The Fiftieth Gate

The Fiftieth provide, discernment the past is represented as a continual and dynamic process. baker gives a holistic type of his p arents experience of the Holocaust, demonstrating the complimentary relationship between account statement and memory. This notion is explored in the autobiographical book by dint of the video of his parents, and his declare past. The barcarole style of the text aids in portraying the interplay between history and memory, enabling a to a greater extent cohesive representation of the lasting repercussions of the Holocaust.Due to the traumatic tauter of her past experiences, Genie finds historical accounts of the Holocaust confronting to reconcile with her own memories. This tension is depicted by Baker, when he confirms the date of an Action against the Jewish population in Genies town, It was Yon Kipper. Youre right. The Action took place on 21 September 1942. Bakers pursuit of historical accuracy compromises Genies personal memories, as she fe els that compared to her own ordeals, history is an insufficient means of understanding the past. She responds Im right, he says. What an honor. What do you bonk about Actions?We were standing there like little lambs. Screams, crying. A massacre of weeping lambs, here, the tomography of a lamb bring forths the destruction of both an entire community and the destruction of Genies childhood innocence. Baker struggles to conflate the non-chronological and unreliable nature of memory with his own fastidious historical research, barely gradually understands that the 2 musical accompaniment each other to give a more open representation of the past. However, the tension between incur and son and hence, history and memory, is seen in the duplicate of Bakers interview of his mother Pitch black.Pitch black, thats how I was for years What do you mean, do I remember? Stop interrogating me. Stop testing me. What, all these years you thought that be ready I wasnt in Auschwitz like your f ather I didnt suffer? The use of copys is integral to the eclectic barcarole social organization of the text, as the myriad of textual forms demonstrates the ongoing process of understanding the past. The tension between the two discourses is distinctly seen, as Baker often finds his mothers memories impossible to vindicate, despite her vivid recollection of the throe in her past.Genie feels that ere pathetic is overlooked, as she has little historical and physical evidence to represent the effects of the Holocaust on herself. As a barcarole text, The Fiftieth Gate explores the dynamic process of understanding the past, and through the interaction between his mother and himself, he foregrounds the difficulty and importance of reconciling both history and memory. Bakers father, Yogis is often reluctant to give into his own memories, and piece of assnot fully reconcile his own past with the reality of the present.Rhetorical question conveys Yokels inability to entirely tackle the past, as he retains a child-like degree of optimism Maybe hes still alive. Could be, you know. Could be. Anything can happen. After the war I met people I thought were dead. Have you ever heard such a thing? The transcript of Yokels interviews expresses a direct connection to his personal memories. Whilst Yokels resilience is an admirable quality, it can lead to an attitude of denial. through and through Bakers process of interviewing his parents and ascertaining the history of their Holocaust experiences, the past is re-examined and represented in a more comprehensive manner.This transcript is contrasted with a conversation twine father and son, and displays the diverse barcarole style that is integral to the representation of Bakers parents memories. Chapter 16 begins with a portrayal of the difficulty in confronting the historical details of Yokels own past l can show you what your father wore when he arrived in Buchwald. My father seems angry at this latest discovery. Do you know when he went to the toilet? The color of the agates he wore under his pants? Maybe you can tell me when I last showered or what I did everyday in Auschwitz? However, the chapter ends with Yogis reluctantly expressing a desire to learn the garb worn by his father. This expresses the ongoing nature of understanding the past, as the ordeals of ones past retain the potential to vitrine significant grief. This notion is present throughout the novel, and is particularly significant in Yokels growth as the event of opening up to a more complete understanding of his own memories. Juxtaposition is used to highlight the mutual dependency of history and memory in the process of effectively comprehending the past. Whilst being interviewed, Yogis begins l was born(p) in Wreaking.Bakers commentary follows Wreaking was born before him. In 1657, founded by Bishop Bogus Readdressed who obtained royal permission to colonies the woodlands on the Seminal River. The direct and impersonal nature of historical discourse, although important, is directly contrasted with Yokels memory, which is far easier to empathic with. However, we understand that the two complement each other to give a multi-faceted and progressive understanding of the human experiences of the Holocaust, which results in a certain degree of closure. Although Mark Barker was born after theHolocaust, the ramifications of the events have profoundly affected his own life, and the process of understanding the past is pertinent to Baker himself. Baker states, of himself and his brother , L knew there was something more deliberate in the names elect for us, an attempt to obliterate not only my parents foreignness but the memories attached to it So I decided to put the past back into my name. I have chosen Raphael, the earliest ancestor I can find on our family tree. The understanding of the past that has been enabled by encyclopedism of his parents personal stories have enabled Baker to reconnect to his cultural heritage.This personal progression is integral to the semi-autobiographical nature of The Fiftieth Gate, and represents a significant level of personal growth that Baker has garnered through the discourses of history and memory. Throughout the text, it becomes apparent that Baker has been profoundly affected not only by his parents experience of the Holocaust, but also by the suffering inflicted collectively on the Jewish population. This is apparent in the elements of Midribs the oral and written exploration of biblical texts that are inserted intermittently wrought the book.Baker briefly recounts the story of Rabbi Hanna Ben Iteration, who was killed by the Romans due to his faith, and subsequently martyred. Whilst being burned, Iteration is asked by his disciples what he sees. He responds, The parchment is burning, but the letters are soaring high above me. This is followed by a poem, My parents remember the fire/the parchment burning/the bodies buried/ letters soarin g high, turned to black-and-blue dust. This element of Midribs is representative of the barcarole style of the text, and conveys Jewish resilience that has lasted millennia.However, Baker subverts the optimism of the original text to convey the horrors experienced by all the victims of the Holocaust. It becomes apparent that this suffering, whilst not directly inflicted upon himself, resounds in the children of Holocaust survivors. The Fiftieth Gate explores the notion of understanding the past through the complimentary discourses of history and memory. Baker demonstrates the implications of this notion through the depiction of himself and his parents, Yogis and Genie. It becomes apparent that understanding the past is not a fixed process, and that it can at times cause tension.