Representing the Holocaust: History, Theory, Trauma

The Holocaust has been a subject of intense debate and controversy in postmodern Western culture. Dominick LaCapra brings new clarity to these discussions with his examination of the intersections between historical events and the theory through which we struggle to understand them. In this collection of essays, LaCapra explores the challenges faced by historians, critics, and thinkers who attempt to grasp the Holocaust. He considers the role of canon formation and the dynamic of revisionist historiography, as well as critically analyzing responses to the discovery of de Man's wartime writings. LaCapra also sheds light on postmodernist obsessions with concepts such as loss, agora, dispossession, deferred meaning, and the sublime. By demonstrating that psychoanalysis has sociocultural dimensions, LaCapra shows how our efforts to comprehend the Holocaust continue to be shaped by the traumatizing effects of its events. This book provides a nuanced understanding of the complex issues surrounding the Holocaust, essential for anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge of this pivotal moment in history.