Arnon Grunberg

1946

Commonplace

On language, camps and (glib) comparisons - David L. Ulin in the LA Times:

'In 1946, George Orwell addressed the relationship of language to reality and suggested that euphemism, not imperfect analogy, was the real danger. If we don’t use shocking language to describe a shocking circumstance, can we truly recognize what is happening? “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle,” Orwell wrote. At a time when the counterfactual is commonplace, he nails our predicament.'

Read the article here.

Many have forgotten is that a concentration camp is not necessarily an extermination camp.
And I agree with David L. Ulin but I'm afraid that we got so used to shocking language, and even shocking images, that the shock effect is not going to wake us up. With or without references to the Third Reich.

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