Elie Wiesel, the Shtetl, and Post-Auschwitz Memory

How are Holocaust events remembered and narrated, and why? What knowledge can Holocaust testimony convey? Christine June Wunderli explores these questions as she examines four works by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Guided by Bourdieu's theory of literary field as well as Young's theory of literary representation, she traces Hasidic influences in Wiesel's writing. Her conclusions are telling: Wiesel's narratives are born as memory is pulled towards both Auschwitz and the shtetl, caught up in the tension between the two. Still, the emerging trajectory is one of hope, led by a new categorical imperative.

Christine June Wunderli has worked as an independent writer in St. John's, Canada, since 2020. Her focus is on theology, philosophy, and Jewish Studies.