People have to liberate themselves, because liberation is not a single act. It's a question of eternal vigilance. Otherwise, you'll just become enslaved by someone else.
Norman FinkelsteinRead
My original interest in the Nazi holocaust was personal. Both my father and mother were survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Nazi concentration camps. Apart from my parents, every family member on both sides was exterminated by the Nazis.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the deep personal connection of the author to the Holocaust, shaped by his parents' experiences as survivors.
Norman Finkelstein's quote conveys the profound impact of the Holocaust on his identity, stemming from the survival of his parents who endured unimaginable horrors. It highlights the personal tragedy that transcends general historical accounts, as Finkelstein's entire family was decimated during this atrocity, reinforcing the haunting legacy of loss and survival within his own life narrative.
Themes
HolocaustSurvivorTragedyMemoryHistoryLoss
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the importance of remembering historical atrocities.
More from Norman Finkelstein
All quotes →Both my father and mother were survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Nazi concentration camps. Apart from my parents, every family member on both sides was exterminated by the Nazis.
Norman FinkelsteinRead
I was probably unusually close to my parents, so I do what I can now to preserve the integrity of their memory. The Holocaust deserves to be remembered.
Norman FinkelsteinRead
When you are a people's movement, you have one thing. Your only asset is people. And you have to deal with real people. Not the people of your imagination. Not the people you wish people would be. But people as they exist actually out there in the real world.
Norman FinkelsteinRead
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