Tell the Story

Posted on October 26, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized |

Having read the two graphic novels Maus I and Maus II written by Art Spiegelman and watched the WGVU production “Surviving Auschwitz,” I can honestly say that survivors of all wars (those who fought and those that were greatly affected by the conflict) need to talk with their families about what they experienced. The documentary was very inspirational in this manner because the two women that survived the Holocaust as children were telling their story to one of their children. The walked the streets that they remembered and historically retraced their steps in a way that most people never have the courage to do.

The telling of one’s story is very important for soldiers today, as well. They need to be able to come home and tell their wife or husband the horrors and what haunts them in their sleep, otherwise they will never reach a point of normalcy. Having a psychiatrist or another medical advisor to talk with can also make the difference for these men and women returning from the Middle East. They may not be able to physically re-walk their steps but mentally they can take another along with them into the worst aspects of humanity. “Families are only half of the equation, because returning soldiers must deal on a personal level with things they’ve experienced during missions…”, said Anne-Marie Vaillancourt, one of a half-dozen social workers who work at the Valcartier Family Centre to the Gazette for their October 9, 2009 edition. She points out the importance for their to be a normal routine for the soldier to return to and and for the children to help deal with the absence of one or sometimes both of their parents.

Art Spiegelman in his two novels talk about the story of his father, an Auschwitz survivor, telling his son, Art, the story of trying to stay out of and going into the concentration camps during WWII. The idea of telling your adult children what happened is a way of keeping the story alive so that no one will ever forget these horrific events. I like the idea of soldiers reminding their children what they fought for because this will help keep patriotism alive in our country. So often the history books kill that idea by flooding students with names, dates, and policies and taking the importance of the event out of the context. A parent that personally participated in the event is better suited to explain the importance of what they did and the children would have a great deal to gain from it when they come of age to understand it.

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6 Responses to “Tell the Story”

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I thought that documentary was very emotional and powerful. I’m sure it was not easy for those women to go back to the place where they were held as prisoners and tourtured. It had to be almost as painful for their children to walk through it with them and see how much it affected their parents.
I agree that it is important for people to talk to their families, or a professional for that matter, about their experiances in war. Even if it is hard to do, it will be better for everyone in the end. Keeping all of those emotions inside can have lasting effects on the person and the people around them. It can also leave a lot of unanswered questions for families years later.

waldronl
October 27, 2009

I completely agree that survivors of war in any sense need to speak about the horrors that they endure. Whether the survivor is a victim or a soldier, their personal account is vital in telling the overall story of war. There are many people in my life who have survived war in some way, even if they simply lived through them from back in the United States. I wish that my Grandparents would talk about the Holocaust, even though they were here in Michigan as the events were unfolding in Europe. I wish that they would talk about how they felt when they learned about it, and how long it took to learn the truth. Part of me even wonders if they know the truth at all because they did not learn about it in their history books as we do today. It breaks my heart that the news of liberation of the concentration camps only received a two sentence blurb in the New York Times. This makes me think that it was quite possibly downplayed by our government at the time and I would like to learn how my family finally learned the truth.

winegarl
October 28, 2009

I have always hated history classes because it’s just memorization of, like you said, dates, names, places, ect. However, reading Maus and watch the documentaries didn’t feel like history. When presented in a personal way, a way I can connect to, it’s a lot easier for me to remember facts. I don’t know anyone involved in Iraq that I could talk to and that’s why I like the military blogs so much, it gives me an inside perspective so that I can learn about the Iraq war, but also makes it a lot easier for me to identify with it. I think if i were to just read news articles or a from a text book about Iraq I wouldn’t enjoy it or remember it as much. Also the blogs are a great way for soldiers to express themselves. I agree that it is important for them to share their stories and I think mil blogs are a great way to do it.

ortquiju
October 29, 2009

It’s needless to say that traumatic experiences change a person permanently, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally, and for a family who has not been through the same situation, this can be difficult to deal with. There can never be a sense of empathy for the victim, but I agree wholeheartedly with you that it is imperative that there be at least a sense of sympathy or even understanding from the family when someone decides to share their experiences from a war, a tragedy, or some other situation. Retelling their story can be cathartic and therapeutic for a victim, as it helps them come to grips with what happened, and also allows them to work through the pain and the memories. It can be difficult and horrifying for the family members of this victim, but patience and understanding can be helpful beyond measure.

krygierj
October 30, 2009