Guilt
Shreetika Singh
January 11, 2017
Guilt
Author Jonathan Safran Foer has crafted a novel filled with vivid imagination portrayed through letters, memories, and magical realism. The basic premise involves the search for a woman in a photograph, who may have saved Jonathan’s grandfather from the Nazis during World War II. Jonathan is accompanied by a young Ukrainian man, Alex. Alex is Jonathan’s guide throughout his journey in the Ukraine.
Throughout Everything is Illuminated, guilt is a recurring theme as Jonathan and Alex proceed on their journey to find a woman named Augustine, who presumably has answers to all their questions. On page 187, Alex’s grandfather, responding to the account of the Nazis’ murdering innocent Jews by telling Alex, “You would not help somebody if it signified that you would be murdered and your family would be murdered”. Along with explaining his situation during the tragic time period he justifies himself and says, on page 227, “I am not a bad person. I am a good person who has lived in a bad time”. The topic of guilt can be very complicated, individuals tend to feel responsible for the negative actions of others if they do nothing to stop them. However, should you really feel guilty for actions done by someone else? People shouldn’t have to feel guilty or have to carry the burden of someone else’s actions, even if they believe that they could have possibly stopped it from happening. Whether the individual was a friend or a family member, you shouldn’t have to feel guilty for their actions simply because you are associated with either the individual or the event. Therefore, I agree with what Alex’s grandfather said about “living in a bad time.” However, grandfather did betray his friend in order to keep his loved ones safe. Due to his actions of betrayal, I believe Alex’s grandfather should feel some guilt and not completely blame it on the time period; however, Alex should not feel guilty for his grandfather’s actions.
The consequences or guilt of an action can stay with an individual for an exceedingly extended period of time. Some individuals can forgive themselves for the actions that they have done, but for others the memory of the event haunts them for a lifetime. Being able to free yourself from guilt for past deeds solely depends on the individual and if they have acquired closure and forgiven themselves for what they have done.
Throughout Everything is Illuminated, guilt is a recurring theme as Jonathan and Alex proceed on their journey to find a woman named Augustine, who presumably has answers to all their questions. On page 187, Alex’s grandfather, responding to the account of the Nazis’ murdering innocent Jews by telling Alex, “You would not help somebody if it signified that you would be murdered and your family would be murdered”. Along with explaining his situation during the tragic time period he justifies himself and says, on page 227, “I am not a bad person. I am a good person who has lived in a bad time”. The topic of guilt can be very complicated, individuals tend to feel responsible for the negative actions of others if they do nothing to stop them. However, should you really feel guilty for actions done by someone else? People shouldn’t have to feel guilty or have to carry the burden of someone else’s actions, even if they believe that they could have possibly stopped it from happening. Whether the individual was a friend or a family member, you shouldn’t have to feel guilty for their actions simply because you are associated with either the individual or the event. Therefore, I agree with what Alex’s grandfather said about “living in a bad time.” However, grandfather did betray his friend in order to keep his loved ones safe. Due to his actions of betrayal, I believe Alex’s grandfather should feel some guilt and not completely blame it on the time period; however, Alex should not feel guilty for his grandfather’s actions.
The consequences or guilt of an action can stay with an individual for an exceedingly extended period of time. Some individuals can forgive themselves for the actions that they have done, but for others the memory of the event haunts them for a lifetime. Being able to free yourself from guilt for past deeds solely depends on the individual and if they have acquired closure and forgiven themselves for what they have done.