University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Memory and Destruction: A Psychiatric Approach to Understanding Literary Depictions of Air Raids in World War II

Vees-Gulani, Susanne Heike

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/87280

Description

Title
Memory and Destruction: A Psychiatric Approach to Understanding Literary Depictions of Air Raids in World War II
Author(s)
Vees-Gulani, Susanne Heike
Issue Date
2001
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
  • Blake, Nancy
  • Palencia-Roth, Michael
Department of Study
Comparative Literature
Discipline
Comparative Literature
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Literature, Germanic
Language
eng
Abstract
It is in the context of these psychiatric and political issues that this dissertation explores the bombing literature and their authors. Contrary to Sebald's assertions, the air raids have indeed been a topic of German literature and several narratives are discussed in the thesis (Nossack, Borchert, Ledig, Kluge, Kempowski, Forte). In addition, German-Jewish accounts of the bombings (Kemperer, Biermann), displaying the mixed view of them as both horror and signs of freedom, reveal the complexity of the issue. Interestingly, some of the best literature about the air raids comes from non-German authors (Vonnegut, Mulisch, Coulonges), who offer artistically and intellectually challenging texts, exploring both German guilt and psychological trauma. This dissertation offers new insight into an important period of German history and literature, and provides new pathways for exploring war and trauma literature in general.
Graduation Semester
2001
Type of Resource
text
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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/87280

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Dissertations and Theses - Comparative and World Literature