Like to join us? "Tearing the silence" by Hegi

Ophelia

"Tearing the silence" by Ursula Hegi.

I've only read the first two chapters, and I have a lot to say, but I'll start with a review to save time.

Saffron · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject:

I'm going out to look for the book tomorrow! I hope a few other people join in the discussion.

Ophelia · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:29 am Post subject:

OK Saffron, I'll change the title into a question in case it might attract some attention.

axel · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject: "tearing the silence" by hegi

I found Hegi's book a couple of years ago and found it fascinating. I came to the USA in 1954 when I was 8 years old. We came to the US from Germany because we were abysmally poor, and we believed we could do better in America. The comments you heard about are nothing compared to the horrendous comments I, (and I recently discovered my younger sister) received by Americans of all ages and backgrounds. I was well into middle-age before I understood that as hard as I tried to fit in here in the US, I really never did. I had tried very hard to be anything other than German. The ease with which Americans could ask terribly ignorant questions still astounds me. At 8 I was asked if I was a Nazi. The image of the German soldier being some sort of automaton is the only one that American films presented. It was easier trying to hide being German than explaining things without being defensive all the time. It is my understanding that in Germany, pre-'54 the general discussion of the war, etc. was outlawed by the occupying forces, for fear of a resurgence of National Socialism. I spent most of my life being embarrassed that I was German, mostly because of the intensely ignorant comments and questions that I would receive--for heaven's sake I was born after the war, yet the questions, comments and insults were there. My mother's comments asserting that ordinary citizens could do nothing, and that there was much fear in the country seemed too defensive and I thought people must have been able to do something. I believed what American schools taught, Germans started the war and attempted to exterminate Jews and numerous others. It is the self-righteous judgment of Germans by Americans in particular that disturbs me greatly. As I became older and looked at American history I became more comfortable with being German. Asking Americans to look at their own history vis-a-vis Native Americans and African Americans can often stop discussions about expectations they might have as to others dealing with their history. Believe me, Americans do not know their own brushes with historical genocide, and I am not equating the immensity of barbarism. I am saying that before we complain about others we need to make sure we are not guilty of the same thing. I have rambled on too much already, but I hope I added some things to the discussion.

Chris OConnor · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject:

Axel, I really appreciate your honesty and willingness to share your story. I hope you stick around because I think our US members could learn from you. I guess we can all learn from each other, but you illuminate some real biases that us Americans tend to have.

Ophelia · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject:

Hello Axel, it's a pleasure to have you with us.

I only recently read the last chapters of Tearing the Silence and it's really an excellent book, I imagine it must have been a great help for readers who are German immigrants, and it's a mind-opener for someone like me.

axel · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:05 am Post subject:

Good Morning,

The issue of, "What could we have done?" is interesting from a historical perspective.

A couple of anecdotes from conversations with people of my parent's generation. A neighbor disappeared during the war, returned several months later, emaciated. Periodically during the night he could be heard screaming. He never spoke of where he was during the time he was gone; no one asked or wanted to go there. An efficient way to control others.

The local priest spoke out against Hitler; parishioners helped him disappear because the Gestapo was looking for him. He periodically reappeared, said Mass, and disappeared again just as quickly. No one could be trusted.

In German the word "heil" means both hail and heal. Professionals upon seeing each other on the street were to say "Heil Hitler," before any other greeting. One said "Heil Hitler," the other responded "You do it, I can't." The aside to the person telling the story was that if they didn't know each other very well he might be on his way to jail for the "disrespectful" comment he made.

As I said it's interesting from a historical perspective. To me, it is much more important and terribly unsettling to think about how we will look at our time from a viewpoint in the future. In comparing present day America to other times I consider what happened to Valerie Plame and her husband. If the government can do it to them for speaking out what can happen to someone with effectively no power? Lies to war, and thousands of Iraqis killed in an American war of choice. What rationalizations will we use to tell our children and grandchildren about what we did or didn't do? How many Americans said people were unpatriotic for asking questions post 9/11? It seems to me, if we couldn't, didn't, ask questions we have little right to complain about others. In fact it smacks of hypocrisy.


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