I've got a German friend who every time the war is mentioned suffers a rush of blood to her face and looks physically pained. This signifies how it happened, how it should be resolved, and how future tragedies can be prevented. Hegi's non-dramatic portrayal of the era is crucial in proving that WWII and the Holocaust originated in the midst of everyday people. My German friends and in-laws appreciate the need for novels set in WWII since they of course recognize the importance of what one can learn, but they are also sick of the theme being treated as a novelty by any author or filmmaker trying to catch the audience's attention. Since I read the book, I have also - coincidentally - been living in Germany now for over three years.
Authors who don't belong to a minority take a risk when they try to tell their story for them, but in this case Hegi succeeded brilliantly. I am dying to know who in Hegi's life gave her the inspiration to portray the experience of a dwarf so accurately without treating her like a novelty. I myself have dwarfism and am usually sick of the average portrayal of dwarfs in the media as either amusing, adorable, freakish, or pitiful, but Hegi's portrayal of Trudi Montag was amazingly normal and simultaneously resonating. Considering the standard treatments for both the topics of dwarfism and WWII, this is indeed a rare accomplishment. Not once does she dramatize for the sake of Hollywood-like entertainment. I was astounded by Hegi's ability to capture both the everyday life of Germans over the 20-year span leading up to the end of WWII and the experience of a woman with dwarfism.
0 kommentar(er)
