of Defiance………………………………..108 Defiant Narratives: The Diary as Defiance …………………………………………….113 A Worm Who lives in Horseradish……………………………………………………..119 4 Chapter 4 The Narratives of Solace …………………………………………………………….... 123 Finding Solace in the Act of Writing………………………………………………….. 126 Intent to Console………………………………………………………………………. 133 Mimesis and Solace ……………………………………………………………………139 Dear Diary: The Dialogue of Life………………………………………………………141 Consoling the Self through Narrative…………………………………………………..149 Reconciling Consolation and Recording One‘s Own Destruction……………………..156 The Diary as a Place of Refuge…………………………………………………………161 Chapter 5 The Narratives of Struggle…………………………………………………………….. 166 ―Seeing is not Believing‖ …………………………………………………………… 168 Assimilating the Struggle Linguistically ………………………………………………173 The Struggle to Write…………………………………………………………………. 176 Intentionality and the Dichotomy of the Private and Public Voice…………………….184 The Struggle of the Self through Diary Narrative……………………………………...192 The Collective Struggle through Diary Narrative……………………………………... 199 The Separation of Narrator and Protagonist: The Narration of Struggle ………………204 Chapter 6 Conclusion: Why a Diary? ……………………………………………………………..211 Conclusions about the Diary and De emplotment ……………………………………..217 Conclusions about Intention and Attestation as Reflected in the Diary Narratives … 223 By Chance I found a Pencil …………………………………………………………..227 Bibliography Primary Sources………………………………………………………………………...231 Secondary Sources……………………………………………………………………...234 5 Forward By Chance I found a Pencil It is difficult to write, but I consider it an obligation and am determined to fulfill it with my last ounce of energy. I will write a scroll of agony in order to remember the past in the future. 1 Indeed, Chaim Kaplan‘s Scroll of Agony contributed to the past being remembered in the future. During the Holocaust all those who dared write a song, draw a picture, write a diary or note to someone in danger, left behind a legacy which lives on. Literature of the Holocaust constitutes a unique body of work, and in many ways combines not only personal testimony, but historical facts and psychological insights into human suffering