Interesting link, Redfox
It struck me that Eva mentions that other survivors have said they resent her focus on forgiveness. These people apparently feel that forgiving what happened in the camps constitutes a dismissal of the horrors so many endured. I see their point - keeping anger alive, for them, is a variation on "never forget." For many Jews, that's a political stance, and it seems Eva is trying to steer clear of that imbroglio. She's not saying Jews shouldn't be Nazi hunters, but she's not personally obsessed with finding justice in that way.
She might be conflating anger with revenge. I think about this a lot. I'm really angry at my parents, but even if they were alive, I don't think I'd be plotting revenge. They'd be old and infirm, and I'd be obsessed with taking care of them, not getting my revenge on them. But I always wished they had understood what they were doing to me, and how damaging their thoughtlessness was. I always craved their understanding.
I imagine some people do want revenge. But forgiveness and revenge are just two places on the spectrum of possible reactions to betrayal - there's a lot in between!
Good link!






Reply With Quote
