What is Holocaust perpetrator fiction?

Abstract

In this article, I argue that fiction that centralizes the perpetrator perspective should be understood as a central part of the canon of Holocaust fiction. However, as I aim to show, greater distinction needs to be made between different kinds of perpetrator writing. Comparing fiction about generic Nazis with stories that centralize the figure of Adolf Hitler, I attempt to outline some of the key similarities and differences. Ultimately, perpetrator fiction works by drawing connections with the reader: the implication is that readers also have the capacity for wrongdoing and could, under the necessary conditions, act in atrocious ways. This has implications for reader responses, especially those concerning empathy and judgement. On the other hand, Hitler fiction relies on the ‘otherness’ of the Nazi leader, whose character resists easy normalization. This raises important questions about Hitler’s place in the Western cultural imagination.

WHO DO WE SEE IN THE PROTAGONIST OF THE CAPTAIN (2017)?

“…26 that deal with or focus on the perpetrators 28 or, to cite a definition proposed by Joanne Pettitt, which examine 'the social, political and psychological motivations of Holocaust perpetrators.' 29 Many such texts offer an insight into the mind and feelings of a person responsible for the most horrendous crimes, and convey the impression of the 'humanisation' or 'normalisation' of such perpetrators. 30 These works revolve around fictional events related to actual perpetrators, such as Hitler or Mengele, or -as in the case of the novels examined by Erin McGlothlin -they concern entirely fictional characters.…”