everything is illuminated

Jonathan Safran Foer

• Born in DC, 1977.

• Mother was the child of Holocaust survivors born in Poland.

• Travelled to Ukraine to work on his thesis as a student at Princeton.

• Everything is Illuminated consists of two autobiographical narratives; one, of the fictionalized history of Trochenbrod (changed to Trachimbrod in the book), where his mother was born, and two, of his trip to Ukraine to search for remnants and artifacts of Trochenbrod.

• Everything is Illuminated was adapted into a movie in 2005, starring Elijah Wood as Jonathan.

background

The lost town of Trochenbrod

• Before World War II, Trochenbrod was in the Second Polish Republic.

• After the joint invasion of Poland by the Third Reich and the USSR, Trochenbrod was annexed, and immediately after, was made part of the Ukrainian SSR when the borders changed in 1939.

• It was completely eradicated in 1941 as part of the Holocaust and the Nazi Operation Barbarossa. All 5000 residents of Trochenbrod (comprised exclusively of Jews), were killed by the Ukranian Auxiliary Police and the SS. They were all shot en masse in the local grounds.

• Trochenbrod was the only all Jewish settlement outside of Israel and Palestine, and existed for over 130 years.

Plot

• Jonathan Safran Foer (the character is named after the author), a collector, travels from America to Ukraine to find Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather’s life during the liquidation of Trochenbrod (changed to Trachimbrod in the novel). He only has a photograph of Augustine and doesn’t know anything about her or even where she lives. Jonathan does not tell his grandmother that he is going to Ukraine, because she would not have wanted him to relive the memories of the Holocaust.

Plot • The narrative switches between two points of view;

Jonathan’s, and Alex- a Ukrainian who becomes Jonathan’s translator. Alex’s English serves as comic relief, as does the fact that Jonathan is a vegetarian and the only thing he can eat in Ukraine is potatoes.

• Jonathan and Alex are accompanied by Alex’s grandfather, who, despite being psychosomatically blind, has been hired as their driver. There is also a very friendly (and gassy) dog, Sammy Davis Junior Junior, who Alex’s grandfather says helps him see the road.

• In reality, Foer did not find Augustine, but decided to write a fictionalized account of what would have happened if he had succeeded. Since the character is a collector, Foer imagined what it would be like if he could collect the entire history of Trachimbrod in Ziploc bags. In the book, Augustine, much like Jonathan, has collected all artifacts and remains of Trachimbrod and keeps them in her house.

Excerpts, and A few alex-isms

• “Enough of my miniature talking. I am making you a very boring person.”

• “This is Igor, my miniature brother.”

• “I understanded that the silence was necessary for him to talk.”

• “Seeing eye bitch”

Themes and focus

• “The thing I’m most afraid of is me. Of not knowing what I’m going to do. Of not knowing what I’m doing right now.”

• Jonathan’s angst at not knowing who he is or what he is doing with his life vanishes when he discovers his grandfather’s village and his own history.

• “Everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us…on the inside, looking out.”

Themes and focus

• The importance of myths and names, the value of friendship and family, the fragility of memory, the Holocaust, values, morals, and cultural legacy.

Movie trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-

hCtlNM32M

Activity: Where did they come from?

• In groups of 5 or 6, map out where your grandparents and parents came from and how they reached Canada/your native country. You can write this down, draw a map, a diagram, or any other way you like.

• So it would go like this: Grandparents - parents- you

PROS

• Very funny, well written book that engages students. Appropriate for older students, (grades 11-12).

• Contains a rich and interesting history of the Holocaust, contemporary differences between American and post USSR culture, and points out interesting linguistic aspects of the English language.

• The angst and confusion that Jonathan feels will definitely resonate with students

• Many opportunities for cross curricular study

• The movie complements the book well and can also be used as a resource

Cons

• Some sensitive material, including explicit language, sexual references, and violent/disturbing accounts of World War II. Front-loading definitely required

• May sometimes be a little too heavy or dense, you could then do a selective reading

• The humor derived from Alex’s inappropriate use of English may confuse ELL learners

Other resources

• Lost Town (2013), a documentary about Trochenbrod. Directed by Jeremy Goldscheider and Richard Goldgewicht