jonathan safran foer's everything is illuminated

On page 227, Alex's grandfather says, 'I am not a bad person.Separated by time and space from the 'old country' of Eastern Europe, in what ways do American Jews strive to fill in the gap between what we know and what we wish we knew about actual people who lived there and the events of their lives? What do you imagine this gap will be like for succeeding generations of American Jews?.What do we learn about Alex from his question? What do you think might be some of the motivations for American Jews to visit the shtetls of their grandparents and great-grandparents? In what ways do you think this is related to an increased interest, in general, in genealogy? At the beginning of the book Alex, the guide, has a difficult time understanding why Jews from America would spend a lot of money to track down their ancestors' shtetls in Ukraine and Poland.Discussion Questions Based on the Online 'Questions for Discussion' Therefore, this UAHC discussion guide will presume the user is has already read through the publisher's guide and is using this guide as a supplement. Feel free to pick and choose between the two in order to address the aspects of the book that most interest you. Though Foer does reveal, in the online interview, how being Jewish played into how he came to write this book, the otherwise excellent accompanying discussion guide does not address questions of particular Jewish interest. This can be found on the publisher's website. The book's publisher, Houghton Mifflin Books, has posted online an extensive discussion guide, background about the author and a conversation with the author.

Foer deftly weaves together silly humor, quaint storytelling and unique characters into a narrative that is both irreverent and intriguing at the same time. However, this is Holocaust literature with a twist, with a Generation X's sensibility. This book certainly qualifies as Holocaust literature in that it is about a young Jewish adult's search to understand what happened to his grandfather, whom he had never met, during the Holocaust. the rift between what is and what seems to be.Īnd, if not breaking new ground, this book treads into some new areas where, perhaps, only a young author can safely travel. This is a device that serves well one of the themes of the book, i.e. He also chose to give one of his main characters his own name and had the character embark on a journey that he himself had just completed. What makes this novel so notable? For starters, Foer was only 24 years old when his book was published, a remarkable accomplishment for so young a person.

As a result of this exposure, both Jonathan Safran Foer, the author and a recent Princeton graduate, and his first novel received tremendous attention and, ultimately, critical acclaim. Prior to its publication in Spring 2002, an excerpt of Everything Is Illuminated appeared in the New Yorker's debut-fiction issue.

Jonathan safran foer's everything is illuminated